I recently had a go to Naval Ravikant podcasts where he is sharing great wisdom on how to lead your life and career. I agree with most of his principles which resonates with my values that I'd like to capture in this post and/or comment on.
On happiness
Not suffering not desiring not thinking too much about the future or the past and really embracing the current moment and what there is, because to nature there is no happiness or unhappiness, there is no right or wrong, there is no good or bad, nature follows unbroken mathematical laws, and everything is perfect exactly the way it is and it is only in our mind that we are happy or unhappy or things are perfect or imperfect because of what we desire.
Harmony that nature possesses
Loved how he points out is the harmony that nature possesses. In nature, good and bad, happiness and unhappiness, right or wrong exists in perfect harmony with a perfect balance. So why shouldn't future and the past also be a part of that balance? Learning from the past and dreaming about the future, along with living in the present is how it should be. Although maybe that is what he mean.
Have no expectation
He later talks about out that to be happy you have to believe in complete and utter insignificant of the "self". That helps because, for example if you thought you were the centre of the universe than you'll would want to bend the entire universe to your will because if you were the centre of the universe and how could it not conform to your desires and if doesn't then there must something wrong.
But then, if you were to view your self as insignificant then you have no expectation of how life should actually be like because it's just the way it is and then you sort of except that and you have no cause to be happy or unhappy and then what you're left with is just your existence and curiosity.
On foundational values
I like the concept of foundational values, and it feels like we all have them. Foundation values are a set of things that you will not compromise upon. For example, honesty is his core value.
Also, completely agree with the fact that you should strive for being who you are when he say that. I like the concept of "Just be able to be... me.". I would point out that the confidence of just being able to be you comes with time and experiences. Although, there is not a better feeling in this world once you do.
"I never want to be in an environment around people where I have to watch what I have to say because if I disconnect what I am thinking from what I am saying then that creates multiple threads in my mind which means I am no longing in the moment that means now I have to do future planning or past regretting every time I am taking to somebody. Anyone around I can't be fully honest with I don't want to around.".
More values to live by
Don't believe in short term thinking or dealing. Only believe in pure relations and not in hierarchical relationships. Don't believe in anger. Don't be angry and don't be around angry people.
Everybody has values and lot of it of finding great relationships and great coworkers and great lovers is by finding people who's values line up with your values and then little things don't matter, generally people are fighting or corralling when their values don't line up, because if the values line up little things wouldn't matter.
Concepts to learn
Micro economics and game theory are fundamentals to learn and live by. You can't be successful in business or even navigating through most our modern capitalist society without an extremely good understanding of supply and demand and labour vs capital and game theory and tit for tat and those kind of things. Evaluation. Charlie Mengion. Benjamin Franklin. These are some good concepts to read about and learn from.
Education system
Internet which is the greatest web of knowledge ever created completely interconnected it's very very easy to learn. If you actually have a desire to learn you could learn anything on the internet.
The most smartest and most successful people I know started off as losers. If you view yourself as a loser as someone who cast out by society and has no role in normal society then you do your own thing and you're much more likely to find your own winning path. Be yourself.
Setting up systems and not goals
Use your judgement to figure out what kind of environments you can thrive in and then build a system to create an environment around you so you're statistically more likely to succeed. You're not going to be the most successful person on the planet nor that you should want to be one, but you can be the most successful version of yourself while working the least hard possible.
On doing something different
You cam do something interesting and new. You can create something brand new that the world has never seen that it gets value of out of that it uses that its congruous with your morals so you never have problem sleeping at night and you never worry about selling something that you wouldn't buy.
Each person is uniquely qualified at something they have some specific knowledge capability and desire that nobody else does. That is just purely from the combinatorics of human DNA and development. So your goal in life is to find out the people who needs you the most, to find out the business that needs you the most and find out the project because there is something out there that's just for you.
On negotiations
Negotiations with high integrity people are generally very easy. They'll give you things to make sure the other person is happy enough so the deal survives, because unhappy people become unreliable and then you have short term relationships which don't have any compounding benefits.
If someone spends talking about their own values and talking about how honest they are, they're covering for something. They are hiding something. There is a book called "the art of manipulation" on how conman think and work. They will talk about how honest they are. They will push a little bit too hard.
We all know who we are and we can't hide from ourself, and if you have too many of short coming you won't be able to live your true self. Never do something that you're not proud of.
On best founders
Best founders have deep understanding of the space they are getting into, they have long term vision and they can execute.
Great people have great outcomes. They just needs to time.
Derek Sivers approach that if you're not saying hell yes right now than you may as well just say no.