Strategy 14: Overwhelm Resistance with Speed and Suddenness (The 33 Strategies of War)

The Blitzkrieg Strategy You must be slow in deliberation and swift in execution. Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) In 1218, Muhammad II, the shah of Khwarazm, received a delegation from the Mongol Empire to the east. Genghis Khan had sent the shah three ambassadors who offered gifts, and a treaty that recognized the shah as the superior … Read more

Strategy 12: Lose Battles but Win the War (The 33 Strategies of War)

Grand Strategy Readiness is everything. Resolution is indissolubly bound up with caution. If an individual is careful and keeps his wits about him, he need not become excited or alarmed. If he is watchful at all times, even before danger is present, he is armed when danger approaches and need not be afraid. The superior … Read more

Choose Yourself Summary (6/10)

Choose Yourself is a book about making tough decisions, and about knowing what to focus on, in the new age of information. Entrepreneurship (Golden Handcuffs) Don’t stay at a job for safe salary increases over time. That will never get you where you want to go—freedom from financial worry. Only free time, imagination, creativity, and … Read more

Strategy 11: Trade Space for Time (The 33 Strategies of War)

To remain disciplined and calm while waiting for disorder to appear amongst the enemy is the art of self-possession. Sun-tzu (fourth century B.C.) In the 1930’s, Mao Tse-tung was a rising hero of the Communist army. His philosophy and guerilla tactics led them to many victories against the Nationalist party, even though he was often … Read more

Strategy 9: Turn the Tables (The 33 Strategies of War)

The Counterattack Strategy The counterattack is a classic approach to warfare. Most people either spend their time attacking, leaving themselves vulnerable or they are extremely defensive and miss out on valuable opportunities. The third option is the counterattack. Do not commit to either attack or defense, instead, learn the art of timing. People are generally … Read more

The Maps of Meaning Lectures

Jordan Peterson is often less known for the content of his work than he is for his sometimes controversial political views, but I personally was attracted to the content in these lectures that were based on his first book Maps of Meaning.

The Experiencing Self

What we learn from this talk is that there are two different ways of thinking about happiness. The father of behavioural economics and Nobel Prize in Economics winner, Daniel Kahneman, explains this dichotomy well. Before explaining what the Experiencing and Remembering Selves are, it is worth quickly reviewing the history of happiness. It would not … Read more