Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us – Oliver Wendell Holme Start with an understanding of your destination. To know where you want to go, you need to know where you are. It’s incredibly easy to get … Read more
Chapter 6: Civilization The ‘Clash of Civilizations’ thesis has been revived by recent events in the world. The Syrian civil war, the rise of the Islamic State, Brexit, and the uncertainty surrounding the EU are all indicators that the clash between the West and Islamic civilization is irreconcilable. The attempt to impose western ideals such … Read more
Habit 1: Be Proactive I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by conscious endeavor. – Henry David Thoreau Unless we think about how we see ourselves and others, we won’t understand how others see and feel about themselves and the world. The alternative is to project … Read more
Chapter 5: Community Humans have bodies After the 2016 U.S elections, Silicon Valley’s assumptions had been disrupted. They were used to seeing themselves as part of the solution to bigotry, but now could not deny that they may be part of the problem. They immediately looked for an engineering solution. Facebook’s business model was in … Read more
Law 48: Assume Formlessness The final law in the book reminds us of the caveats of laws in general. There is no fixed law. There are guiding principles, but everything is susceptible to revision. And no strategy is invulnerable, thus it is important to be formless, to be able to adapt whatever pattern of behavior … Read more
Law 46: Never Appear too Perfect It is dangerous to appear better than others, it is especially dangerous to appear to have no faults. Envy creates secret enemies; it is wise to display defects and vices to deflect envy from others. Only the gods and the dead can get away with appearing perfect. A greedy … Read more
Those who own the data own the future The Separation The result of globalization might not have a fairy tale ending, it may result in ‘speciation’, the divergence of humans into separate biological castes or species. In the 20th century, ‘barbarians’ were considered useful because of the labor they provided, but in the 21st century, … Read more
Law 44: Disarm and infuriate with the mirror effect The Mirror Effect is about using people’s narcissism against them. And, as Greene shows, there are many variations of this technique. You should decide which one to use based on your objective. By mirroring people’s actions and sentiments, you can gain their trust. The skill involved … Read more
The Prince by Machiavelli is an introduction to realpolitik. It’s important to understand that Machiavelli’s audience is a prince. Few can consider themselves princes in the modern world, and many of insights in this book involve warfare, how to successfully build and maintain an empire, and how to treat your subjects – none of these are … Read more
If our time is a commodity that we exchange for biochemical impulses that we have as much chance resisting as a drug addict his cocaine, or an alcoholic his whiskey, then we need to think again about the real constraints that being imposed on us by technology. It’s not that the Buddhist appreciates his time … Read more