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
Chapter 3: Liberty Big Data is watching you Harari’s main thesis in Sapiens and in this book is about stories – what they are, which ones we choose to believe in, and how they shape our world. Liberalism is one of the greatest stories we have invented. Human liberty is its number one value. According to … Read more
Chapter 2: Work When you grow up, you might not have a job What will our future look like with AI? Already, we are seeing signs of a very different world.For example, technologies already exist that can recommend books and videos to us based on our previous tastes. One day, it may be possible to … Read more
Chapter 1: Disillusionment The end of history has been postponed Humans are better at inventing tools than knowing how to use them wisely. Globalization, blockchain, genetic engineering, artificial intelligence, machine learning are all buzzwords that are being repeatedly parroted around the world excitedly. You may have caught a recent TED talk peddling one or a … Read more
Self-Reliance was an essay written by Ralph Waldo Emerson. In it, he explains to us why the answers we seek are not found in trusting authority, blind religious faith, or following convention. He impels us to look inwards – to understand that, the rules that govern society were constructed by human beings, they were not … Read more