Gambling Human beings have always been infatuated with gambling because it puts us head-to-head against the fates, with no holds barred. Should you refrain from acting in the hope that time will shift the probabilities in your favor? Hamlet complained that too much hesitation under uncertainty is bad, because overdeliberation will ruin spontaneity, but once … Read more
Marc Andreessen Marc Andreessen is a legendary figure in Silicon Valley, he co-created the famous Mosaic browser, and co-founded Netscape, and Loudcloud. He is now managing the venture capital firm Andreessen Horrowitz, which has become one of the most dominant tech investors on the planet. Don’t Fetishize Failure These days, people call failure a ‘pivot’, … Read more
The Art of Living: Vipassana Meditation is based on the teachings of S. N. Goenka’s, who’s teaching emphasized that the Buddha’s path to liberation is universal and scientific. He was an influential teacher and played a key role in establishing non-commercial Vipassana meditation centers globally. Vipassana is about gaining intellectual insight about yourself. In recognizing … Read more
This book by Tolstoy is a list of 365 thoughts to meditate on, with supporting quotes from great teachers, such as Seneca, Buddha, and Jesus. Each page has a handful of quotes around a theme. I found some of these ideas to be helpful and original, others too familiar, and others not very helpful. There … Read more
The Inequality of Quality There are too many mediocre books which exist just to entertain your mind. Therefore, read only those books which are accepted without doubt as good. —Lucius Annaeus Seneca What you will notice, after reading many books, is that a minority will have a lasting impact your life, that is why you … Read more
The Obstacle is the Way Summary The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday is about the practice of Stoicism. The ancient Greeks had many philosophical schools, but the most pragmatic among them was stoicism, and this may explain why in the practical, modern world, it has gained in popularity. Ryan Holiday was a student … Read more
Lincoln Abraham Lincoln battled with depression his whole life. It was known as melancholy at the time, it nearly drove him to suicide. Though he had a penchant for jokes and vulgar humor, he suffered periods of intense isolation and pain. His life was defined by enduring and overcoming great difficulty. He grew up in … Read more
Demosthenes Demosthenes was born sickly and frail with a severe speech impediment. He lost his father at age 7. The large inheritance left to him was stolen by the guardians entrusted to protect him. They didn’t pay his tutors, depriving him of education. But he was determined to become a great orator, as he had … Read more
The Difference Between Observing and Perceiving Musashi, swordsman and author of The Book of Five Rings notes the difference between observing and perceiving. The perceiving eye is weak, but the observing eye is strong. The observing eyes sees simply what is there, while the perceiving eye sees more than there is. The observing eye sees … Read more
Michael T. Osterholm is an American public-health scientist and a biosecurity and infectious-disease expert, and he wrote Deadliest Enemy: Our War Against Killer Germs. Joe Rogan interviewed Osterholm, who answered questions about the COVID-19 epidemic. Epidemiology Epidemiologists deal with the control of diseases. They have two main goals. The first is to prevent. When that … Read more