sampling.
we tend to make important decisions too early. without trying out enough options.
especially when you're young, you should increase your “sample size”. this is the only way to find out, what you really like – without settling too soon.
bit late to the party, but the new @gumroad branding looks real nice! although i mostly prefer minimal designs, these bold colors and graphics really have something.
i especially like the illustration below 🔁
outsiders.
outsiders have some benefits – like generally a more critical view of established systems or more unconventional ideas.
it's good to have some of them in your circle. but don't try to be one yourself. be the connection.
arms race.
if you find yourself in a position, where you constantly have to exceed yourself just to keep up with others, you're trapped in an arms race. try to avoid them.
every single step seems to be an improvement. but overall, you're standing still.
specialization.
until 10'000 years ago, humans had to be generalists. today, however, we live in a world of specialists.
in order to make a good career, you need to find your niche. and then niche down even further. try to become the best at what you do.
cargo cult.
many people try to imitate their role models by behaving just like them.
unfortunately, this is a very bad way to try to replicate their success. because it's difficult to understand, what really makes them successful.
don't try it either.
just-world fallacy.
the world isn't fair. in order to live a good life, you have to just accept that.
fate's strokes happen, no matter if you're a good or a bad person. accept your failures stoically. but also your successes.
«changing the world» pt. II.
most scientific/economic/… breakthroughs are person-independent. they are a product of the circumstances they were created in.
the only place where you really are irreplaceable is your personal life, your environment.
«changing the world» pt. I.
big changes in history have a random part in them. this means that the people behind them were mostly just in the right place at the right time.
you should worship them just as little as you hope to become one yourself.
role swap.
in order to truly understand someone (customer, partner, …), you have to wear their shoes. and actually walk in them e.g. do the things they would do.
a tip to train this behavior: read more fiction. and try to empathize with the characters.
it always amazes me, how @css has an article on even the most trivial things.
was looking for a solution to a very specific flexbox problem aaand 👇
https://css-tricks.com/flexbox-truncated-text/
thinking vs doing.
thinking about and planing something is great in the beginning. but it only takes you so far.
by actually doing things, you have a risk to fail. but you'll also gain experience. and that's all that matters. in every aspect of life.
mental subtraction.
instead of thinking about the things you don't own or can't do, imagine how life would be without the things you do have/can do.
imagine how it would feel to not be able to see. to hear. to not have your family/friends/partner.
the knowledge illusion.
we tend to overestimate the amount of things we know about something. often, we simply rely on the opinion of others and adopt it.
this can be especially dangerous for ideologies. avoid them. they just narrow your world view.
reading wrong.
if you're an avid reader, you're probably reading wrong. talking about reading too many or the wrong books.
when it comes to books, quality beats quantity. if you've read a good book in the past, read it again. you'll remember more.
attention.
attention is one of our most important resources. but we tend to waste it.
you always live, where your current focus is. choose it wisely.
be especially careful with the consumption of information. like you would be with the food you eat.
state of the world.
a big % of people around the globe suffer from wars, illnesses, or other things. a very depressing thought.
the harsh truth: you yourself can't do much about it. apart from donating money to charities. the rest isn't in your control.
prevention.
no matter what life throws at you – it's always easier to prevent something rather than solve it later.
although success through prevention is invisible to the outsider and thus doesn't get the same recognition – it's the better choice.
envy.
to feel envy is one of the biggest sources of unhappiness. you feel it most towards people, who are similar to you (age, job, lifestyle, …).
a possible solution: don't compare yourself to others. neither on social media nor in real life.
the mental fortress.
4 simple rules of life to remember:
opinions.
we tend to have opinions about everything. and we form them quickly.
that's not bad per se but falls short for complex topics.
create a mental «too complicated»-bucket. put questions in there for which you don't need to have an opinion.
worries.
90% of all your concerns are superfluous.
ask yourself: «what is actually in my control?»
you don't have to worry about things that aren't in your control – you can't influence them anyway.
focus on your priorities instead.
circle of dignity pt. III.
as already stated, the things inside your circle of dignity are non-negotiable.
this also means that you wouldn't give them up, no matter how much money is offered to you. they don't have a price.
this article came just at the right time, as asynchronous javascript was always some kind of a black box for me.
so, if you are also struggling to get the concept of async await, go give this article from @sarah_edo a read. it's really good and explains the concept very well 💡 https://xcancel.com/sarah_edo/status/1456638810343677952
circle of dignity pt. II.
you can set up your circle of dignity however you want. you can define which ideals you represent.
but – only if you have to defend them, if you must stand firm, your circle of dignity shows its true value and solidifies.
circle of dignity pt. I.
the circle of dignity is similar to your circle of competence.
it is a vow about where your boundaries lie. which principles you stand for and which you are willing to give up.
what things in your life are non-negotiable?
hedonism & eudaemonia.
happiness consists of two things:
hedonistic component = enjoyment
eudaemonic component = meaningfulness
the overall ratio between these two parts of your life should always be as balanced as possible.
self-pity.
sometimes you end up in a vortex of self-pity. you should definitely fight against this. because complaining all the time is counterproductive. it only makes your situation worse.
«if you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.»
life and death.
most of us won't die at the peak of life. but even if you've had a few difficult years before death, your life was probably still good.
it's better to live a good life than to die a good death. thinking about the latter isn't worth it.
stories & lies.
the stories we tell us about ourselves are often wrong. this leads to a distorted self-image.
you'll get the best image of yourself from someone who knows you very well and can be 100% honest. it's always good to know, who you truly are.
experience > memory.
humans are concerned with 3 time layers: past, present & future.
once you have a long-term plan, focus on the now. don't try to maximize future memories. maximize your present.
after death, your «memory account» is deleted anyways.
the two mes.
the experiencing me: it focuses on the present moment. one moment only lasts 3 seconds.
the remembering me: it collects the memories, that «survive» the first me.
We tend to overrate the remembering me, but it is really error-prone.
been using the jit mode in @tailwindcss for the first time the past couple of days.
it's an absolute game-changer, feels a bit like magic ✨
the «little» meaning of life.
having goals in life is really important.
you're not guaranteed to reach them – but if you have none, you won't reach anything.
setting goals has a positive effect on your life. but be realistic.
end of history illusion.
people change over time – yourself included. personal development is never «finished».
one caveat though: you can only influence the change of yourself. so don't expect, that you can affect the character of other people.
inner vs. outer scorecard
what other people think about you isn't as important as you think. you can't fully control it anyways.
as long as you can look at yourself in the mirror for what you do, everything is ok. don't play short term status games.
vocation.
thinking that every person has a vocation is one of the biggest illusions of our time. following it obsessively will most certainly make you unhappy.
instead of focusing on the result, focus on the activity itself. and your skills.
consistency.
people underestimate the power of long-term goals & exponential growth.
be it investing or skills – slow but steady progress leads to the best results.
this might sound boring at first, but endurance & consistency are key to a good life.
circle of competence.
what lies within it, you master. what doesn't, you don't.
always focus on the first part. develop a healthy obsession for it.
every hour that you invest into your circle has 1000x the value of the ones you don't.
f*ck-you-money.
above a certain threshold, more money ≠ happier.
if you have a financial buffer («f*ck-you-money»), other factors apart from money influence your happiness. be it your job or the people around you.
don't think too much about your money.
happiness-effect.
we tend to overestimate the happiness-effect for material things but underestimate it for experiences.
this ties in with the focusing illusion (see 11). most things we buy don't have the effect on our everyday life, that we wish for.
focusing illusion.
«nothing in life is as important as you think it is while you are thinking about it.»
– daniel kahneman
to avoid this logical fallacy, zoom out. look at the bigger picture.
is it really that important?
5-second-no.
regarding favors, a strategy called «tit for tat» has proven to be the best for evolutionary reasons:
you do person x a favor first – if they return it, you'd be willing to do it again.
give yourself 5 seconds to make the initial decision.
authenticity trap.
authenticity is en vouge. but too much is too much, especially in public, at work, etc.
be like a foreign minister to yourself. reliable, professional, and not complaining or gossiping. this creates inner clarity.
introspection illusion.
don't trust your feeling too much. interpreting your own emotions is often unreliable. plus, you're biased.
on the opposite, you're much better at reading other people's emotions and vice versa. this is due to evolution.
ovarian lottery.
a big % of your current success can't be attributed to your hard work. instead, it's the result of pure luck.
where you were born. when you were born. which people you've met along the way…
above anything else, stay humble and thankful.
upside vs downside.
oftentimes you'll be more successful, trying not to do something stupid instead of doing something brilliant. just avoiding common mistakes can do wonders.
«if you don't do something wrong, the right thing will happen.»
counterproductivity.
most technology-related things seem great at first sight. but they oftentimes come with hidden costs, be it money (that has first to be earned) or time.
don't underestimate this. only use, what's really essential.
