the Almanack of Vanval - 05

--------------Judgement-----------

If you want to get rich over your life in a deterministically 

predictable way, stay on the bleeding edge of trends and 

study technology, design, and art———become really good at something.

Judgment is underrated,hard work is really overrated. How hard you 

work matters a lot less in the modern economy.

In an age of leverage, one correct decision can win everything.

The direction you’re heading in matters more than how 

fast you move, especially with leverage. 

Basically, if someone is using a lot of fancy words and a lot of 

big concepts, they probably don’t know what they’re talking about.(lol...)

★★★The smartest people can explain things to a child. If you can’t 

explain it to a child, then you don’t know it. 

The really smart thinkers are clear thinkers. They understand the basics at

a very, very fundamental level.If you can’t rederive倒推导 concepts from the basics 

as you need them, you’re lost. You’re just memorizing. 

The number one thing clouding us from being able to see reality 

is we have preconceived(先入为主的/预想的) notions观念 of the way it should be.

One definition of a moment of suffering is ★“the moment when 

you see things exactly the way they are.” This whole time, you’ve 

been convinced your business is doing great, and really, you’ve 

ignored the signs it’s not doing well. Then, your business fails,

and you suffer because you’ve been putting off reality. You’ve 

been hiding it from yourself.

The hard thing is seeing the truth. To see the truth, you have 

to get your ego out of the way because your ego doesn’t want 

to face the truth. The smaller you can make your ego, the less 

conditioned you can make your reactions, the less desires you 

can have about the outcome you want, the easier it will be to 

see the reality.

The problem isn’t reality. The problem is their desire is colliding抵触 with 

reality and preventing them from seeing the truth, no matter how much you say it.

It’s actually really important to have empty space. If you don’t 

have a day or two every week in your calendar where you’re 

not always in meetings, and you’re not always busy, then you’re 

not going to be able to think.

★★It’s only after you’re bored you have the great ideas. It’s never 

going to be when you’re stressed, or busy, running around or 

rushed. Make the time. (每周留出两段能让你思考的空余时间)

SHED YOUR IDENTITY TO SEE REALITY：

this is a habit I probably picked up when I was a toddler trying to get 

my parent’s attention. Now I’ve reinforced it and reinforced it, and 

I call it a part of my identity. Does it still serve me? Does it 

make me happier? Does it make me healthier? Does it make 

me accomplish whatever I set out to accomplish?

★★★creating identities and labels locks you in and keeps you from seeing 

the truth.

Facebook redesigns. Twitter redesigns. Personalities, careers, and teams also 

need redesigns. ★There are no permanent  solutions in a dynamic system.

LEARN THE SKILLS OF DECISION-MAKING：

The moment you tell somebody something dishonest, you’ve lied to yourself.

Then you’ll start believing your own lie, which will disconnect you  from 

reality and take you down the wrong road.

I never ask if “I like it” or “I don’t like it.” I think “this is what it 

is” or “this is what it isn’t.”

If you have a criticism of someone, then don’t criticize the 

person———criticize the general approach or criticize the class 

of activities. If you have to praise somebody, then always try 

and find the person who is the best example of what you’re 

praising and praise the person, specifically. Then people’s egos 

and identities, which we all have, don’t work against you. They 

work for you.

With modern technology and large workforces and capital, our decisions 

are leveraged more and more.

If you can be more right and more rational, you’re going to 

get nonlinear returns in your life.