25 Things I Know

Which isn't that much.

Henri Matisse. Interior with a Violin Case. Nice, winter 1918–19. Oil on canvas, 28 3/4 × 23 5/8” (73 × 60 cm).

1. I know that it is good to share knowledge. When you know things, pass it on.

2. I know that Solzhenitsyn is right when he says that the purpose of life is to mature the soul. It’s a tragedy to live life without growing and changing.

3. I know that people vary in quality. Part of maturity is discovering what traits actually make someone good.

4. I know that capacity for action is one of the three traits that, when unified, cause all good things. The other two are thoughtful reflection and desire for truth.

5. I know that you cannot pursue maturity directly. Maturity comes as the result of a life of action.

6. I know that decomposing your thinking is a superpower. People naturally join concepts based on how they encounter them, whether or not they have a genuine relationship. For example, you might think that to start a business you need a business plan, a revenue model, an office, and business cards. These are all things that most businesses have. But those don’t make a business, they make business easier. What makes a business is selling goods or services. This is much easier than getting an office.

7. I know that when forming a new habit, you must also form auxiliary habits that support the end behavior. For example: If I wish to workout 3x/week, I must also protect my sleep schedule and eat better. When you’re attempting to convince yourself to go to sleep at a reasonable time, it helps to remember the end goal: looking hot.

8. I know that when you develop a skill with some degree of seriousness, you will quickly surpass the level at which other amateurs can give you good advice. Make sure that you don’t mistake this for having achieved expertise.

9. I also know that when you reach this first peak in a skill or a practice, the thing that will take you to the next level is often the thing that scares you the most.

10. I know that perceptions of impossibility are often lies. The exception to this is relationships.

11. I know that when solving a problem, the solution that feels the most difficult is usually the one that has the best shot at working.

12. I know that perception of difficulty is often wrong and usually related to social or psychological factors as opposed to actual difficulty. The easiest and most effective solution to many problems is having an honest conversation or sending an honest message/email. However, these are often perceived as being more difficult than they truly are.

13. I know that when you confront someone, you should take their side. This doesn’t mean you should let them off the hook. It does mean that you should hold them accountable from their own perspective. Deliver the confrontation as if you were their better nature asking them to be the good person that you know they are.

14. I know that demons are real and are best dealt with by rebuking them in the name of Jesus Christ.

15. I know that if you find it difficult to be vulnerable with others, this means that you should constantly do so in small ways. Exposure therapy is the only one that works.

16. I know that when making choices, every choice made closes some doors.

17. I also know that action begets choices. When you do stuff, more opportunities arise. Sometimes the opportunities that arise are entirely different than what you had hoped for. You should try them anyways.

18. I know that not making a choice is like closing all doors and double-locking them for extra safety.

19. I know that small talk is the best part of a conversation, even though I’m bad at it.

20. I know that attention is the most precious mental resource that any one of us has, and you should be extreme in your efforts to protect it.

21. I know that there is a tight balance between giving grace to oneself and expecting excellence of oneself. Paradoxically, when one is able to give oneself proper grace, excellence is the natural consequence. Unfortunately, “proper grace” is actually hard to understand or grab hold of. It is far easier to just let yourself go.

22. I know that it is easy to sustain hallucinations about reality. So fail hard and fail often.

23. I know that many endeavors can be sustained by sheer ambition or grit. But it is better if they are sustained by love. Unfortunately, love is more difficult to cultivate than ambition or grit.

24. I know that desperation is good for you after the fact.

25. I know that listening to Motown is a surefire way to have a good workout.

Format copied from Cate Hall and Sasha Chapin who collectively know 75 more things than I do.