Curiosity Chronicle

In 1968, an ecologist named Garrett Hardin published ​an essay​ that described the perils of individual short-term thinking on shared resources: "Picture a pasture open to all...the rational herdsman concludes that the only sensible course for him to pursue is to add another animal to his herd. And another; and another...Each man is locked into a system that compels him to increase his herd withou...

I recently came across a quote I can't stop thinking about: "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds..." – Ralph Waldo Emerson We live in a world that celebrates consistency. You're reading a newsletter that ​celebrates consistency​ . We're taught that success is found on the other side of consistent action. That showing up, repeating our actions, day after day, is the only surefire...

In 1921, an Austrian philosopher named Ludwig Wittgenstein concluded his Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus with the following passage: “My propositions are elucidatory in this way: he who understands me finally recognizes them as senseless, when he has climbed out through them, on them, over them. (He must so to speak throw away the ladder, after he has climbed up on it.)” In simple terms, Wittgenste...

Last week, I went on my first “Think Week” retreat. Three days. Limited connectivity. No meetings. Just reading, deep conversations, journaling, and thinking. I typically try to take a “Think Day” about once a month—but with the utter chaos of my book launch and tour over the last 12 months, I hadn’t been able to create the space necessary to zoom out and properly engage in this ritual. If I’m bei...

One of my favorite quotes comes from ​ Siddhartha ​ by Hermann Hesse: “We are not going in circles, we are going upwards. The path is a spiral; we have already climbed many steps.” It highlights a story that plays out over and over again in our lives: You’re doing the work. You’re showing up. You’re taking action. But the rewards you expected are nowhere to be seen. And that’s exactly when the sel...

Have you ever grown frustrated by the observation that the people who know the least seem to be the most confident in their knowledge? You're not crazy. It's a very real, and very damning, psychological phenomenon. In 1999, researchers David Dunning and Justin Kruger studied the bizarre case of McArthur Wheeler, a would-be bank robber who was caught after robbing two banks in broad daylight... •••...

Exactly 20 years ago, on May 21, 2005, author David Foster Wallace stood before the graduating class at Kenyon College and delivered the annual commencement address. The speech completely rewired my brain. Each year, I reread it. Each year, it hits differently. To mark the 20th anniversary of the speech––known as This Is Water ––I want to share five lessons that changed how I see the world (and co...

Here's a question I like to ask myself when I feel stuck: If an outside observer watched me for a week, how serious would they say I am about achieving my goals? Think about it. It's easy to convince ourselves that we're fulfilling our responsibilities. That we're doing what's necessary to build the life we want. That we're showing up with energy and focus on a daily basis. But what would an unbia...

We all do it. We stay in jobs that drain us. We cling to relationships that no longer bring us energy. We hold onto possessions, identities, and goals that don’t serve the future we're trying to build. It turns out there's a simple cognitive bias to blame—and understanding it may be the key to fighting back... ••• SPECIAL OFFER: The e-book edition of my book is on a major sale this week for just $...

My son turns three years old this week. Over the last few months, I've grown increasingly excited by the idea of writing him a series of letters he can read as he grows up. My hope is that they serve as a compass for his journey (and maybe for anyone else who happens to read them). What follows is the first letter he'll read... ••• Big News! The ebook edition of ​ The 5 Types of Wealth ​ is on a m...

There’s a story about Apple founder Steve Jobs that I love: When he was 12 years old, he cold-called Bill Hewlett—co-founder of the pioneering technology company Hewlett Packard—to request spare computer parts for an electronics project he was working on. Surprised by the request, Hewlett not only sent the parts, he also offered him a summer internship. That opportunity further accelerated the you...

Last week, investor Bill Ackman hosted a fireside chat conversation in Omaha in front of a standing room only crowd of 500+ investors. Ackman was joined onstage by Ryan Israel, his partner and Chief Investment Officer. During the conversation, an audience member asked Israel a deceptively simple question: "How do you know when to sell a stock?" In a sharp, thoughtful reply, he outlined three reaso...

Last week, I had the rare opportunity to spend one-on-one time with some of the most uncommon minds in the world while attending the Berkshire Hathaway Annual Meeting in Omaha. This piece is my attempt to distill and synthesize the notes down to a set of lessons. 11 lessons from a week with legends: (1) Being misunderstood is the cost of entry, (2) Regularly question your certainty, (3) Awareness...

Your entire life will change when you realize that growth feeds on meaningful struggle. When you avoid that struggle, you literally starve your growth of the oxygen it needs to thrive. ••• My first book is a 7x NYT Bestseller and has reached over 200,000 people around the world in three months since its release. Join the movement to redefine what it means to live a wealthy life. Order  The 5 Types...

If you're reading this newsletter, chances are you self-identify as an ambitious, high-achieving individual. Or, at a minimum, you aspire to be one. You probably take pride in your ability to analyze a situation, deconstruct the problem, create potential solutions, and execute against them. And, up to this point, you've mostly been rewarded for that. We live in a world obsessed with numbers and an...

I define an asymmetry as something where the risk is limited but the reward is potentially significant. It's an action with an asymmetric return profile : If it doesn't work out, the cost is small, but if it does work out, the reward is large. I've been keeping a running list of the most powerful asymmetries I've found—the tiny investments with potentially outsized returns. This piece shares 44 as...

There are certain taxes of life that we must happily pay: Periods of loneliness are a tax on personal transformation. To achieve the growth we want, we need to accept that there will be periods when we've left our prior environment and have yet to find our new one. Hard conversations are a tax on deep relationships. To build the deep bonds we want, we need to accept the hard conversations that rep...

Morning routines have been a hot topic of discussion lately, mostly prompted by a mega-viral video of an Instagram influencer running through his elaborate minute-by-minute rituals. It's incredibly good content—the ASMR sounds, the shots, the execution—but is having a fancy, complicated morning routine really going to change your life? If you aren't going to start dunking your face in expensive bo...

In a world that values sameness, standing out is never free. But those who endure unlock the door to the most extraordinary lives. This is a brutally honest list of the traits I've observed in people who truly stand out. These are the traits I aspire to live by. 9 uncommon traits that will make you stand out: (1) Be anti-insecure, (2) Cheer loudly (and without qualification), (3) Practice the art...

Here's a quote I often think about: "It isn’t the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it’s the pebble in your shoe." - Muhammad Ali Over the years, it's sparked a lot of introspection around a simple question that we should all be asking ourselves more regularly: Am I blocked by the mountain in my path or the pebble in my shoe? ••• My book has sold 200,000+ copies around the world and is a...

Everyone tells you to do hard things, but no one tells you why it's so important . First, it's because life is hard. And when you take on voluntary struggle, you're better prepared for the involuntary struggle that inevitably enters your world. But I think there's a deeper reason that goes beyond that... ••• My book has sold 200,000+ copies around the world and is a 7x NYT Bestseller. If you've be...

This is an Ancient Roman phrase I find echoing in my brain: "Age Quod Agis" Translation: Do what you are doing . A simple concept, yet so very powerful in the attention-splintered world we live in.

Effective delegation is not a subject on any standard school curriculum, so most people have no idea how to do it. Here's my simple guide to get started on your delegation journey. ••• My book has sold 200,000+ copies around the world and is a 7x NYT Bestseller. If you've been wanting a copy (or are looking to gift copies to family or friends), there's a big 30% sale. Now’s a great time to get it....

There is a cost of entry for everything you want to achieve in life. Everyone wants the reward: The growth The level-up The next chapter But few are willing to pay the cost of entry to achieve it... ••• My book has sold 200,000+ copies around the world and is a 7x NYT Bestseller. If you've been wanting a copy (or are looking to gift copies to family or friends), there's a big 30% sale. Now’s a gre...

Warren Buffett once said, "Be fearful when others are greedy and greedy when others are fearful." Everyone loves to repeat it, but it's much easier to repeat the quote during calm seas than it is to live by the quote during storms. This article is about how you operate in the storms—an open letter on the most important human trait: Courage. Courage is defined at the testing point. The life you wan...