Chapter Content
Okay, so, like, how do you think clearly? That's the question, right? And, um, you know, I think being "clear-headed" is actually a better compliment than just being "smart."
Real knowledge, it's all connected, you know? Like a chain. It goes from the basics all the way to the, like, application. Take math, for example. You can't understand trigonometry if you don't get arithmetic and geometry. And, honestly, when someone uses, like, really fancy words and talks about these big, complex things, they probably don't even know what they're talking about! I think the smartest people are the ones who can explain stuff to a kid, you know? In a way that a kid understands. Because if they can't, they probably don't *really* understand it themselves. Which, yeah, is a pretty common idea, but it's so true.
You know, Richard Feynman, he was famous for this, his teaching. In his "Feynman Lectures on Physics," he explained really complicated stuff in a super simple way. He even explained the, like, the essence of mathematics in just a few pages. He started with numbers, then calculations, then calculus... the whole thing just flowed, one step at a time. He didn't, like, just throw definitions at you.
So, yeah, truly smart people? They're clear thinkers. They really, really understand the fundamentals. I'd rather really, *really* understand the basics than, you know, memorize a bunch of complicated concepts. Because if you just memorize stuff, it doesn't connect to anything, you know? It's disconnected from everything else. And if you can't, like, actually *derive* concepts from the basics when you need them, you're just gonna get lost. You're just a walking, talking, memorization machine.
And, like, the newest concepts in any field? They haven't always been fully tested yet, you know? Using all those terms, it can make you sound smart, for sure. And knowing the insider knowledge *is* important, but it's even more important to have a, like, solid foundation, you know? Rock solid.
Clear thinkers? They have authority, you know?
And, um, effective decision-making... a big part of that is just dealing with reality, you know? So how do you make sure you're actually facing reality when you're making decisions?
Well, you gotta kind of, like, let go of yourself, you know? Ditch the self-consciousness, forget the self-judgment, calm down the emotions. We're humans, sure, but that emotional self-awareness can lead to overthinking, and you get desires clouding your vision, you know? You start judging "how the world *should* be" instead of seeing how it *is*. This happens a lot, especially when you mix politics and business.
Honestly, the biggest thing that stops us from seeing reality is our, like, pre-conceived idea of "how things should be."
You know, a painful moment is when you see something for what it *actually* is, and it's not what you wanted it to be. Like, maybe you've been thinking your business is doing great, but it's really just you ignoring all the bad signs. Then it fails, and you're devastated. That's because you weren't facing reality. You were fooling yourself.
But that painful moment? That's also when the truth comes out. And when you're in pain, you're forced to accept reality. And only when you accept reality, can you, like, actually make meaningful changes and actually make progress. So, really, being realistic? That's how you improve and how you move forward.
But the tricky part is *seeing* the truth. And to do that, you gotta ditch the ego, because the ego doesn't *want* to face the truth. The weaker your ego is, the fewer limits you put on your reactions, the less attached you are to the outcome you want, the easier it is to see what's really going on.
See, wanting a nice reality? It clouds your perception of the real world. And pain? That's just when you can't ignore the facts anymore.
Like, imagine your friend is going through something rough – a breakup, losing a job, a failed business, a health scare. You know exactly what to say, right? You don't even have to think about it! "Forget that girl. She wasn't right for you anyway. You're better off. You'll find someone better, trust me."
You know the right answer, but your friend can't see it, because they're hurting. They're still wishing reality was different. But the problem isn't the reality. It's that their desires are clashing with reality, and desires always make it hard to see straight. You know? I even do this myself when I'm making decisions.
I know that the more I want something to work out a certain way, the less likely I am to see the truth. So, especially with company stuff, if something's not going well, I try to openly admit the problems, be honest with my partners, friends, and co-workers. That way, I'm not hiding anything from anyone. And if I'm not hiding anything from them, I can't fool myself either. It kind of, like, frees my mind, you know? Then I can see what's *actually* happening.
Feelings and facts? Those are two different things. Feelings are just your ego's, like, partial assessment of the facts.
And, you know, actually scheduling in free time is also really important. If you're just booked solid with meetings all day, every day, you can't think!
No thinking? No good business ideas, no good decisions. I encourage everyone to spend at least one day a week just thinking. Well, maybe two, because even if you schedule two, it might just end up being one, you know?
A relaxed brain comes up with the best ideas. Someone who's stressed, overwhelmed, running around like crazy, they can't think straight. So make time for it.
Very smart people? They're often, like, independent, you know? They think for themselves. They do the work themselves. Because that's how they figure things out.
Being a contrarian investor isn't always about disagreeing with everything. Actually, disagreeing with everything can be another form of just following the crowd. A contrarian? They think independently, based on what's *actually* happening. They can resist the pressure to just go along with the herd.
Being cynical? Easy. Just going with the flow? Easy.
Being a contrarian *optimist*? That's the hard part.