We become better strategic thinkers by learning particular strategies and mental models that apply to particular situations.

we become better problem solvers by accumulating more strong methods for specific kinds of problems.

One way we can avoid the pitfalls of either failing to get the right knowledge into our head, or failing to get it out at the right time, is by constructing a practice loop.

Even for professions that don’t depend on generating new knowledge, access to an environment with rigorous standards and varied work problems can be instrumental in pushing your skills further.

For professions that depend on cutting-edge knowledge, such as in science or technology, access to communities working at the frontier can be critical if you want to make a novel contribution.

The economist and author Tyler Cowen likes to ask people, “What is it you do to train that is comparable to a pianist practicing scales?”

There’s an old tale about a woodcutter who was given an axe and three hours to chop down a large tree. The woodcutter decided to spend the first two and a half hours sharpening the axe.

Courage is not action without fear, but action in spite of fear.

fear can best be seen as at least three different interacting components: a physiological component of arousal (for example, a higher heart rate, sweating palms), a subjective component of beliefs and feelings, and a behavioral component of avoidance and safety seeking.