Is It Worth Being Wise?
paulgraham.com
Is It Worth Being Wise?
Measuring how smart people are is somewhat pointless – intelligence is categorical. Somebody can be super good at analytical ‘figuring out stuff,’ and super useless at conceptualizing what to do next.
Stephen Wolfram • Guy Kawasaki's Remarkable People on Apple Podcasts
Wisdom refers to the slow accumulation of personal values that work well for people living in different kinds of ways.
Joe Edelman • Human Values
But wisdom lessons don’t always seem to stick. Unlike technological growth, wisdom seems to oscillate up and down, leading societies to repeat age-old mistakes.
Tim Urban • What's Our Problem?: A Self-Help Book for Societies
People who do great work are not necessarily happier than everyone else, but they're happier than they'd be if they didn't. In fact, if you're smart and ambitious, it's dangerous
not
to be productive. People who are smart and ambitious but don't achieve much tend to become bitter.
not
to be productive. People who are smart and ambitious but don't achieve much tend to become bitter.
How to Do Great Work
The most important thing is to be able to think what you want, not to say what you want.