The Swedish House Mafia Technique

Step 1 - Collect the smartest people you know.

Step 2 - Tell them about your 3rd world jail cell. (Problem you're stuck on)

Step 3 - Lock the door. Block out the outside world.

Step 4 - Keep rallying ideas back and forth like a tennis game. Take immediate action on the best ideas.

High agency can be a confusing idea to understand because it’s not just one idea. It’s a combination of three distinct skills rarely found together:

1. Clear thinking


2. Bias to action


3. Disagreeability

Normal behaviour costs nothing in the short term but disappears into the memory abyss. Unconventional weird behaviour costs a price in the short term — but the actions live on as story assets in the future.

1. If you pay the bill for everyone at the table - the short-term reaction is shock and confusion. In the long term, it’s everyone’s favourite

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The human brain is a question-answering machine. If you ask it: “ What’s good in my life? ” — it will find answers. If you ask it: “ What’s bad in my life? ” — it will find answers.

The normal paradox: We hide our weirdness and act out “normal” behaviour to be liked by the tribe — but the tribe forgets the normal behaviour.

‍ Attachment Trap Escape Route: What would I do if I had 10x the agency?

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This question from Nick throws a first principles grenade into your mind. It forces you to start the problem again from a fresh perspective free of past assumptions. You often realise the real problem wasn’t the problem itself. It was the assumptions you were viewing it... See more

If stuck between two potential options, ask: What is the best story?

"Life is a form of self storytelling. We're continually retelling ourselves our life story, but very few people think of themselves as authors of their story, not mere subjects. People with extraordinary high-agency realize this early in life and start maximizing the... See more

Tool 4 - Ask For Help

‍ "I have three mentors.

When I’m stuck on a problem and need their help, I take the time to write a good description of my dilemma, before reaching out to them. I summarize the context, the problem, my options, and my thoughts on each. I make it as succinct as possible so as not to waste their time.

Before sending it, I try... See more

Normal is forgotten. Only weird survives.