make art not content

If I set your house on fire, you would not sit amidst the inferno and ask me what to do. You would surrender to your instincts and do anything and everything to save yourself.

But first become a man worthy of being bowed to. Not through fame and accomplishment. But through Uncompromising Sincerity. Be not a pretender, my dear student. Be Uncompromising. For the man who refuses to compromise holds The Universe in his hands.

Don’t expect your job to fulfll all your emotional needs. Don’t taint something you love with the need to make money from it. Don’t try to make your job your whole life. Don’t try to make your art your sole income. Let each be what it is, and put in the extra effort to balance the two, for a great life.

I noticed this after spotting my favorite bloggers—including Paul Graham, Angela Jiang, and Derek Sivers—post erratically whereas the writers I often regret reading publish as much as they can.)

If you do not desire something in the depth of your bones, you will have an endless tolerance for failure. If you do desire something in the depth of your bones, you will have little tolerance for failure. As Buddha had. And once the prescriptions fail, as they always do, you will be forced to find your own way. S: So the only people who continue

If you seek to be a legend in your field, it will help you to understand that you will have to be comfortable being an outcast. For you will not fit into this society. And if you do fit neatly into this society, there is no way that you will be a legend.

Never consider yourself an expert. It’s the strong swimmers who drown.