psychology

A couple of years ago, Isaiah Taylor, the founder of nuclear company Valar Atomics, told me something that’s stuck in my head ever since:

There are only really three pillars to anything around us, as far as consumable goods. We've got energy, intelligence, and dexterity .

I would generalize “dexterity” to “action.” Everything we see around us, and

Creativity is built on basic foundational knowledge, as the brain has more building blocks to work with. Creativity is not just random ideas but novel ways to connect existing knowledge, new ways to solve more complex problems. Innovation requires creativity, which requires a foundation of basic knowledge ~ Make It Stick

Homo Sapiens (literally, “wise man”) are only “wise” because we redistribute most cognitive operations to others; we readily observe and copy the successful and can encode (most of) that knowledge for others to use. For example, if someone discovers how to grow corn, other humans watch the process and imitate their success; they do not waste

He encourages questioning what you read and taking the other side, even if you (or anyone you are around) doesn’t believe it. This isn’t to be contrarian for the sake of it but instead to push yourself into a friction-filled point of view outside of the bubble you may be in.

leaves room for spontaneity and problem-solving by introducing strategic uncertainty , planning projects or acting on ideas without detailed itineraries: “Committing to things beyond your comfort zone is the only way to build adaptability and resilience.”

He incorporates physically demanding work into regular life to get out of the headspace and “above the shoulders” world of software and the internet, and engage other practical senses and skills (gardening, woodworking, repairs) that ground you in the present.

He tries to focus or limit sources of “frictionless consumption ,” though he’s not an absolutist: “That kind of stuff has a time and place, particularly if you’re stuck on a problem. Sometimes, procrastinating on something simple or distracting can allow the right thought to appear.

conducting research, he prioritizes curiosity over canonical paths , often taking unconventional routes through the work. Though this approach can lead to roundabout explorations, he believes starting where genuine interest lies ultimately reveals the most critical insights