Patricia Mou

“I think it’s important to reason from first principles rather than by analogy. The normal way we conduct our lives is we reason by analogy." - Elon Musk

We don’t have a good sense for what the maximal “carrying capacity” of a tribe is. If you are interested in growing your tribe, you probably want to adopt a slow and careful approach, one that allows you to slow down further or take a step back if it looks like you have been moving too fast.  

The linear approach imagines that the meaning of our lives can be reduced to a mission, like the kind that fixes saints, heroes and social reformers in the historical imagination.

Trust the gold: Humans are fundamentally good, creative, and whole. They have noble intentions. Harm is caused not by malice but rather by fear, desperation, and lack of skillfulness/choice in meeting one's needs— challenges that have been part of humankind for quite a long time. With the exception of extreme situations, I aspire to approach every... See more

Here, then, are some methods for becoming happier: If you suffer from serious illness, depression, anxiety, paranoia, schizophrenia, or other serious problems, seek professional help first. Develop the skills and habits associated with extroversion. Improve your self-esteem and optimism. Improve your agreeableness. Improve your conscientiousness. D... See more

Cognitive behavioral therapy interventions have also been developed to treat anxiety and many of these have been found to be effective in randomized trials (Cuijpers et al., 2016). Do-it-yourself self-help, workbook, and computer- or internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy interventions are also available and have been shown in randomized... See more

4. High Tolerance for Failure. You will fail. Embrace it. Learn to fail smart and fast.

An alternate approach is a non-linear approach. It is premised on the idea that life is full of randomness punctuated by sudden moments – crises and opportunities – with vast potential for meaning making, when our skills and virtues shine.

More tools give you negative utility. They won't make the work go faster. But they will consume as much time as you are willing to waste.