Gunnar Þorvaldsson

They too must serve masters who hold the purse strings. And their great intellectual powers can make the master feel insecure, as if he were only there to supply the funds—an ugly, ignoble job. The producer of a great work wants to feel he is more than just the provider of financing. He wants to appear creative and powerful, and also more important... See more

To put the point another way: Nobody expects a computer simulation of a hurricane to generate real wind and real rain. In the same way, a computer model of the brain may only ever simulate consciousness, but never give rise to it.

Since strategy is a form of problem solving and because you cannot solve a problem you have not defined or analyzed, strategic work begins with identifying barriers and difficulties. Many executives and leaders dislike discussing challenges and impediments, which hinders strategic thinking. In such cases, the strategist's role is to speak truth to ... See more

Many of my current views on strategy have been learned over time from a few remarkable individuals. From them, I learned that you don’t start with goals; Goals are what you give to subordinates to guide their work. From them, I learned that you start with a deep understanding of the forces at work and identify the nature of the challenge or opportu... See more

Producing original or interesting or creative work is a delicate balance between believing what you are doing is incredibly important (otherwise why are you doing it?) and believing that it is not particularly important (otherwise you will be paralyzed into inaction or its close cousin, perfectionism).

Grand strategy isn’t just about planning—it’s about adapting. It’s about knowing when to act like a fox and when to think like a hedgehog. When to be rational and when to trust instinct. When to stick to principles and when to make compromises. The best strategists, from Augustus to Machiavelli to Queen Elizabeth, understood that strategy isn’t abo... See more

“All of us learn soon enough, from the unpredictable nuances that arise from our relationships and social interactions, how hopelessly inadequate our most thoughtful and elegant frameworks are when confronted with the mystery that is human nature.”

Rationality can sometimes (not always) be self-defeating. If you are feeling joy, you can easily talk yourself out of it. You can change your mood by reasoning your way into misery. But if you are feeling miserable, good luck trying to talk yourself out of it. It’s not so easy to change your mood by reasoning your way into happiness. It’s not impos... See more