opinions
“You always own the option of having no opinion.” - Marcus Aurelius
stay humble
“When you have accustomed your body to a frugal regime, don’t put on airs about it, and if you only drink water, don’t broadcast the fact all the time. And if you ever want to go in for endurance training, do it for yourself and not for the world to see.” - Epictetus
culture
“The culture of any organization is simply the collective behavior of its leaders. If you want to change your culture, change the collective behavior of your leaders.” – Ram Charan
a life or a living
“Don’t let making a living prevent you from making a life.” - John Wooden
a poem by kurt vonnegut
Joe Heller — from the New Yorker
“True story, Word of Honor:
Joseph Heller, an important and funny writer
now dead,
and I were at a party given by a billionaire
on Shelter Island.
I said, “Joe, how does it make you feel
to know that our host only yesterday
may have made more money
than your novel ‘Catch-22’
has earned in its entire history?”
And Joe said, “I’ve got something he can never have.”
And I said, “What on earth could that be, Joe?”
And Joe said, “The knowledge that I’ve got enough.”
Not bad! Rest in peace!”
— Kurt Vonnegut
being poor
“It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor. ” - Seneca
appreciation
“The deepest principle of human nature is the craving to be appreciated.” - William James
leadership
“…as a leader your best means of moving people in your direction lies in setting the right tone through your attitude, empathy and work ethic.” - Robert Greene
knowledge
“There is much to be known, life is short, and life is not life without knowledge.” - Baltasar Gracian
lead/manage
“Managers do things right, leaders do the right things.” - Warren Bennis
want versus need
“Customer development isn’t asking customers what they want; it’s seeking to understand what they need, how they work, where their pain points and highest priorities are. Customers may not be able to articulate what they want, but they can’t hide what they need.” — Cindy Alvarez
complexity
“Any damn fool can make it complex. It takes a genius to make it simple.” — Ray Dalio
education
“We receive three educations, one from our parents, one from our school masters, and one from the world. The third contradict all that the first two teach us.” - Baron de Montesquieu
self discovery
“Become who you are by learning who you are.” - Pindar
cost
“Nothing is more costly that something given free of charge.” - a popular saying in Japan
logic
“It’s a fool who looks for logic in the chambers of the human heart.” - the Coen Brothers (O, Brother Where Art Thou)
permanence
“From the days of old there is no permanence. The sleeping and the dead, how alike they are, they are like a painted death. What is there between the master and the servant when both have fulfilled their doom?” - The Epic of Gilgamesh
assume postive intent
One of the Fundamentals at MSRE is to assume positive intent. This quote from James Clear really sums this thought up well.
"When working with people, assume good intentions. When listening to people, interpret their words in a generous way. You will occasionally get burned and mistreated by always assuming the best in others, but it is a far better way to live than the opposite." - James Clear
favors
“People want to feel that they deserve their good fortune. The receipt of a favor can become oppressive: It means you have been chosen because you are a friend, not necessarily because you are deserving. There is almost a touch of condescension in the act of hiring friends that secretly afflicts them.” - Robert Greene
the key to transforming yourself
I have been a huge reader of Robert Greene’s content recently. This is a great introduction to his work and a powerful message on how to transform yourself/life.