September 22, 2024 | #595 | read on fs.blog | Free Version

Welcome to Sunday Brain Food, a weekly newsletter with timeless reminders and insights you can use in life and work.

Insights

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“Reliability is essential for progress in life.”

— Charlie Munger

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“Tact is not the quality by which you often please, but by which you seldom offend.”

— Alice Wellington Rollins

***

“You cannot define a person on just one thing. You can’t just forget all these wonderful and good things that a person has done because one thing didn’t come off the way you thought it should come off.”

— Aretha Franklin

Tiny Thoughts

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“Reputation is like a shadow. Sometimes it's bigger than you, and sometimes it's smaller.”

**

A reminder from Clear Thinking:

“Too often, the people we ask for feedback are nice but not kind. Kind people will tell you things a nice person will not. A kind person will tell you that you have spinach on your teeth. A nice person won’t because it’s uncomfortable. A kind person will tell us what holds us back, even when it’s uncomfortable. A nice person avoids giving us critical feedback because they’re worried about hurting our feelings. No wonder we think other people will be interested in our excuses.”

***

“So much of life isn't about intelligence or luck but putting yourself in a position for success.

The cash-rich investor thrives in crashes. The well-rested athlete outperforms the exhausted star. The student who studies daily aces the pop quiz. The employee who leaves early gets to the meeting with the CEO on time while the other person sits in the unanticipated traffic. All seem lucky, but they've positioned themselves to succeed.

Master your circumstances before they master you.”

Mental Model

V1 | General Thinking Concepts | First Principles

"First principles thinking is the art of breaking down complex problems into their most fundamental truths. It’s a way of thinking that goes beyond the surface and allows us to see things from a new perspective.

Thinking in terms of first principles allows us to identify the root causes and strip away the layers of complexity and focus on the most effective solutions. Reasoning from first principles allows us to step outside the way things have always been done and instead see what is possible.

First principles thinking is not easy. It requires a willingness to challenge the status quo. This is why it’s often the domain of rebels and disrupters who believe there must be a better way. It’s the thinking of those who are willing to start from scratch and build from the ground up.

In a world focused on incremental improvement, first principles thinking offers a competitive advantage because almost no one does it.”

— Source: The *New* Great Mental Models v1: General Thinking Concepts

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Thanks for reading,

— Shane Parrish

P.S. I've never seen this before.

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