Compressed wisdom
not for the eyes of the many, but for yours alone
No one looks too closely at a librarian. People are afraid of going blind from the glare of ssss-ssso much compressed wisdom. – Joe Hill
I love it when wisdom gets compressed to its simplest iteration. Just a few words. Lists of advice, questions and manifestos are powerful. A few examples I’m referring to:
questions by Alexey Guzey
Other nuggets come to mind? Share them in the comments!
A heavyweight in this domain is Kevin Kelly. I previously mentioned in this newsletter his great Walk-and-Talk concept or his tactical tips for getting shit done. His 1,000 True Fans essay is legendary and an inspiration too.
Kevin started sharing compressed wisdom on his blog, and I was already a huge fan of these “68 Bits of Unsolicited Advice” posts.
So when he compiled his wisdom and released it as an Excellent Advice for Living book, I had to order.
I’m not disappointed.
Each sentence could be developed into an essay.
I already read it twice and I’m still downloading. So dense, optimistic, generous and practical.
This little book will make a great gift to somebody who doesn’t read and it’s probably the most helpful pound-for-pound piece of work I ever had in my hands.
Added to my list of book recommendations.
That rule
That which is hateful to you, do not do unto your fellow. That is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation; go and learn.
Hillel dropped this punchline a few years before Jesus shared his version with Matthew. Gautama had the same words 500 years before him, echoing Lao Tsu… 2000 kilometres away.
And just yesterday, another wise man (me) barked at his kids: “Remember?! Don’t treat others the way you would not like them to treat you!”.
I believe The Golden Rule is still the best universal education, virtue and principle ever – transcending any culture, religion or any -ism.
Let’s all walk the talk and practice a bit more eh 🫠
That conclusion
Ummmmm…. opinions.
I’ll let you enjoy Why You Are Probably An NPC (best insult btw). I’ll just share triggers from the conclusion because it’s so smart, duh.
So those are the five major kinds of NPC. A person may fit neatly into a single category, or they may be “NPC-fluid,” straddling two or more species; a conformist on Ukraine and an averager on gender, say. But everyone is an NPC on at least some topics they opine on, because there simply aren’t enough hours in the day to have an informed opinion on most of the issues we talk about.
I take the bullet. I’m "NPC-fluid”. I squealed reading the term. Well done,
.People become NPCs because knowledge is infinite and life is short; they rush into beliefs because their entire lives are a rush. But there’s a better way to save time than speeding through life, and that is to prioritize.
I accept – I choose – not to have an opinion on everything. I don’t know.
Limiting beliefs, allocating time to what truly matters (The Golden Rule is a great example) and prioritising what you are passionate about is a wise way to live.
PS: I quit consuming hard news a few years ago and never missed it. Give it a go?
That letter
This passage from Seneca’s Letters from a Stoic struck me. It reads like a blogger quoting his findings from other blokes in an email to his buddies. How contemporary.
The blokes are Democritus and Epicurus, and the letter was sent to his friend Lucilius more than 2000 years ago. It could have been yesterday.
Just to make sure that I have not been learning solely for my own benefit today, let me share with you three fine quotations I have come across, each concerned with something like the same idea – one of them is by way of payment of the usual debt so far as this letter is concerned, and the other two you are to regard as an advance on account. ‘To me,’ says Democritus, ‘a single man is a crowd, and a crowd is a single man.’ Equally good is the answer given by the person, whoever it was (his identity is uncertain), who when asked what was the object of all the trouble he took over a piece of craftsmanship when it would never reach more than a very few people, replied: ‘A few is enough for me; so is one; and so is none.’ The third is a nice expression used by Epicurus in a letter to one of his colleagues. ‘I am writing this,’ he says, ‘not for the eyes of the many, but for yours alone: for each of us is audience enough for the other.’ Lay these up in your heart, my dear Lucilius, that you may scorn the pleasure that comes from the majority’s approval.
Nothing changed. We learn; we write; we share.
Seneca’s approach to an audience and the act of sharing is more relevant than ever. With this mindset in mind, I share this newsletter – “not for the eyes of the many, but for yours alone”. Bisou.
This gem
I listened to this track for the first time only a few years ago and I was whoa. How did I miss this one? Even more mysterious: The Stones never played that song live.
It’s time to grab your best headphones/speakers and close your eyes for this hypnotic gem. You can only have one first time, so make the most of it.
On rotation in my ☀️ have a good trip ☀️ playlist.
This story
Almodóvar triggered me with this compressed wisdom:
I learned something that was vital for my work, the difference between fiction and reality, and how reality needs to be complemented by fiction to make life easier.
The rest of the story about his mum filling the gaps is gold.
I realise that nonfiction books have taken up much of my reading time in the last two years. I don’t regret it, but I will balance it with more fiction from now on. To make my life easier.
So far I have Ham on Rye and Animal Farm on the visor, once I finish Madame Bovary.
Feel free to share your favourite classic in the comments.
This note
This weak signal triggered me. We all benefit so much from the open web, that we take it for granted, but for how long?
Gatekeeping will stay a hot topic. I am not a fan. I prefer to think content is already a gatekeeper; no need to fence on top. I love the open web.
This definition
I’ll leave you guys with Rick Rubin’s definition of success. What a soothing character. Some pages are no less than a deep, long exhale.
Fun fact: I doomscrolled a post from a tech bro CEO who was disappointed that he did not get enough “actionable insights” from this book. Sayonara.
Thanks for your attention. Take care, and have a great week ☀️