Wisdom can only be earned, Outliving, and a question to find the Essential

How to find what to avoid. A book recommendation. Wisdom can not be taught; only earned.

Hey there.

I hope you've had a great week.

Question I'm asking myself

What are you investing time and effort in, that you shouldn’t be doing in the first place?

The worst thing to do is spending time and energy getting better at something you shouldn’t be doing in the first place.

The inessential: what we consider work, but isn’t actually work.

Examples:

  • Moving dirt between piles (metaphorical)

  • Increasing the amount of tasks you do per hour or per day

  • Consuming content is often treading a fine line

These are examples of Goodhart’s Law (when a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure).
Email may be a necessity, but when it becomes the end — not a means — it is dangerously wasteful.

Less is more.

There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all.

Peter Drucker

Book I'm reading

Outlive by Peter Attia, which was released just a few days ago.

I'm very fascinated by longevity and biohacking and have been devouring books on the topic recently.

The judge is still out, but so far, this is one of the better books I've read on health & longevity.

If you prefer to get a taste first, you can listen to the podcast between Andrew Huberman and Peter Attia, which is terrific as well.

Wisdom can not be taught; only earned

Wisdom is a deep, experimental understanding of life that cannot simply be transferred from one person to another. It is an individual's ability to make sound judgments and decisions based on their experiences, learnings, and reflections.

It is the intersection of knowledge, experience, and personal reflection.

Wisdom at the intersection of knowledge, experience, and personal reflection.

Knowledge can be conveyed, but not wisdom. It can be found, it can be lived, it is possible to be carried by it, miracles can be performed with it, but it cannot be expressed in words and taught.

Herman Hesse

Wisdom is something that can only be found and lived, but it cannot be taught or expressed in words.

The pursuit of wisdom is a personal journey that each individual must undertake, exploring their own experiences, emotions, and insights.

Now I go alone, my disciples, You too, go now alone. Thus I want it. Go away from me and resist Zarathustra! And even better: be ashamed of him! Perhaps he deceived you… One pays a teacher badly if one always remains nothing but a pupil. And why do you not want to pluck at my wreath? You revere me; but what if your reverence tumbles one day? Beware lest a statue slay you. You say that you believe in Zarathustra? But what matters Zarathustra? You are my believers — but what matter all believers? You had not yet sought yourselves; and you found me. Thus do all believers; therefore all faith amounts to so little. Now I bid you to lose me and find yourselves; and only then when you have all denied me will I return to you… that I may celebrate the great noon with you.

Friedrich Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zarathustra

Zarathustra encourages his disciples to go on their own journeys and not just rely on him as a source of wisdom. He emphasizes the importance of self-discovery, personal growth, and self-examination—know yourself.
By urging his disciples to lose him and find themselves, Zarathustra is pushing them to cultivate their own wisdom, rather than just passively receiving it from him.

Wisdom goes beyond just accumulating facts or knowledge. A life-long learner takes action, as knowledge without action is useless.
When you actively engage with life, you face challenges, make decisions, and interact with diverse people and circumstances. These experiences contribute to your personal growth and understanding of the world.

By taking action, you put your knowledge to the test and gain practical insight into how things work, how people behave, and how to navigate complex situations. This experiential learning is something that cannot be taught or handed down through words alone.

Reflection is another essential aspect of wisdom. When you reflect on your actions, experiences, and the outcomes of your decisions, you can identify patterns, learn from mistakes, and build a deeper understanding of yourself and the world. This self-awareness fosters the ability to make better choices and sound judgments in the future.

Quote

Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes; but no plans.

Peter Drucker