Years ago, I realized that the Bible is the foundational book of Western civilization. If I was going to be an educated person, I needed to know what it said. The post How I’ve Studied the Bible appeared first on David Perell. | Continue reading
My goal is simple: Be a man of my word. Do what I say I'm going to do, when I say I'm going to do it. That means showing up on schedule, communicating clearly, and getting things done on time. The post Own It Mentality appeared first on David Perell. | Continue reading
Under a secular mindset, intuition is all about you — your wants, needs, passions, and desires. A heavenly, God-inspired intuition is different. The post A Divine Intuition appeared first on David Perell. | Continue reading
We’ve lost touch with the ultimate purpose of education: to transform our being and improve our character. The liberal arts are the ends, not the means. The post Where the Liberal Arts Went Wrong appeared first on David Perell. | Continue reading
When I hate writing, it’s because I love it so much. An experienced writer is somebody who knows when the hatred is temporary. The post I Hate Writing (and So Will You) appeared first on David Perell. | Continue reading
Ambitious people don’t just need peers. They need mentors. They need people who will encourage them to pursue hard and meaningful projects. The post Ambitious People Need Each Other appeared first on David Perell. | Continue reading
A mark of maturity is surrendering to the person you actually are instead of the one you wish you were. The post Surrendering to Your Nature appeared first on David Perell. | Continue reading
I’ve been listening the wrong way my entire life — with just my ears. True listening is a totalizing, full-body experience. The post Learning to Actually Listen appeared first on David Perell. | Continue reading
The sensitivity of our senses ebbs and flows. If you’re looking to be more perceptive, start by changing your environment. The post Sensitivity Isn’t Static appeared first on David Perell. | Continue reading
Writing this Annual Review was an emotional odyssey. In it, I celebrate my successes and confront my shortcomings. It is intensely personal, but I share my professional goals too. The post Annual Review 2022 appeared first on David Perell. | Continue reading
In honor of my 28th birthday, here are 28 pieces of life advice. The post 28 Pieces of Life Advice appeared first on David Perell. | Continue reading
As a creator, if your message doesn't feel "too simple," it's probably not simple enough. The post The TWA Hotel appeared first on David Perell. | Continue reading
David shares how the new age of information abundance is transforming commerce, education, and politics. Read here. | Continue reading
Austin is a mediocre city, but a great place to live. The post What’s Up with Austin? appeared first on David Perell. | Continue reading
David shares 50 ideas that changed his life. Read here. | Continue reading
There is an epidemic of people who bash Christianity but haven’t read the Bible. No matter where you stand on religion, if you don’t know what the Bible actually says, it’s time to change that. The post The Book You Need to Read appeared first on David Perell. | Continue reading
If you want to start a company, build domain expertise. The post What I Got Wrong About Business appeared first on David Perell. | Continue reading
David shares how to find success by writing online. Read here. | Continue reading
Imitate, then Innovate is my motto for improving at any skill. It’s counterintuitive, but the more we imitate others, the faster we can discover our unique style. | Continue reading
Peter Thiel's obsession is evident in his famous interview question: "What important truth do very few people agree with you on?" But where did his obsession with secrets come from? | Continue reading
David explores how modern society is stuck in the "Never-ending Now." Read here. | Continue reading
Introduction 2021 was the year of commitment. I committed to my writing, committed to my business, committed to my existing social circle, committed to my longtime hobbies, and committed to my new hometown of Austin, Texas. This posture of commitment stands in contrast to the fi … | Continue reading
If we want to raise healthy, high-agency children, we should give them the freedom to make decisions without removing them from the consequences of those decisions. | Continue reading
I’ve always struggled with commitment. In a world as grand as ours, shouldn’t we try to experience it all? Change it up. Visit every country. Try a bunch of careers. The menu of life is vast, and it’d be a shame to only order a single entrée. When I say I was allergic to restrai … | Continue reading
The Labor Theory of Value argues that the value of a product or a service is determined by the amount of labor required to produce it. If so, something that takes 100 hours to produce is worth 10x more than something that takes 10 hours. One issue with the Labor Theory is it ofte … | Continue reading
I visited Montreal for the first time. Here are my general impressions of the city, based on walks around town and casual conversations with friends: Culture: My favorite thing about Montreal is its commitment to culture. French is the dominant language, which is partially why it … | Continue reading
“Writing is its own reward.” – Henry Miller Writing doesn’t just communicate ideas; it generates new ones. Writing forces you to think. It’s nature’s way of telling you how sloppy your thinking is. The ultimate test of how well you understand something is how clearly you can exp … | Continue reading
LeBron James didn’t always have thick calves, a raging six-pack, and arms like the Incredible Hulk. Ask LeBron about his off-season training regimen, and he’ll share a detailed run-down of his workout plan and on-the-court practice routine. When he entered the NBA, LeBron wasn’t … | Continue reading
There are two ways to write: The Printer Method and the Pixel Method. With the Printer Method, you write and rewrite every sentence until it’s perfect. Nail the first sentence, then the second, and so on. Perfection is the name of the game so you don’t advance to a new sentence u … | Continue reading
Listen Here: iTunes | Overcast | Spotify Andy Matuschak is a software engineer, designer, and researcher. He’s focused on Tools for Thought — which is a fancy way of saying that he works on technologies that expand what people can think and do. Before working as a researcher, he … | Continue reading
It’s okay to not know everything. The world rewards people who develop expertise. When that expertise is unique, it’s developed through direct experience and deliberate reflection. | Continue reading
Whenever you're trying to solve a problem, ask yourself: "What answer am I missing because it seems too stupid?" | Continue reading
I have a confession to make: I leave most parties early because I'd rather read a book. The world comes to life when I'm surrounded by ideas. | Continue reading
In an ideal world, you only write when you're filled with the creative spirit. The problem is that when most writers say: “I’m not going to write today because I’m not feeling it,” they are really running away from some kind of fear. | Continue reading
Today, the simple act of reading books gives you a huge advantage. If you’re looking for ideas to write about, read more. | Continue reading
From music, we learn what humanity has always known but schools have forgotten: learning begins with inspiration. | Continue reading
Gyms were once communal places. Nobody wore headphones. People helped each other out and talked between sets. Today, things have changed. Everybody is plugged into their own virtual reality world where they craft their desired mood and intensity level, which definitely gives the … | Continue reading
Most are turning into professional schools in order to survive. Like my alma mater, they are treating the Liberal Arts like a second-class citizen. But what’s good for their balance sheets isn’t necessarily good for the health of society. | Continue reading
My friend Chris Sparks says: “When it comes to creating your environment, assume you have free will. When it comes to living in it, assume you have no free will.” Here’s an example: I lost my love of working out during the pandemic. Before it started, I worked out at a nice, high … | Continue reading
We live in a society of adult-like children and childish adults. Kids have never had more information at their fingertips, so they’re growing up faster than ever. From a young age, they can watch violent war clips on YouTube, Dan Bilzerian videos on Instagram, and Shakira getting … | Continue reading
Philosophers are the most rigorous thinkers I know. Like intellectual boxers; they come to understand ideas by making them fight with each other. Their style of analysis is effective because it’s so bloody. One friend calls his style “violent thinking.” He talks about thinking li … | Continue reading
LISTEN HERE: ITUNES | OVERCAST | SPOTIFY Rob Henderson is one of my favorite up-and-coming writers. I like him because he’s one of those people who doesn’t fit into a category. He’s a Ph.D. candidate in psychology, but I met him in a book club about technological stagnation. He’s … | Continue reading
LISTEN HERE: ITUNES | OVERCAST | SPOTIFY This week, I have two guests. Both are affiliated with Synthesis, a new kind of online school where kids learn through games and simulations. One is Chrisman Frank, the CEO of Synthesis. The other is Ana Lorena Fabrega, who is their Chief … | Continue reading
Many of the most successful people I’ve studied have found their edge by putting their faith in one big idea. | Continue reading
LISTEN HERE: ITUNES | OVERCAST | SPOTIFY Ash Fontana is an entrepreneur, investor, and author. As an entrepreneur, he was only of the early employees at an online investing platform called AngelList. From there, he became the Managing Director at Zetta, the first investment fund … | Continue reading
“I am the Lord your God.” — 1st Commandment Human culture began with a murder. That culture was fueled by rage and rivalry, which led to violence. Managing that violence is the secret reason for all religious and political institutions. In The Bible, The Cain and Abel story is th … | Continue reading
Becoming an educated citizen starts with understanding the lineage of your beliefs. For example, look at this iconic line from one of America’s founding documents: "We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.” | Continue reading
The Paradox of Reading: The books you read will profoundly change you even though you’ll forget the vast majority of what you read. The Paradox of Writing: Great writing looks effortless. But because the ideas are so clear, casual readers don’t appreciate how much time it took to … | Continue reading