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How to Become Smarter: Improve Your Decision-making with These 10 Clever Principles

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10

From: The commonplace of Sir Sunstrm.

Section: Checklists.

Topic: 10+ decision-making principles.

As to methods there may be a million and then some, but principles are few. The man who grasps
principles can successfully select his own methods. The man who tries methods, ignoring
principles, is sure to have trouble.

Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Do you know the difference between a novice and an expert?

(Well, lots of things obviously. . . but if there was just one.)

Its pattern recognition; what information they chunk together and focus on, versus what
information they filter out.

The novice pays attention to all kinds of random B.S, while the expert uses his limited focus to
concentrate on the select few things that matter. This enables him to understand how things work
together to produce results.

When we talk about experts, the most common association is that of a specialist; someone
whose knowledge and pattern recognition is fine-tuned to a small area (of business or academics).

But thats not what I want to talk to you about now. . .

I want to talk about a number of important general decision-making principles that will make you
smarter. You can apply these decision-making principles to become. . .

. . .More successful at just about ANYTHING!

If you have the dedication to practice them, that is.

When I read books, usually, this is what Im looking for.

I train my pattern recognition for these decision-making principles by stacking up repetitions

and collecting examples of their application in different areas of life; in business, through history,
in nature, and so on

I think that just about everyone can become successful at just about anything, so long as they
abide by a strict code of principles in their decision-making.

What follows are what I think are some of the most fundamental decision-making principles. You
should strive to have them all down so well that you can recite them in your sleep.

Decision-making Principle 1: Occams Razor

Occams razor is a philosophical heuristic which states that when you are faced with more than
one choice or explanation, you should start out with the simplest one

Example: Begin with the least risky choice and escalate from there.

My Internet has been acting up at home lately, so I called the support of my provider. We then
figured out that the problem was related to my computer, and not the network connection. Next, I
called the support of Asus (my computer). They told me to do a full-system reset, and thenif that
didnt worksend the computer over to them for repair.

But I didnt do that. . .

. . . because it would be a more time-consuming and risky solution than necessary (and it meant I
wouldnt be able to use my computer for several days).

So, instead, I did a systems recovery and restarted my computer a few times.

And that worked!

Decision-making Principle 2: Diminishing Returns to Scale

A.K.A: Return on investment (ROI).

Most activities in life follow dynamics that look like this picture below (in the sense that you
eventually reach a point where further investment of time and resources yield negligible results).

This is true whether the result youre seeking is related to business, happiness, health,
status, or some other form of success.

diminishing returns to scale

Example 1: Bodybuilding.

Lately, several friends have suggested to me that my return on investment (ROI) from working out
and improving my body cannot be high. They are probably correct .

..
Once ripped = always ripped
My physique is near-perfect (in my opinion), and I am now going into maintenance mode,
just working out to break out of homeostasis, push through the plateau, and break records.

Example 2: Optimizing health.

My health has never been better. I have great digestion and I havent been sick in like 3 years.
All that remains now is to. . .

. . .get the results from the diagnostic blood test I just did . . .

Then there will low ROI on further actions.

Im going to look and feel better when Im 40 than I do now. No doubt.

Decision-making Principle 3: Pareto Principle (80/20 principle)

In all activities and areas of expertise there are a few fundamental ideas and actions that will give
you most of the results. The Pareto Principle states that 20 % of the activities represent 80 % of
the end results .
Example: Find and apply the fundamentals.

Einstein supposedly said that if he were given an hour to solve a problem, he would spend the first
55 minutes analyzing the problem to make sure he understood it correctly, and the remaining 5
minutes on solving it.

Point being: in nearly everything you do, your time is best spent first finding the underlying
fundamentalsthe 80/20 activitiesand then applying them. Avoid the esoteric and flashy stuff.

Without experience, or guidance from someone who does have experience, you risk wasting time
on non-80/20 activities and random B.S.

LudvigSunstrom (@LudvigSGM) 16 juli 2015

Decision-making Principle 4: Begin with the End in Mind

Always ask: What is the end goal?

Then use that as a filtering mechanism for determining whether or not some action is worth
taking. Super simple, but not enough people do it.

Example: Simplify decision-making.

1) Assume youve reached the said goal, is [the course of action] youre currently considering
really worthwhile?

2) What is the #1 action you can take, or perhaps should continue taking, given your end goal?

Decision-making Principle 5: Start by Inverting (the problem)

Turn the problem on its head to speed up the decision-making process.

Example: Its easier to find out what to avoid than what to do.

Instead of trying to think of all the things you potentially could do to become successful because
there are typically an overwhelming number of optionsstart in the opposite direction and invert
the problem . . .

Then you will quickly find the key things to avoid; these are typically the aforementioned
fundamental 80/20-activites.

Decision-making Principle 6: Winners Game vs Losers Game

Winners game = Win by taking risks and doing bold moves .
Losers game = Win by trying to avoid obvious mistakes .

There is no shame in playing the losers game.

In fact, you should play the losers game in most areas of life.

Example: Which dynamics are at play in this situation?

This is a question you should learn to ask yourself habitually.

For example. . .

Job interviews follow the dynamics of a losers game. You have little to win by trying to do
crazy things and impress the recruiter, but you have a lot to lose if you mess up. The smart choice
is to be calm, confident, and avoid obvious mistakes by doing your research and then rehearsing it.

Decision-making Principle 7: Seek to Understand First

Contrary to popular belief , being forceful, pushy, and dominant doesnt work too well in
trying to influence others.

The best way to connect with people, befriend them, persuade them to take some action, or sell
them stuff, is by first finding their underlying motivations.

Example: Establish rapport first

Even if you do not have a stated goal with an interaction, the best thing to do is to first get in
sync with the other person. Try to listen more than you talk.

Decision-making Principle 8: Status Quo Contrarianism

The contrarian does not make decisions based on irrational B.S like herd behavior and social proof
.

Public opinion is of no value whatsoever.

Oscar Wilde

What is everyone else doing?

I will do the opposite and profit/benefit from contrast.

Example: Assume everyone else is wrong and start from there.

Assume popular opinion (on just about everything) is either wrong, or lagging behind independent
thinkers by 100 years.
Assume most people have no idea what theyre talking about, and have littleif anycapacity
for accurate thinking.
Decision-making Principle 9: Assume the Worst from Human Nature
Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.

Idealists never get shit done; pragmatists do.

LudvigSunstrom (@LudvigSGM) 16 juli 2015

You may go broke or get in big trouble by OVERestimating the intelligence and sophistication of
the masses, but you will rarely find yourself in harms way by underestimating them.

Example 1: Stoics dont get upset at stupidity.

Marcus Aurelius said this:

Begin each day by telling yourself: Today I shall be meeting with interference, ingratitude,
insolence, disloyalty, ill-will, and selfishness all of them due to the offenders ignorance of
what is good or evil.

But that was almost 2000 years ago. As a modern-day translation, I say this:

Most people have no integrity; they are empty shells without substance, flailing back and forth in
reaction to seemingly magical forces. The only thing that keeps them going in their pitiful
existence, is the large number of rationalizations and comforting beliefs that theyve come to
harbor.

These lies help them cope with their ineptitude in life, and works to maintain their homeostasis.
You could liken it to the glue that holds together the beggars nest of patched-up cardboard
boxes.

Example 2: Be an Intelligent Pragmatist.

Henry James once wrote that:

Life is, in fact, a battle. Evil is insolent and strong; beauty enchanting but rare; goodness very apt
to be weak; folly very apt to be defiant; wickedness to carry the day; imbeciles to be in great
places, people of sense in small, and mankind generally unhappy.

Some people might say: But thats so misanthropic!

I say: So be it.

Click this little box for a third example .

Expect the worst of human nature and you will not fooled or ruined.

Decision-making Principle 10: What Price Will You Pay?

Because there is no such thing as a free lunch .

Before committing yourself to anything substantial, first get it straight how much you are willing
to sacrifice to get the thing. If you dont, you willalmost certainlyend up paying a bigger
price than you rationally should.

Example 1: Purchasing something.

Before buying the thing, know this first:

What is the purpose?

How well does [the thing] fulfill this purpose?
Is there another way to fulfill this purpose, but cheaper or faster?
Only after you know this can you decide if its worth paying the price; whether the price is
money, time, or stress.

Example 2: Is this necessary?

You think you want something, and maybe you dobut how bad, exactly?

What will you lay on the sacrificial altar?

Your blood? Your sweat? Your afternoon?

Check your intentions at the entrance. . .

. . .before venturing forth into the gauntlet.

Bonus 1:

Decision-making Principle 11: Make Legacy Decisions

Dont do [whatever youre thinking about] unless it is something you want to be remembered
for.

Example 1: What will they say?

Is this something you want the newspapers to report on? Or for your biographers to cover? Or for
the historians to debate over, when they talk about your accomplishments? If NO, then
dont do it.
Example 2: How will this help?

Felix Dennis once got drunk and highright before an interviewand then told a reporter about
the time he (supposedly) killed a man in self-defense. That was a dumb legacy decision;
fortunately for him, it did not catch on.

Lee Kuan Yew commented on President Jimmy Carters biography:

[Carter] recounted how, as a boy, the father gave him a penny or whatever to put into the pew box,
and instead of putting one in, he took a penny out. So, the father then thrashed him. I said, why
does the man do that? Having done it, how does telling the world that he was a petty thief help?

Exemplary persons to study involve:

Lee Kuan Yew,

Talleyrand,
Napoleon,
Caesar, ,
John D. Rockefeller,
Charles de Gaulle,
Winston Churchill,
Richard Nixon,
and Steve Jobs.
Bonus 2:

Decision-making Principle 12: Cover Your Ass

All courses of action are risky, so prudence is not in avoiding danger (its impossible), but
calculating risk and acting decisively. Make mistakes of ambition and not mistakes of sloth.
Develop the strength to do bold things, not the strength to suffer.

Niccolo Machiavelli

It is foolish to take more risk than necessary. Before doing something, first figure out if the risk is
acceptable. Maybe you can reduce it? Then get clear on whether you have more to gain than to
lose by doing the thing.

Eller vad sger du, sensei @TureMasing? pic.twitter.com/r621lPoTH3

LudvigSunstrom (@LudvigSGM) April 17, 2015

Example: Upside vs downside.

My friend wanted to hang from a pole and do pull-ups 145 meters above ground. I advised him
not to do it, because the downside is huge (dying).
Even if he had done it, got it on film, and put it up on YouTube or whatever, he still wouldnt be
the first person to do it .

Bonus 3:

Decision-making Principle 13: Synergistic Thinking

Synergistic thinking is the fancy word Ive invented for combining as many of your goals as
possible into the stuff you do on a daily basis.

I believe that people who are natural entrepreneurs have some gene for this; the rest of us have to
practice it .

The purpose of synergistic thinking is to create synergistic processes and systems, which feed into
each other in different ways to improve your life.

Synergistic thinking can be applied to anything to make it better, but it requires persistent practice.

Anti-example: Why most peoples lives suck.

The average person works a job from 9-5 that he/she doesnt feel overly enthusiastic about, and
often the job is a bad fit for his/her genetics. This person puts in 8 hours of work each day and
then, typically, goes home to indulge in escapism.

Thats no way to spend your time if you have goals to achieve.

The more successful people combine their free-time with their work-time, by devoting all of it to
some sort of action which aids them in attaining the object of their major purpose. Thus, they work
about two-thirds of their time and sleep the other third.

Andrew Carnegie

4 Questions to stimulate synergistic thinking:

How can I combine what Im doing right now with my long-term goals? .
How can I turn my hobbies/interests into a money-making skill? .
How can I make this thing Im doing interesting to someone else?
How can I leverage my existing assets for more value/happiness/results?
This is a very important decision-making principle.

I will write about it in more detail some time in the future.

Conclusion:
1)

Train your pattern recognition for these principles, practice them until they become habitual, start
making much better decisions, andas a resultwatch your life improve.

2)

Dont become an expert at some blah-blah topic because society dictates it; instead, become an
expert decision-maker, and you will live a good life regardless of what you do.

Question:

Are you using any of these principles? Can you suggest some other useful principle? If so, please
provide an example of how you/someone else used the principle, or failed to use it (and fucked
up)..

P.S
Notice how I applied principle #1, Occams Razor in structuring this essay.

P.P.S

Click this box for a secret treasure .

P.P.P.S

For (a lot) more info on how to develop proper pattern recognition, stay tuned for my book Break
out of Homeostasis. Here I am working on it.

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Comments
Mister Infinite says:
July 19, 2015 at 7:38 pm
It seems like quality of focus is the defining factor in your overall quality of life.

Focus directs attention, which creates your subjective experience. Since our attention is limited,
we must be particularly mindful about where we allocate it (80/20 principle, bang for buck
economics).

The vast majority of people allocate their precious focus into arenas which stimulate reality
(t.v., entertainment, etc) instead of investing it where it matters. These same people then have the
nerve to complain about their low-value lives despite the fact that they consistently make poor
decisions!

Our reality tunnels tend to be all-encompassing. Improvements in one area generally impact the
others. By raising the overall quality of your focus via high value action, you find yourself living a
better life.

Gary Kasparovs book How Life Imitates Chess has a lot of great insights on the topic.

Keep up the great work!

Reply
Ludvig Sunstrm says:
July 20, 2015 at 2:32 pm
Sure. If youre not focused at what youre doing, you might as well be dead. If your brain
doesnt work properly, life sucks.

The vast majority of people allocate their precious focus into arenas which stimulate
reality (t.v., entertainment, etc) instead of investing it where it matters. These same people then
have the nerve to complain about their low-value lives despite the fact that they consistently make
poor decisions!

Homeostasis in a nutshell!

Just googled the book, seems cool. Thanks for recommending it.

Reply
Mike says:
July 19, 2015 at 8:45 pm
196) Make all decisions logically

Whats that? Where is it from? Your personal rule book? Seems like something clever.

Great stuff, I learned a lot.

Reply
Ludvig Sunstrm says:
July 20, 2015 at 2:34 pm
Its from my book summary book, Mike.

Reply
Doug says:
July 19, 2015 at 8:46 pm
Hey, I always enjoy your tips you are super smart-I am your age and I dont know half of this
stuff but Im a quick study so Ill practice this, I just wrote down all these tips and thought of
quick personal examples for each one. (MENTAL HUSTLER). I wont bore you by listing them
all, but here are 2 principle that I use myself:

#1 DONT ANSWER UNKNOWN NUMBERS.

#2 DONT MAKE DECISIONS WHEN YOURE TIRED/SAD/EMOTIONAL.

Also I think the green boxes are really cool because they add depth to the article and make it more
fun for some reason, so you should definitely keep using it if its not too much trouble.

FAST QUESTIONS

Why dont you post more essays/content? Are you very busy or are you running out of ideas?
Im a pretty creative person I think but this happens to me sometimes so I wondered if it happens
to you too??

I look forward to your book, you should create a waiting list for it, I would definitely join.

Reply
Ludvig Sunstrm says:
July 20, 2015 at 2:40 pm
Good principles, Doug. I do those things too.

Re: content:
No, I am not running out of ideasI have SGM articles for probably 1-1,5 years going into the
future. Yes, I am busy.

Re: creativity
I am basically a content machine, and I could pump out a new piece of content every day. But it
wouldnt hold as high quality.

Good (unique) content takes time to create because its based on synthesis: first a long period of
ingestion, where you just take in lots of info and collect relevant examples. Then eventually it
explodes and you write it out really quickly. Then theres a long editing process.
For SGM, I want to put out detailed and engaging content, based on the insights that have had the
biggest impact on my personal development. I prefer infrequent (but qualitative) posting over
putting out more content (that isnt up to my standards).

Im setting up my personal site soon. There I will use a different approach/strategy. Ill be
posting more frequently, but shorter contentand on other topics. Ill inform you when its up
and you can check it out.

Thanks for the feedback on the boxes, and on the advice on setting up a waiting list, that s a
good idea. I will do this soon.

Reply
tre says:
July 27, 2015 at 5:27 am
Hahaha mental hustler that word should be patented. Im gonna check if that domain name
is taken, buy it, and start up a business selling caps and bandanas that say Mental Hustler.
Its my first enterprise, but I know itll change the world and make me rich. Wish me luck!

Reply
Vinny says:
July 19, 2015 at 9:17 pm
Great stuff, how did you come up with this/learn how to think like this? And has it been something
you have known about and practiced a long time or is it something you think comes naturally to
you?

I dont really know any Principle, but I will practice these ones now that you have shown me!

Reply
Ludvig Sunstrm says:
July 20, 2015 at 2:42 pm
By studying people smarter than me and practicing. Thanks for the feedback on the boxes.

Reply
Vinny says:
July 19, 2015 at 9:21 pm
Oh yeah and those boxes are cool, keep them for sure

Reply
Matias Page says:
July 19, 2015 at 11:33 pm
This article is another brilliant addition to your website, Ludvig.

ABOUT THE BLACK BOXES:

They are great! But I think you should probably introduce them/explain how they behave.
Probably at the beginning of the article. Theyre unusual and I avoided clicking them because I
was expecting some kind of weird shit like some websites bring upon the user (like taking you
somewhere else, etc). They seem very helpful and dont take up space when collapsed.

Reply
Jen says:
July 20, 2015 at 12:00 am
I agree, you should explain them in the intro if you can find a way to do that somehow.

Principles: I use 80/20 and beginning with end goal. the others were new & seem great!!

Jens principle: here is a funny thing I often do..to avoid stereotyping I have a principle that I
must meet someone twice before judging them.

Reply
Ludvig Sunstrm says:
July 20, 2015 at 2:43 pm
Got it, thanks guys.

Reply
Axel says:
July 19, 2015 at 11:43 pm
Great Article Ludvig and the boxes are a novel idea.

One other principle is Average Speed or as I call it Dont put too much on my plate.
this involves pacing your focus/energy in a way that you can consistently chip away at a task/goal
till completed, like a Sculptor does.

When I dont respect this principle I either get burnout, anxiety attacks or lose motivation as I
have set my deadline too short and compensate by working too hard.

I discovered doing less(lowering my Average Speed) on a daily basis takes longer for me to
complete tasks/achieve goals but this consistency builds momentum in the long run.

Reply
Fredrik says:
July 20, 2015 at 12:18 am
What you wrote Axel is according to myself the single most valuable piece of advice that one can
give. It is a grave sin to believe that the body is the minds slave. In fact, the opposite is far
closer to the truth.

Forcing yourself to do tasks that dont align with your current condition, such as trying to solve
complex mathematical problems while being tired, is a great waste of time.
Think: what can i do that is productive in my current state
Rather than: i must accomplish this or that even though i am not really up for it

It is easy to laugh at people who are being inefficient, such as someone who goes to the store
to buy two packages of milk. But their mental budget, in this case the ability to plan their
supermarket visits, may very well be depleted. And it might have been depleted while doing tasks
that over time earn them bigger rewards than the time they would have saved by making fewer
trips to the store.

Reply
Axel says:
July 20, 2015 at 9:32 pm
Very true about the mind and the body relation Fredrik. I came upon this realisation when I went
over a worksheet Ive been using over the last 2.5 months to track my daily habits and
discovered I wasnt completing my daily tasks consistently.

The pattern I saw here was I was trying to do too much in one day. I ve remedied this by better
planning to reflect my energy levels as the day progresses respecting the fact that willpower is
finite. So far Ive seen the results Ive been looking for. Thanks for the insight

Curious Keith says:

July 20, 2015 at 11:57 am
Axel this sounds like a real know thyself-sort of thing. Thats great, when you feel like
youre growing into yourself like that. This is something I am trying to become better at.
Its funny how different we can work!

Reply
Ludvig Sunstrm says:
July 20, 2015 at 2:48 pm
Great energy-management tips/longevity tips Axel & Fredrik
By the way, Rockefeller said an awesome thing about this:
It is remarkable how much we all could do if we avoid hustling, and go along at an even pace
and keep from attempting too much.

Re supermarket:
Yeah. Gotta consider alternative cost.

Reply
Axel says:
July 20, 2015 at 9:42 pm
Its easy for emotions overpower rational thinking, causing one to push way beyond your
Edge to quote David Deida when improving yourself.
Well said by Rockefeller, the Losers Game and a lower Average Speed may take you longer but its
more effective and pro-momentum in the long-run.

Shaun says:
July 20, 2015 at 5:11 am
The Occums razor is so useful its crazy just how much we underestimate the power of
simplicity. The brain thinks that a complex problem has a complex solution and often it really does
not.

I just entered my new job where they were telling me about a problem they had with reading excel
files into their software. Apparently softwares default method of reading files wasnt always
accurate, so they apparently spent a whole 3 days writing their own and still having problems. If
you know programming, the main issue was that they were having trouble with knowing what data
type was each cell.

I immediately told them of a simpler solution, which was to change the output to a simpler format
instead of trying to change the read-excel program. They had a look on their face like, Did we
just waste the last three days?. These were guys with PhD! They started with angry
justifications, I immediately realised my mistake and avoided persian messenger syndrome by
making up benefits for their method and calmed them down.

But this example shows that learning theory can very much be of practical help. It s only
because I knew Occums Razor that I had the inclination to find a simpler solution. Secondly, I
was aware of psychological tendencies like persian messenger syndrome, status quo and sunk cost
fallacy which helped me avoid a bad situation.

Thank you for recommending Seeking Wisdom. Life is a whole lot different having read it.

Reply
Richard says:
July 20, 2015 at 7:46 am
Conversely, the tool they developed could yield significant progress down the line.

The old analogy is that the US spent a [large, probably fictitious, figure] on developing a
pressurized pen which could be used in zero-gravity (space), whilst the Russians used a pencil. A
good example of simplicity.

However, what that analogy doesnt tell you is that the [large, probably fictitious, figure] went
directly into Americas economy, fuelling the growth & progress of its brightest, most promising
minds.

These minds may have been working on a pen in their formative years, but as they matured, they
would be ripe pickings for someone setting up their own space transit organization.
Thus, the notion of simplicity taking presidence might work in the short term, but generally
doesnt favour the long. Example of this being that Russia can still send men to the space station
with its simple rocket system; America has several private companies hoping to accomplish the
same goal for a fraction of the cost.

In time, the private entities will surely win out, leaving the Russians to either try and copy or cease
their highly costly missions. In that case, wholl have won? Simplicity or complexity?

Reply
Ludvig Sunstrm says:
July 20, 2015 at 2:55 pm
Richard,
I had a great discussion with Kyle about this recently (as per the Graham interview)on the topic
of how fun/crazy projects things can lead to unexpected benefits down the line. A.K.A
unintended positive consequences from non-prioritized tasks.

Shaun says:
July 20, 2015 at 7:20 pm
The issue here is language. The everyday usage of the word complex is different to what is
discussed here.

Something is complex or simple depending on the context. So were comparing apples and
oranges here. The equation for general theory of relativity is complex (everyday language),
but it is the simplest method for explaining the phenomenon of relativity. If there was a simpler
equation we would have scrapped the old one.

So, the Americans had more complex systems because they had broader objectives and a greater
budget, not because they chose to achieve a simple objective in a complex way.

So if you have a complex set of objectives (like economic growth), your solution will be
complex (as per everyday language), but it should be simplest solution for achieving those
objectives.

P.S. The pencil story is a myth. The real story is that they BOTH used pencil from the very
beginning for a while. The Americans then devised the pen as the shrapnel from the graphite was a
big safety issue.

Shaun says:
July 20, 2015 at 7:46 pm
And on the topic of unexpected consequences. You cant base your decisions on what you cant
ever know (except for minimising risk exposure as far as possible). You going to the gym could
create a chain of events that causes World War 3. You NOT going to the gym could create a chain
of events that causes World War 3. But you go to the gym because it serves your objectives
Ludvig Sunstrm says:
July 20, 2015 at 2:50 pm
Great example, Shaun!

Just goes to show that university education fails brutally to teach fundamental principles. At
least mine did.

I immediately realised my mistake and avoided persian messenger syndrome by making up

benefits for their method and calmed them down.

Very smart.

Reply
Shaun says:
July 20, 2015 at 7:22 pm
Thank god for Munger

Anonymous says:
July 20, 2015 at 8:06 am
I use the 80/20 principle for even this article.just pick through a couple rules and I should be
more than good :)

Reply
mr SNAKE says:
July 20, 2015 at 12:08 pm
Same here usually. Only exception is SGM, this is like the only blog I read in its entirety.

Reply
Ludvig Sunstrm says:
July 20, 2015 at 2:57 pm
Yup!

Reply
Jeremy says:
July 20, 2015 at 9:22 am
Ive been practising a lot of #7 recently. Ive even met up with a few people 1-1 over the
course of about a week to do so! I figured Ive been cooped up at home quite a bit lately as well.

I like your secret treasure for sure. And I like what youve been doing to the design of your blog
too btw. Except for the background I prefer a slightly darker shade. No big deal there anyway,
Im coming back to read regardless.

Reply
Ludvig Sunstrm says:
July 20, 2015 at 3:05 pm
Nice to hear.

How is the piano playing going by the way?

Reply
Jeremy says:
July 20, 2015 at 5:59 pm
If youre referring to my YouTube, its going pretty well so far. Stats are looking good. Ive
even managed to attract some Skype students from the videos, which is cool too. Apart from that,
yes, the albums are still on the way. Its my first time doing it, and I really messed up the
process. But at least I know what to do from then onwards. Apart from the albums, theres gonna
be a website with some music related resources coming up. Lots of things planned.

Thanks for asking by the way!

Btw, someone at the comments section called me a robot, and I immediately thought of you
(people calling you a machine). Haha. I guess thats a good thing, Im super big on
consistency.

Jeremy says:
July 22, 2015 at 9:16 pm
Whoa dude, I just came back to read some comments and was pleasantly surprised with the new
background! Impressive. Dont know if youre still playing around with different ones, but I
love the way it is now.

Reply
Curious Keith says:
July 20, 2015 at 11:53 am
Failure to use Occams razor + what price will you pay = airports, clubs and other public
locations where people stand in line forever for bathrooms, instead of considering alternatives and
looking for another bathroom. Hows that for applying this stuff in daily life? :)

Reply
Ludvig Sunstrm says:
July 20, 2015 at 3:05 pm
True enough.

Reply
Protoz says:
July 20, 2015 at 1:24 pm
Thought-provoking as usual Sir Sunstrom.

Heres an example of principle #1 occams razor I thought of now.

Start with the simplest assumption first:
If your life sucks, instead of buying-into conspiracy theories that its the Illuminati that are
holding you back from succeeding, you ought to assume that your understanding of what it takes
to become successful is flawed.

Reply
AOG says:
July 20, 2015 at 10:05 pm
Great stuff, should be required reading for every man under 30.

Heres another good principle for you and fellow SGM readers: Never go with the first idea
when its important.

Because your first notion is rarely the best one. So dont rush things more than you must. Yes,
speed and execution are imperative to most strategies, but when it really matters that you make the
right choice, a bit of delay can be acceptable. In any case, it is your job as the leader and decision-
maker to first deduce what type of situation youre dealing with. (As you refer to with losers
game vs winners game).

When you are responsible for high-level decisions, as in many top managerial positions, this is a
must.

Reply
Alex says:
July 21, 2015 at 1:49 am
Another excellent post, Ludvig. Funnily enough the most relevant points for me are the first two.
Ive been quite sick with pneumonia over the last few weeks and its meant that my training
has had to be put on hold. Your post is the kick in the ass I need to get back into it now that I m
at full health.

As much as I love bodybuilding, it must feel good to be at that point of near-perfect and only
requiring maintenance. Looking forward to that day in my future.

Your other points are also gold as well; looking forward to applying those to my life too.

Thanks again for the motivation.

Reply
Angel says:
July 21, 2015 at 9:57 pm
A friend forwarded me this article, and I really enjoyed.

Reply
Angel says:
July 22, 2015 at 4:29 am
Just subscribed and checked out your ebooks quickly, thanks for giving so much helpful advice for
free!

Reply
Nicklas Kingo says:
July 22, 2015 at 8:08 am
Fucken hell that was awesome. I have no constructive feedback at all but praise aplenty. Another
excellent article my friend. Skitbra kompis!

Reply
Ludvig Sunstrm says:
July 27, 2015 at 8:07 pm
Thanks man ;)
Its too bad I just missed you in Denmark.

Reply
Camilla Hallstrom says:
July 26, 2015 at 2:35 pm
Crazily useful information here, Ludvig. #4 is the one principle that has helped me most in my
every day decision making and that principle can also be used for most decisions. Ill make sure
to revert back to these principles the next time I have a major decision to make :D

Reply
Ludvig Sunstrm says:
July 27, 2015 at 8:05 pm
Thanks Camilla!

Reply
Jessica says:
July 27, 2015 at 7:18 pm
You should consider starting a fitness site / selling a fitness-based product / do fitness videos on
youtube. You could make some nice money doing that, with all the garbage out there.

Reply
Ludvig Sunstrm says:
July 27, 2015 at 8:06 pm
Thanks for the suggestions. It is possible youre right, but what is there to say? Lift weights. Eat
healthy. Fast. Push through the plateau. Maximize mental focus and inject emotional intensity.
Have fun. Repeat.

Reply
Michal says:
July 28, 2015 at 8:55 am
Well, I think Ill copy your comment and sell it for $1,000 a piece ;)

Michal says:
July 28, 2015 at 9:28 am
I have a twist to #4: personal mission statement. By constant referring to it I put it in my
subconscious and it filters everything according to the set of rules I included in my mission
statement. I dont have to think about it. It just happens.

Reply
Ludvig Sunstrm says:
July 30, 2015 at 10:19 pm
Nice. This is what I do with, for example, principles like these ones. Gotta brainwash yourself
with quality info.

Also, feel free to steal my fitness idea. Im sure it would be very lucrative.

Reply
Shyan says:
July 28, 2015 at 1:11 pm
On the topic of legacy here is my favourite example it is that of Gurbhash Chahal:

Poor Indian family Immigrant in America

Founded ClickAgents at age 16, sold it for 22 million USD when he was 18
Founded BlueLithium at age 22, sold it to Yahoo in 2007 for 300 million USD when he was 26
Founded RadiumOne at age 26 and remained CEO
Barack Obama donor, wrote a bestseller book, Oprah appearance

what an amazing track record for someone that young. And all this ruined in 5 minutes:
He beat up his girlfriend in a public place full of cameras.

It takes a lifetime to build a world class reputation and 5 minutes to ruin it

Reply
Abgrund says:
July 29, 2015 at 11:56 pm
It takes a lifetime to build a world class reputation and 5 minutes to ruin it.

Are you talking about beating up his girlfriend, or giving money to Obama?

Reply
Ludvig Sunstrm says:
July 30, 2015 at 10:15 pm
Crazy.
Abgrund haha!

Reply
Theodore Nwangene says:
July 31, 2015 at 10:02 am
This is quite insightful Ludvig,
Following these principles will really improve anyones life positively.

I first read about the Pareto principal 2 years ago and thats really wonderful.

Most us usually do a lot everyday while achieving little to nothing at the end of the day. And this
is because we usually focus on less important tasks.

Someone once told me that you can be very very busy without being productive. This is so true.
Youll see somebody sweating I mean, its very obvious that he is very busy but when you
check the output, itll be nothing to write home about.

I really agree with all these principles man.

Thanks for sharing.

Reply
Ayi Etim says:
August 18, 2015 at 11:07 am
Thanks for this, its an invaluable asset to be applied to everyday living.

Reply
PermanentGuest says:
August 18, 2015 at 11:14 pm
Good article, especially the part about the winners and losers game. Perhaps the term
losers game doesnt exactly fit, seeing how its a winning strategy. A more apt
description would be conservative vs risky.

Reply
Matt Kohn says:
September 9, 2015 at 4:30 pm
Brilliant article mate! I especially like the ROI principle as I am a huge proponent of the
abundance-mindset vs. the scarcity mindset the value of this decision/purchase/investment vs.
the cost.

Great article and content this is the content that the internet needs more of!

Cheers mate
Matt Kohn

Reply
Ludvig Sunstrm says:
September 10, 2015 at 2:38 pm
Thank you.

Reply
Hammo says:
September 10, 2015 at 6:16 am
I had to double check there for a minute to make sure I wasnt on Tim Ferrisss blog, nice in-
depth blog post.

So, instead, I did a systems recovery and restarted my computer a few times Now youre
almost an IT expert. ;-)

Logical thinking has never failed me, except perhaps with women, but I could definitely do with a
little more focus in my life. Im hoping meditation will help me with that.

Reply
Ludvig Sunstrm says:
September 10, 2015 at 2:37 pm
Logical thinking has never failed me, except perhaps with women

Hahaha!

Reply
Trackbacks
What it Means to Be a Contrarian says:
January 14, 2016 at 2:59 pm
[] And, challenging yourself to think more and/or better. []
Reply
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Thank you Ludvig for an excellent article, one worthy of lengthy (and long delayed) comments:
"Dare to be a contrarian... " On the other hand, being contrarian just for its own sake is even
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and everything he hears that contradicts The Establishment. The guy who insists the moon
landings were faked [...]
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