The mind is a muscle - it needs to be stimulated dynamically to continue to grow.
Don’t rely on one “exercise” - develop a menu of options.
Write, read, listen, watch. Solve puzzles, play games. Enjoy it!
Stimulate dynamically, learn dynamically.
Lifelong learning is a competitive advantage.
But contrary to what you’ve been told, lifelong learners are built, not born.
THREAD: 20 lifelong learning habits you can start developing today.
The mind is a muscle - it needs to be stimulated dynamically to continue to grow.
Don’t rely on one “exercise” - develop a menu of options.
Write, read, listen, watch. Solve puzzles, play games. Enjoy it!
Stimulate dynamically, learn dynamically.
The most powerful learning is communal, not individual.
Build learning circles with other intellectually curious minds.
Engage regularly with no set intention or goal.
Community is everything. Embrace it.
“Why?” is the most useful tool in our learning toolkit.
But somewhere along the line, we are told to stop asking why and just accept “facts” as we are told them.
Reject the norm.
If you want to understand the world, take a cue from our kids - keep asking why! https://t.co/7AO85k2cis
First principles thinking is a powerful mental model for driving non-linear outcomes. It also requires a willingness to ask difficult, uncomfortable questions.
— Sahil Bloom (@SahilBloom) March 14, 2021
Here are a few to help you get started: pic.twitter.com/KyuAr7IUf7
Prioritize process.
Learn for the sake of learning, not always for a specific goal.
When you prioritize process, you become flexible in where you are headed.
Life is a winding, confusing journey - forward progress is all that matters.
A polymath is a person with wide-ranging, multi-disciplinary knowledge.
Lifelong learners tend to be polymaths - their curiosity naturally leads to knowledge accumulation in a variety of disciplines.
Learn both horizontally and vertically. Become a polymath.
The “learning engine” is at the core of every lifelong learner.
It is comprised of all the learning “inputs” regularly consumed - books, newsletters, podcasts, videos, etc.
The internet has opened access to it all.
Build an unstoppable learning engine.
Consuming more does not equate to knowing more.
As you consume more data, you may find the noise-to-signal ratio increases (a classic @nntaleb “noise bottleneck” appears).
Consume less, but consume intelligently.
More signal, less noise.
There are two types of learning: surface and deep.
Surface learning is quick and easy.
Deep learning is more challenging. It requires a willingness to slow down and let ideas mature in the mind.
Lifelong learners embrace both.
“If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”
You can’t do it alone. Seek out mentors and coaches to help you on your journey.
Never be afraid to ask.
You’ll be amazed by the kindness of strangers and their willingness to help.
Lifelong learners recognize that failures are learning opportunities.
They don’t fear them. They embrace them.
It’s easier said than done. Failures are painful - physically and emotionally.
But stay the course and you’ll find learning on the other side.
When you have a spark of curiosity, follow it.
Moments of pure, unadulterated curiosity are fleeting, so you have to prioritize them when they come.
Seek out curiosity-inducing content (like my Curiosity Chronicle newsletter!). https://t.co/C2tEmvQV1v
Teaching is often the most powerful path to learning.
The Feynman Technique (explained below) is a foundational mental model for unlocking learning and growth through teaching.
Use it!
If you want to learn, teach. https://t.co/OoieG4mAME
The Feynman Technique is a foundational mental model for unlocking growth in your career, startup, business, or writing.
— Sahil Bloom (@SahilBloom) February 6, 2021
A thread on how it works and how it can change your life... pic.twitter.com/7MFj3luEIr
Humans were not made for constant motion.
Learn to sprint, then rest.
Taking breaks can be the easiest, most effective unlock for learning and growth.
If you want to learn to grow, first learn to rest.
Every conversation with a stranger is an opportunity to learn something new.
Be present in every conversation with everyone you meet.
You never know what might come of it.
Try to find a job that is intellectually stimulating.
I know this is a luxury - if you are lucky enough, take advantage.
P.S. I want to help. Check out my job board for interesting roles at companies that believe in open access.
https://t.co/UhW76VDUjf
Lifelong learners are always willing to change their mind.
Believe something to be true? Ok, but be sure to open your mind to counterarguments.
Stubborn refusal to acknowledge alternative perspectives stalls progress.
Strive for strong opinions, weakly held.
2020 was a tough year, but it did bring an upswell of novel learning formats.
Cohort-based courses - which foster community! - are a great innovation.
Cool Example: Ascend - a program for women looking to accelerate their careers. https://t.co/UjIh1gyfh0
A healthy mind is a powerful mind.
Set aside time for mindfulness.
Practice meditation - start with 5 minutes a day and build up from there. There are plenty of great apps to help you get started.
With a healthy mind, anything is possible.
All lifelong learners recognize that school is nothing but the starting line of our true education.
Once you internalize this, you’ll start doing things differently.
The greatest riches in life - personal or professional - come from compound interest.
But it takes time. Lots of time.
Knowledge is no different - it compounds.
So lifelong learners play the long game. Let the magical power of compounding work for you.
What are some that I am missing?
If you enjoyed this, follow me for more threads on business, mental models, and life. You can find all of my threads in the meta-thread below. https://t.co/Q2PggDh1lc
1/ An Allegory of Finance
— Sahil Bloom (@SahilBloom) July 18, 2020
I have been posting a lot of educational (and humorous!) threads on finance, money, and economics.
My mission is simple: to demystify these concepts and make them accessible to everyone.
All of the threads can be found below. Enjoy and please share!
More from Sahil Bloom
Short Squeeze 101
If you follow financial markets (or if you watch Billions), you've heard the phrase "short squeeze" used quite frequently.
But what is a "short squeeze" and how does it work?
Here's Short Squeeze 101!
👇👇👇
1/ First, the basics.
The "short" in "short squeeze" refers to the concept of short selling.
The basics are covered in my thread below.
https://t.co/xecJYNCxMs
TL;DR - short selling is a way of betting against a stock - i.e. betting that its price will decline.
2/ "Short interest" is a measure of how heavily an asset is shorted by the market.
It is the total number of shares that have been sold short (borrowed and sold), but have not yet been covered (bought and returned).
It is usually measured as a % of the # of shares outstanding.
3/ A "short squeeze" occurs when a heavily-shorted asset experiences a rapid upward price movement.
When this happens, short sellers may be forced to close their short positions (i.e. buy the stock and return it to the broker), further accelerating the upward price movement.
4/ Let's look at a simple example to show this in action.
We will use Tesla, one of the most heavily-shorted stocks in the world.
Imagine the stock price is $1,000 per share. This seems crazy. Ricky Rational decides to short the stock at this level.
If you follow financial markets (or if you watch Billions), you've heard the phrase "short squeeze" used quite frequently.
But what is a "short squeeze" and how does it work?
Here's Short Squeeze 101!
👇👇👇
1/ First, the basics.
The "short" in "short squeeze" refers to the concept of short selling.
The basics are covered in my thread below.
https://t.co/xecJYNCxMs
TL;DR - short selling is a way of betting against a stock - i.e. betting that its price will decline.
1/ Short Selling 101
— Sahil Bloom (@SahilBloom) July 6, 2020
With the markets continuing to rally, there has been more talk of \u201cshorting\u201d or \u201cshort selling\u201d stocks.
But what does that mean and how does it work?
Here\u2019s a quick educational primer: Short Selling 101 pic.twitter.com/JTrJmuY7fI
2/ "Short interest" is a measure of how heavily an asset is shorted by the market.
It is the total number of shares that have been sold short (borrowed and sold), but have not yet been covered (bought and returned).
It is usually measured as a % of the # of shares outstanding.
3/ A "short squeeze" occurs when a heavily-shorted asset experiences a rapid upward price movement.
When this happens, short sellers may be forced to close their short positions (i.e. buy the stock and return it to the broker), further accelerating the upward price movement.
4/ Let's look at a simple example to show this in action.
We will use Tesla, one of the most heavily-shorted stocks in the world.
Imagine the stock price is $1,000 per share. This seems crazy. Ricky Rational decides to short the stock at this level.
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I hate when I learn something new (to me) & stunning about the Jeff Epstein network (h/t MoodyKnowsNada.)
Where to begin?
So our new Secretary of State Anthony Blinken's stepfather, Samuel Pisar, was "longtime lawyer and confidant of...Robert Maxwell," Ghislaine Maxwell's Dad.
"Pisar was one of the last people to speak to Maxwell, by phone, probably an hour before the chairman of Mirror Group Newspapers fell off his luxury yacht the Lady Ghislaine on 5 November, 1991." https://t.co/DAEgchNyTP
OK, so that's just a coincidence. Moving on, Anthony Blinken "attended the prestigious Dalton School in New York City"...wait, what? https://t.co/DnE6AvHmJg
Dalton School...Dalton School...rings a
Oh that's right.
The dad of the U.S. Attorney General under both George W. Bush & Donald Trump, William Barr, was headmaster of the Dalton School.
Donald Barr was also quite a
I'm not going to even mention that Blinken's stepdad Sam Pisar's name was in Epstein's "black book."
Lots of names in that book. I mean, for example, Cuomo, Trump, Clinton, Prince Andrew, Bill Cosby, Woody Allen - all in that book, and their reputations are spotless.
Where to begin?
So our new Secretary of State Anthony Blinken's stepfather, Samuel Pisar, was "longtime lawyer and confidant of...Robert Maxwell," Ghislaine Maxwell's Dad.
"Pisar was one of the last people to speak to Maxwell, by phone, probably an hour before the chairman of Mirror Group Newspapers fell off his luxury yacht the Lady Ghislaine on 5 November, 1991." https://t.co/DAEgchNyTP
OK, so that's just a coincidence. Moving on, Anthony Blinken "attended the prestigious Dalton School in New York City"...wait, what? https://t.co/DnE6AvHmJg
Dalton School...Dalton School...rings a
Oh that's right.
The dad of the U.S. Attorney General under both George W. Bush & Donald Trump, William Barr, was headmaster of the Dalton School.
Donald Barr was also quite a
Donald Barr had a way with words. pic.twitter.com/JdRBwXPhJn
— Rudy Havenstein, listening to Nas all day. (@RudyHavenstein) September 17, 2020
I'm not going to even mention that Blinken's stepdad Sam Pisar's name was in Epstein's "black book."
Lots of names in that book. I mean, for example, Cuomo, Trump, Clinton, Prince Andrew, Bill Cosby, Woody Allen - all in that book, and their reputations are spotless.
"I really want to break into Product Management"
make products.
"If only someone would tell me how I can get a startup to notice me."
Make Products.
"I guess it's impossible and I'll never break into the industry."
MAKE PRODUCTS.
Courtesy of @edbrisson's wonderful thread on breaking into comics – https://t.co/TgNblNSCBj – here is why the same applies to Product Management, too.
There is no better way of learning the craft of product, or proving your potential to employers, than just doing it.
You do not need anybody's permission. We don't have diplomas, nor doctorates. We can barely agree on a single standard of what a Product Manager is supposed to do.
But – there is at least one blindingly obvious industry consensus – a Product Manager makes Products.
And they don't need to be kept at the exact right temperature, given endless resource, or carefully protected in order to do this.
They find their own way.
make products.
"If only someone would tell me how I can get a startup to notice me."
Make Products.
"I guess it's impossible and I'll never break into the industry."
MAKE PRODUCTS.
Courtesy of @edbrisson's wonderful thread on breaking into comics – https://t.co/TgNblNSCBj – here is why the same applies to Product Management, too.
"I really want to break into comics"
— Ed Brisson (@edbrisson) December 4, 2018
make comics.
"If only someone would tell me how I can get an editor to notice me."
Make Comics.
"I guess it's impossible and I'll never break into the industry."
MAKE COMICS.
There is no better way of learning the craft of product, or proving your potential to employers, than just doing it.
You do not need anybody's permission. We don't have diplomas, nor doctorates. We can barely agree on a single standard of what a Product Manager is supposed to do.
But – there is at least one blindingly obvious industry consensus – a Product Manager makes Products.
And they don't need to be kept at the exact right temperature, given endless resource, or carefully protected in order to do this.
They find their own way.
