A wise person is someone who applies common sense. Common sense is common after all. It’s about the insights, lessons, and wisdom everyone knows. But the problem is that not everyone applies what they know. In fact, it’s very uncommon to see people applying common sense.
Rely on facts, not assumptions
- Most of our judgments are based on our personal beliefs
- We can’t trust our beliefs simply because they are so subjective
- Instead, rely on facts and avoid interpreting everything based on your ideas, beliefs, and feelings
- Observe your thoughts and ask yourself, “How do I know what I’m thinking is true?”
Take Enough Time to Make Decisions
- It’s important to take as much time as you can to decide. Otherwise, you risk procrastinating for no good reason
- No good decision-maker can be quick at the beginning of their career
- It’s the same process as running a marathon. No one runs a marathon on their first run
Listen to other people
- Most ignorant people have difficulty listening to advice while the smartest people are usually the first to listen to everyone
- Most people love to listen to their own voice and don’t care about what others have to say
- The wise people are the opposite. They love to learn from others and are always open to different ideas
Think from First Principles
Thinking from first principles is a way to challenge the status quo. It’s looking at what is, and thinking what could be, keeping the laws of human nature and physics in mind. Wise people constantly ask, “Is there a better way we can do this?”
Read a lot and read widely
- The best way to challenge yourself intellectually is to acquire knowledge
- Read a book, listen to a course, or take a course
- Most mental stimuli comes from learning about new things
- Wise people do something that challenges their minds every day
