Dear author - thank you for writing this post that undoubtedly must have been painful to rekindle past emotions for the benefit of your readers. There is a lot to unpack in your words and a lot to be gained with deep reflection. Thank you.
The more you read and experience, the more you understand how intertwined all of these models are. Socrates says know thyself, Sun Tzu says know your enemy. The idea of deliberately imagining worst-case scenarios so you can prepare for them came from the ancients ( hammurabi, the stoics ) and refined by modern tail-risk hedging ( mandelbrot, taleb ). The idea of story thinking from Angus Fletcher echoes the early intuitions of Thucydides, Aristotle, Sun Tzu, and others
You've talked about the seen and the unseen in Economics ( 2nd order effects ) but there's a version of this in war/business/politics. Maybe it's the narrative you're missing or what's happening in the rooms you aren't in
Enjoying how you've been pulling on these threads to connect ancient knowledge to modern events and even your personal life. Always something new to think about
I would add Robert Greene’s books to this list. He brings these and more references to the modern world of work. His lesson one in strategy is to know yourself. His books helped me navigate friction and critical negotiations with my startup investors, cofounder, and acquirers.
Very well written. Thank you for sharing so openly. Sparked a lot of thoughts
Thank you Kris!
Thank you very much for a magnificent essay. Your reflections always open doors and thoughts to our inner selves.
I can only imagine the internal courage it took for you to write this - thank you for doing this. written with authenticity.
Thank you Amit, it wasn’t easy but important to do.
I really appreciate your authenticity. It adds texture to your writing, imbues it with empathy, without being overdone. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you Ken! I’m trying to live a more authentic and embodied life now.
Outstanding essay Ahmed. Loved it. So deep in its message. Its worthy of becoming a book in long form.
Thank you Anuj. It was fun to write through the lens of those 3 books.
amazing. i am going to read this again tomorrow.
your work/thoughts always help me think/observe in a different way.
thank you
Thank you Patrick! I’m so happy it’s had an impact.
Dear author - thank you for writing this post that undoubtedly must have been painful to rekindle past emotions for the benefit of your readers. There is a lot to unpack in your words and a lot to be gained with deep reflection. Thank you.
Thank you Mahesh it was good to think about these events through new lens.
The more you read and experience, the more you understand how intertwined all of these models are. Socrates says know thyself, Sun Tzu says know your enemy. The idea of deliberately imagining worst-case scenarios so you can prepare for them came from the ancients ( hammurabi, the stoics ) and refined by modern tail-risk hedging ( mandelbrot, taleb ). The idea of story thinking from Angus Fletcher echoes the early intuitions of Thucydides, Aristotle, Sun Tzu, and others
You've talked about the seen and the unseen in Economics ( 2nd order effects ) but there's a version of this in war/business/politics. Maybe it's the narrative you're missing or what's happening in the rooms you aren't in
That’s cool I like the seen and unseen lens on this!
Enjoying how you've been pulling on these threads to connect ancient knowledge to modern events and even your personal life. Always something new to think about
Timeless and very well verbalised ! observing always win versus reacting
Thank you Christophe!
Thanks for sharing these personal experiences, always insightful and thoughtful
Thank you Stuart, so appreciate you reading and sharing your thoughts.
I would add Robert Greene’s books to this list. He brings these and more references to the modern world of work. His lesson one in strategy is to know yourself. His books helped me navigate friction and critical negotiations with my startup investors, cofounder, and acquirers.