Principles

About these principles

They are in constant evolution.
They are always incomplete and outdated.
The benefits of these principles increase like compound interest.
Beliefs are corrected and built upon over time.
Some of these beliefs will be wrong.
I am open to changing my mind at any time if challenged with arguments based on facts or evidence.
Having clear principles and a philosophy of life prevents me from facing each situation as if it were the first time.

General

My love is not free. To love indiscriminately is not to love; people must earn love.
My respect is not free. To respect indiscriminately is not to respect; people must earn respect.
We all must act through voluntary decisions to be worthy of the love and respect of others.
Focus on what matters and disregard nonsense that has no impact.
People should be measured by what they do, not by what they are, who they are with, or what they have.
We are the captains of our destiny; most improvements in our lives depend on us.
Our health, finances, relationships, knowledge, and work depend mainly on us — they are our responsibility.
What we make of our life is up to us.
Happiness in life is adjusting expectations to reality, without conforming.
Being happy is a choice and requires effort.
To make better decisions, ask: What would an intelligent and brave person do?
Doing something is usually better than doing nothing.
To accumulate in a compound way — to build on what we have already gained — is powerful in many fields.
Evolution works like compound interest; it builds on what has already worked.
We cannot control everything that happens, but we can control how we react.
What we say or do online is a digital tattoo that may never disappear.
Once a computer learns something, others can learn it instantly.
Everyone is not equal, but we must all have the same rights and obligations.
Everything is temporary.
Life is not fair.
The best don’t always win.
Behind anger there is usually fear.
Success is not defined by how much time we spend doing what we like, but by how little we spend doing what we hate.
Having more money than we need gives us freedom not to do what we don’t want to do.
Success is achieved by accumulating experiences, relationships, happiness, freedom, flexibility, and a sense of purpose.
Nothing matters as much as we think — a life is not much time.
Repentance should guide our future decisions, not anchor us to the past.
Look to the future, live in the present, and learn from the past.
We have only one life to achieve what we want — act accordingly.
The most important aspects in life are health, relationships, passions, personal growth, and contribution to society.
We only perceive changes; we cannot perceive or feel what is not changing.
We are the sum of our biases.
We tend to favor the beautiful, the reaffirming, and the expected.
We tend to attribute too much credit to success.
We will all die.
We don’t have an inherent purpose — it’s fine to invent one.
Souls do not exist separate from the body. The gods of organized religions do not exist.
Science cannot explain everything; there are still many unknowns.
There is no heaven or hell. We have no cosmic meaning. We are made of stardust.
The Earth is not flat; it is spherical. Evolution, both micro and macro, occurs.
Something like the Big Bang happened; nothing existed before it.
Nothing in our universe can travel faster than light.
Technology will eventually disrupt all man-made institutions — politics, religion, identity, economy, energy, and more.
Some questions have no answer.
Logic is useful but flawed; it cannot be completely trusted.
Lying creates parallel realities.
We breathe the same air and walk the same ground as the great figures of history.
Life is energy and chemical change — it is balance.
With the laws of physics, we can predict the near future.
Avoid prejudice — it gives us a partial and often false view.
At the end of the day, we must answer to ourselves (inner scorecard).
Everything we do should allow us a clear conscience.
Doing the right thing brings peace that no one can take away.
The day after my birthday is closer to my next birthday than to my last.
We cannot go back in time. We all travel through time at 1s/s.
If you have two legs, you have more legs than average.
One of the main goals of life should be to improve the lives of others.
Everyone is driven by incentives.
The most basic incentive is the promise of return — we reap what we sow.
Humans unite around shared fictions — money, religion, and stories.
Every person is inherently valuable, regardless of behavior or belief (though some beliefs may have no value).
Everyone matters — treat them accordingly.
Avoiding failure is easier than achieving success.
Understand likely points of failure (probability × magnitude) and plan for them.
Mistakes are lessons.
There is no better place and time than here and now.
Optimism improves performance.
Every obstacle is a challenge, not a threat.
People appreciate authenticity — be authentic, respect your values, and don’t sell yourself short.
Common sense beats all rules.
Success comes from trying, failing, and improving — thousands of times.
A huge part of success is simply showing up.
Show gratitude every day — it forces focus on what makes you happy.
Constantly evaluate yourself — yearly, monthly, weekly, daily, hourly.
Adaptation is the key to survival.
Small, frequent adjustments allow you to navigate complexity.
Discipline is following the plan even after success.
Automate tasks you dislike.
No amount of regret can bring back the dead.
Love immensely and give your friends and family what they deserve — early and often.
Never show your cards first in a negotiation.
In disputes, ask for proof.
If you’re right and being dragged through mud, make the process draining for the other side.
Apply the mirror test — what kind of person do you want to see each morning?
How not to fail = Strengths + Discipline + Good values + Work ethic + Knowledge + Kaizen + Frugality.
The future is a chain of possibilities; each realized one creates the next.
Build the reality you want.
Build the reputation you want.
Pursue your purpose.
Pursue autonomy and personal freedom.
Be happy by making those you love happy.
Constantly improve (Kaizen).
Make good use of your time.
Trust others, make them trust you, and trust yourself.
Be positive, proactive, flexible, humble, and grateful.
Make decisions.
Don’t be Buridan’s donkey — choose and move.
Find solutions, not problems.
Try to do everything yourself at least once.
Be a good person, but don’t boast about it.
Don’t spend — invest.
Spend less than you earn.
Do what works.
History is mostly the study of unprecedented events, ironically used as a map of the future.
It is dangerous to go alone. Heal yourself by helping others.
Be kind and serve — we can do more together than alone.
Seek to learn and understand everything.
Be economically useful.
The world is not kind to those who create no value.
Everything is a remix — don’t worry about being “original.”
The point of strength is to nourish others.
Have things to look forward to.
You can’t engineer happiness, but you can engineer excitement.
Articulate your assumptions and question them.
If a bad one is found, discard it — you’ll instantly have a better life.
If you don’t decide, someone else will.

Fears

It is important to be aware of our fears to work on them or prevent them.

Productivity

Know the tools you use.
Own the best tools you can afford.
Build momentum to be productive and avoid procrastination.
Productivity is a muscle — it grows with use.
Concentrate; avoid multitasking.

Health

Know which habits to practice and which to avoid.
Habits form and deform your life.
Humans are short-sighted.
Build rituals that compound into a great life.
Health systems often focus on curing the sick, not preventing disease.
Get 6–8 hours of sleep. Go to bed and wake up at the same time.
Sleep, nutrition, and exercise are pillars of health.
Wind down an hour before sleep — no screens, no stress, no intense activity.
Vaccines are good.
Abortion and assisted suicide should be legal and regulated — safely.
Medical care should be accessible and affordable.
Not exercising is worse for your health than smoking, diabetes, or heart disease.
Tobacco causes far greater life-year loss than illegal drugs.
Intelligent people make proactive health choices.
Dark chocolate is a superfood.
Avoid sugary drinks and refined carbs.
A healthy plate: ½ fruits and vegetables + ¼ whole grains + ¼ healthy proteins.
Stay physically active daily.
Being fit allows you to enjoy more of life.
Exercise, don’t smoke, drink and eat in moderation, and walk often.
“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” — Michael Pollan

Relations, Friends, and Family

Friends, family, and a partner are essential to happiness.
Be honest with yourself and others.
Some people add value, others drain it — focus on the former.
Show your love to those you love.
Support others in achieving their goals.
If you say yes to others, ensure you’re not saying no to yourself.
Everyone faces similar problems — nerves, fears, concerns.
The quality of life depends on the quality of relationships.
Family is the group that truly loves and supports you — and you them.

Material Things

Prefer clean, minimalist, and organized environments.
Discard what you haven’t used in six months (except for seasonal items).
Buy based on €/use — the lower, the better.
If you bought it once, you can buy it again.
If you don’t remember it, you don’t need a material memento.
Adopt a simple clothing “uniform” to reduce decision fatigue.
Choose quality over quantity.

Money

Nobody gets rich renting their time.
Money buys time and freedom.
It gives independence and autonomy.
Diversify and build assets.
Spend less than you earn.
Avoid debt for unnecessary purchases.
We spend what’s available — manage accordingly.
Every successful person saves and invests.
Save at least 10%.
Spend on what grows — including your health.
Don’t skip insurance; peace of mind is worth the cost.
Buy low, sell high.
Every business profits by buying cheaper and selling higher.
Scale slowly.
Investing is about probabilities — few are ever 100%.
Five sources of edge:
– Learn faster than your competition.
– Empathize more with stakeholders.
– Communicate more effectively.
– Be willing to fail more often.
– Wait longer than others.

Work

Work for impact, learning, and interest — not just money.
Careers are fluid; we constantly evolve.
WHO matters most, then WHY, then HOW, then WHAT, then WHEN.
A fulfilling career requires autonomy, mastery, and purpose.
Go 150% beyond expectations — it creates traction.
If you’re always the smartest in the room, you’re in the wrong room.
Double down on strengths, neutralize weaknesses.
Do more of what you find easy but others find hard.
Release your work publicly.
If jobs exist for your ideas, they have value.
Great careers come from mastering something rare and valuable.
Your “career capital” — unique skills — buys autonomy.
If you’re the best in the world at something, you set the terms.
Fulfillment comes from getting good at meaningful work, not just following passion.
Focus on high-leverage activities.
Clear rules reduce stress and the need for constant approval.

Learning

Learn how to learn.
Broad and diverse knowledge beats ultra-specialization.
Leverage compounding knowledge.
Never stop learning or improving.

Society

Group activities feel safer and more comfortable.
Small talk opens the door to deep friendships — start there.
Letting go of the need to be liked is freeing.
Speak to people’s emotions.
A successful society fulfills its goals — offering social goods for prosperous lives.
Gay marriage should be legal everywhere.
Prisons should protect, rehabilitate, punish, and deter.
Negligent public servants should be easier to prosecute than citizens.
Affordable university education should be available to all.
Never have we lived as well as now — higher life expectancy, less poverty, lower inequality.
The best way to improve the world is to generate growth through business.
Being good improves relationships and society.
What we consider “good” comes from what allows us to live together.

Politics

I consider myself a liberal — everyone should do what they want.
Meritocracy is the best system, though no true one exists.
Monarchies are not full democracies.
Health, education, and defense need not be profitable, but efficiency is valuable.