To be complex, one must first be simple. Because, unless it’s simple, it’s hard to get complicated. Every complex problem is a combination of simple problems. People tend to think that intelligence is complex. However, in hindsight, memory is just a continuation and connection of simplicity made up of thoughtful ingredients. Still, it is burdensome and complicated to find simplicity in an already complex system. Therefore, the pursuit of simplicity is a burdensome decision, one that requires a willingness to understand this complexity first. Growing up in the mind means taking on this burden and being willing to take on the challenge of finding simplicity in a formally complex system. It’s like a child taking their first steps, trying to get up while risking falling with their whole body. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”
When an officer informed Prussian Friedrich the Great that there were discrepancies between the book and the actual battle, Friedrich famously replied, “We have a mule that has fought 60 times in our army, yet it remains just a mule.” In response to an officer’s query about becoming a great strategist, Napoleon stated that his only way was to study the history of warfare. Lincoln admitted that everything he sought to understand was contained in a book, and Edison read through the entire collection from the Detroit Library. When asked about the key to his success, Warren Buffett declared that it was consistent reading. Don’t be misled into thinking that experiences outweigh the value of reading. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”