Success is working on things important and valuable to you with people you like and respect. Since I became financially independent, I work on things that I find interesting and where I can have impact.
— Donn Davis“By keeping people feeling they are on the wrong side of history morally, or on the wrong side of the argument intellectually, and by doing so using rhetorical tricks, they are very effective at keeping people on the defensive.”— Dr. James Lindsay
The quote archive
Philosophy
A growing archive of 3,000+ moments, drawn from every interview.
When you're young, you're basically a time billionaire, sitting on billions of seconds stretching out ahead of you. But here's the thing—most young people, even folks in the middle of life, don't see it that way.
— Sahil BloomContent creator and author known for insights on decision-making and business
Time wealth is all about having the freedom to decide how you spend your time, who you spend it with, where you spend it, and what you trade it for. It boils down to one simple truth: recognizing time as your most precious asset—the only thing you can never get back.
— Sahil BloomContent creator and author known for insights on decision-making and business
Anti-goals are all about what you refuse to give up while chasing those goals. The trap a lot of people fall into is getting so laser-focused on the target that everything else just fades away. You put on blinders.
— Sahil BloomContent creator and author known for insights on decision-making and business
Thriving as a human isn't some finish line you cross; it's an ongoing journey. You want a life where you can feel like you're thriving every single day—not just fixated on some peak you're aiming for, but actually savouring each step along the way.
— Sahil BloomContent creator and author known for insights on decision-making and business
The arrival fallacy is this notion, this psychological trick we play on ourselves, where we repeatedly convince ourselves that happiness, contentment, and fulfilment lie just beyond whatever mountaintop we've set as our ultimate goal. You hit that target you've built up as the finish line, and sure, you get a fleeting rush of dopamine-fuelled euphoria—only to find yourself quickly eyeing a new, distant summit.
— Sahil BloomContent creator and author known for insights on decision-making and business
If we treat the mind and body as one unit, then wherever we put the mind, we necessarily put the body—and that opens up enormous possibilities for control.
— Ellen J. LangerHarvard psychologist & researcher in mindfulness and the psychology of possibility
Once you recognise that, you can take any situation and interpret it in a way that makes it enjoyable. You no longer have to chase after certain outcomes or fear others. Whatever happens, happens.
— Ellen J. LangerHarvard psychologist & researcher in mindfulness and the psychology of possibility
When you shift from a personal attribution for not knowing—thinking, 'I don't know, but everyone else seems to, so I'll fake it or avoid the situation'—to a universal attribution—realizing, 'I don't know, you don't know, nobody knows'—you stand taller. This allows you to embrace what I believe is the most successful mindset: confident uncertainty.
— Ellen J. LangerHarvard psychologist & researcher in mindfulness and the psychology of possibility
The idea of selfish philanthropy is a push against the notion of philanthropy as simply 'giving back.' That phrase implies that wealth was accumulated by taking something from society. But if you've built a successful business, you've contributed to society—you don't owe anything back.
— Robert RosenkranzThe most important thing to me is that wealth has allowed me to live a full life, rich with experiences. I see wealth more as a means to experience than a way to acquire things.
— Robert RosenkranzJust because a decision doesn't work out doesn't mean it was the wrong decision. If it was based on the best available information at the time, it was still a sound choice.
— Robert RosenkranzThe Stoic concept of courage is about letting reason prevail over emotion. Risk naturally triggers fear—fear of a bad outcome. But using reason to manage risk means applying a more analytical approach, almost like a mathematical assessment of risk and reward.
— Robert RosenkranzWhat's unique about Stoic Capitalist is that I aimed to shift those ideas from mere coping to succeeding on a much larger scale. At its core, Stoicism as a coping mechanism involves reining in emotion and distinguishing between what you can and cannot control.
— Robert RosenkranzSuccess should simply mean enjoying what you do and feeling purposeful. If you have all the money in the world but spend every day miserably staring at a computer screen, feeling bored, uninspired, not learning or contributing meaningfully, then no amount of money makes you successful.
— Simon SquibbIf you're not careful, possessions can end up owning you. Eventually, the car became part of my identity; it represented who I was, which isn't healthy. I want everyone to become wealthy and experience this firsthand because once they do, they'll realize material possessions aren't fulfilling.
— Simon Squibb