The lion cannot protect himself from traps and the fox cannot defend himself from wolves. One must therefore be a fox to recognize traps and a lion to frighten wolves.
Niccolo Machiavelli from The Prince
More input
I’ll warn you I have an unhealthy obsession with World War Two and particle physics. Even books can be addictive.
Fact can be stranger than fiction. Fiction can be fun but fact is more useful. I am a curious person by nature and books help me to answer the big questions: how makes the world function, who am I and what am I doing.
I’m also a dedicated supporter of The Great Courses and Modern Scholar. These are books written and read by college professors. There are hundreds of these courses on many different topics.
Words and root words-learn as many as possible
There’s nothing more satiating than learning a new word. I’ve noticed that some words frequently reoccur. Using big words is fun!!
Please download my ever-increasing list of useful words for everyday life.
Useful words for everyday life (Word Document)
Learn your root words. They are not only fun but very useful. The English language is easier to navigate when you know your roots.
Some of my favorite root words:
-bell (bellicose, belligerent, antebellum)
-fac (factory, benefactor, facility)
-mal (malady, malnourished, malignant)
-spect (spectacles, spectator, spectrum)
Root words web page
The greatest battles you fight will be against yourself.
To me Battle is solving a problem. Three great strategists are Sun Tzu, Carl von Clausewitz and Baron de Jomini. They have different thoughts on winning battle:
Baron de Jomini would say “you attack your enemy at his weakest point without mercy”.
Carl von Clausewitz would say “it depends on the circumstances. You need to be able to adapt to the changing battlefield”.
Sun Tzu would say “the greatest battles are won without bloodshed”.
What course of action do you think is best?
Audio books have become my guiding light. If you have a problem audio books will find a solution.
Some of the best advice I’ve learned:
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the best laid plans fall apart after first contact with the enemy
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you learn more from a defeat than from a win
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judge people by their actions
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the lessons of the wolverine: it never backs down, never hesitates and never quits
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change is the rule and not the exception
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if my friend attacks my brother I must attack my friend
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only when we are all brothers will there be peace
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in the absence of reason there is violence and anger
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thinking gets you killed while reacting keeps you alive
