In long-term relationships, prioritize win-win outcomes and avoid taking advantage with promises to ‘make it up later,’ as this often leads to inaccurate scorekeeping and relationship breakdown.
In human interactions, a good life strategy is to ‘go positive and go first’ by initiating cooperation, and to forgive others unless their actions are clearly malicious.
In repeated interactions, adopt a strategy of being nice (never defect first), forgiving (don’t retaliate forever), retaliatory (punish unprovoked defection), and clear (avoid confusing complexity) to thrive.
Recognize when to strategically quit a problem you’re stuck on, weighing sunk costs against opportunity costs to avoid wasting time and open up possibilities for new progress.
Cultivate broad, interdisciplinary interests (e.g., humanities, philosophy, sociology) to identify unique problems and gain an edge by applying diverse perspectives.
Establish an environment where confusion is normalized and intellectual risk-taking is safe, fostering trust and collaboration without fear of looking stupid.
In collaborative research, cultivate vulnerability and a safe relationship with collaborators to openly admit confusion, ask for clarification, and suggest ideas without fear.
When faced with something you don’t know, especially with children, be strong enough to admit it and then actively work to figure it out together, either by thinking or looking it up.
Avoid passing on your own anxieties or negative mindsets (e.g., about math) to your children, as this is unhelpful for their learning.
Expect challenging things from students, especially younger ones, as they will often rise to the level of expectation and astonish you with what they can do.
Do not assume students are hopeless or lack potential based on superficial analysis, as people often have more potential than initially perceived.
To make a subject exciting, show pictures, provide intuition, connect it to the real world, share its history, and bring it alive, rather than presenting it dryly.
Instead of merely covering curriculum, strive to ‘uncover’ material by removing fog and misunderstanding, allowing for discovery and revealing its essence.
Cultivate the skill of exploring and making progress when lost or uncertain, as this applies to all aspects of life and fosters the thrill of problem-solving.
Teach by giving puzzles and guiding students when they are stuck, helping them develop problem-solving strategies and cope with frustration.
In intellectual matters, prioritize honesty by admitting when you don’t know something, rather than pretending to maintain an authority figure image, as you’ll likely be found out anyway.
Parents can improve their own math understanding and help their kids by using excellent online resources like YouTube channels (e.g., three blue, one brown, Mathologer) and Khan Academy.
Adapt teaching approaches and strategies based on the individual child’s reaction to math, whether they are bored, anxious, or gifted.
To make a discovery truly great, communicate it and help others understand why it matters, as science is a social enterprise.
In research, understand what others find valuable and interesting, as science is a social enterprise where communicating the importance of your work is as crucial as the work itself.
For intellectual pursuits like a PhD, the first and most critical step is selecting a problem that allows you to discover something new, interesting, and uniquely yours, fostering innovation.
When selecting problems, consider targeting the ‘second hardest’ rather than always the most ambitious, as it can be a more effective path to success and building up to greater challenges.
When choosing what to work on, identify and leverage your unique strengths or comparative advantages that give you an edge over others.
Don’t be afraid to quit a project when it’s not panning out, but immediately pivot to something new rather than giving up entirely.
Develop the skill of recognizing the mysterious and wonderful in things that are ‘right under everybody’s noses,’ as this can lead to significant discoveries.
When considering strategic quitting, assess factors like frustration levels, remaining time, real-world obligations (e.g., family, job), desired payoff, and willingness to gamble, similar to investment decisions.
Tailor project risk levels to individual personality traits, such as fearlessness, and be prepared to work secretly and without immediate results on high-risk, high-reward endeavors.
Recognize that beyond technical skill, attributes like courage, good judgment, and ’taste’ (knowing what will be interesting or ‘cool’) are crucial for success in any discipline.
Adjust business or interaction strategies based on whether you are in a one-shot transaction (e.g., tourist trap) or a long-term relationship, as different approaches are viable.
Actively cultivate meaningful relationships that are not solely dependent on professional position or work-related trade-offs, to avoid finding yourself isolated after retirement.
Do not attempt to occasionally take advantage of established trust, as even small opportunistic actions can lead to a breakdown of trust that is very difficult to restore.
When teaching, have sympathy for struggling students and avoid assuming they are hopeless, as their difficulties may not reflect their true potential.
Cultivate an intellectual interest in understanding how order and self-organization spontaneously emerge from chaotic systems.
When dealing with rapidly mutating pathogens, employ multi-drug therapies (e.g., three drugs) to significantly reduce the odds of simultaneous mutations and maintain long-term effectiveness.
Adjust treatment strategies (e.g., when to administer drugs) based on the current understanding or model of how a disease behaves, to optimize effectiveness and prevent issues like drug resistance.
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