Ray Dalio is the founder of investment firm Bridgewater Associates, one of the world’s largest hedge funds. In this highly acclaimed book, he shares the unconventional principles that he’s developed, refined, and used over the past forty years to create unique results in both life and business.
The book is long, detailed & full of anecdotes that hit you with succinct rules and tactics for life and work. The below attempt to summarise a small section is the proverbial drop in the ocean. Do consider getting the book for yourself.
*Embrace Reality and Deal With It*
Dreams + Reality + Determination = A Successful Life
Truth — or, more precisely, an accurate understanding of reality — is the essential foundation for any good outcome. Be radically open-minded and radically transparent. Because it is difficult to see oneself objectively, you need to rely on the input of others and the whole body of evidence. Don’t get hung up on your views about how things should be because then you’ll miss out on learning how they really are.
Evolution is the single greatest force in the universe; it is the only thing that is permanent and it drives everything. Evolve or die. Nature & reality optimizes for the whole, but people narrowly judge good and bad based on how it affects the individual. Eg hyenas killing a young deer — it feels wrong, but on reflection, it’s clear this is good for the evolution of the deers and for the total system. Understand nature’s practical lessons — it is optimizing for the whole — not for you.
Pain + Reflection = Progress. If you can develop a reflexive action to psychic pain that causes you to reflect on it rather than avoid it, it will lead to your rapid learning/evolving. If you push through this process of personal evolution, you will naturally ascend to higher and higher levels. Go towards the pain rather than avoid it. The quality of your life will depend on the choices you make at those painful moments.
Think of yourself as a machine operating within a machine and know that you have the ability to alter your machines to produce better outcomes. By comparing your outcomes with your goals, you can determine how to modify your machine. Distinguish between you as the designer of your machine and you as a worker with your machine. Successful people are those who can go above themselves to see things objectively and manage those things to shape change. For more read here.
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From the desk of Aditya Khanduri
About me (Why I started Polygyan)
