100 lessons from life

These are 100 insights I’ve picked up from books, conversations, and personal experiences through life. There’s no particular order—some connect in unexpected ways, while others stand alone. Take what’s useful, discard what’s not.

1. Make asymmetric bets where the downside is limited, but the upside is huge.
2. Fear and desire drive most of your thoughts — see it clearly, and you take back control.
3. Your brain is a processor, not a storage unit — use it for thinking, not memorizing. Offload information to the right tools.
4. Read as much as you can — educating yourself is one of the best investments you’ll ever make. You can lose everything, but knowledge stays with you.
5. Aggressively mute all notifications that are not important.
6. One of the highest-return activities is finding the right sources for information — whether in business, health, or personal growth. Search engines are great for general queries, but a curated list of trusted sources will save you time and massively improve your results.
7. Intelligence is the ultimate power.
8. Memories are one of life's few appreciating assets — they gain value as time passes, while most things we own lose it.
9. First-time events shape our world constantly — basing your predictions on past patterns alone is a dangerous game.
10. Invest time in learning proper breathing — We're born doing it and assume we're good at it, but there's so much more to learn and it can improve countless areas of your life.
11. Always account for risk — especially when you think you already have.
12. Aggressively avoid upgrading your lifestyle as you start earning more — it’s a trap.
13. If you want to become a master in any topic, go straight to the source, skip the summaries.
14. Prioritize mental health — when you are feeling good, you will perform much better at almost everything else.
15. Write in a journal every day — it takes less than 5 minutes, yet you’ll be amazed at how much it helps you reflect and grow.
16. Beware of social media — it’s designed like a drug, and chances are, it has more control over you than you think.
17. Learn AI and use it wisely — because soon, it will surpass us in almost everything. Leverage it while humans still have the edge.
18. When something is too good to be true, in most cases, it is.
19. Say exactly what you mean.
20. Forget status games — they’re meaningless and rarely pay off. Focus on delivering value and people will remember you for it.
21. Truth is reality in its most unfiltered form.
22. Our bodies and minds were shaped for the wild-hunting, gathering, and surviving life — not for endless screens and routines. If you feel off, it could be your biology reminding you of what’s missing.
23. The greatest evils come not from people seeking to do evil, but often from people seeking to do good and believing the ends justify the means.
24. One day you’ll do something for the last time and never know it. So, whether you’re watching a sunset or arguing with a friend, ask yourself: “What if this was the last time I experience this?” A sense of finality can turn even nuisances into treasures.
25. A pattern I've noticed: take half of what the loud ones claim, and double what the quiet ones mention. You'll be surprised how accurate this is.
26. Your phone and computer hold humanity's greatest knowledge — and its most worthless nonsense. Choose wisely which one you consume.
27. The better you become at something, the more you forget what made it hard at first. This is why having great knowledge doesn't always translate to teaching well.
28. Learn basic repairs and maintenance — you’ll save yourself frustration, gain confidence, and maybe even enjoy it.
29. People's behaviors naturally follow their incentives. If you want to predict what someone will do, first understand their true motivations.
30. Your words shape your thoughts more than you realize. Each time you speak, you're programming your mind — choose wisely.
31. Consistency wins over intensity.
32. You can learn a lot about someone's values just by watching how they treat animals or people in less fortunate positions.
33. Don’t plan 5 to 10+ years into the future — It may have worked in the past, but with the fast-changing world we live in, plans become obsolete fast and often end up being a waste of time and effort.
34. One of the easiest ways to stick to habits (or at least the one that works for me) is to change your environment so you are pushed into following the habit. Remember that the path of least resistance shapes your daily actions.
35. From time to time, switch the OS or software you typically use (like macOS to Windows or iPhone to Android), and you'll notice how much more aware you become of your actions due to the unfamiliar UI. This naturally reduces your 'autopilot' behaviors.
36. Working 'harder' should be your last resort. Always aim to work smarter first — better results often come from improved methods, not just more effort.
37. Success comes naturally in perfect market conditions, but true pros continue excelling even when times are tough.
38. Take blood work at least once every 12 months — it’s cheap, fast, and it’s a great way to assess your overall health.
39. You can obtain so much valuable health data from doing a DNA test (yes, even the basic ones like 23andme). If you haven't done one yet, put it at the top of your list!
40. To become an exceptional negotiator in life, focus on learning psychology and game theory — they're among your most powerful tools.
41. You'd be amazed at how much high-quality free software exists in open-source platforms like GitHub. Many paid alternatives offer fewer features while taking your money.
42. Just because someone makes it look easy doesn't mean it isn't incredibly hard behind the scenes.
43. Focus strongly on how good things can get when they work out, not just on preventing things from going wrong.
44. Money spent on impressing others or buying expensive nonsense just to feel 'successful' is freedom lost. The peace of a healthy bank account outweighs any status symbol.
45. Any change you want to make in your life will likely feel worse before it feels better. The rewards come after the struggle. Get used to this.
46. Choosing your partner is perhaps the most influential decision to your long-term happiness and satisfaction in life. Choose accordingly.
47. Be reliable. Reliability often wins over quality — people trust what they can count on more than what's perfect.
48. At least once a year, list your core beliefs and thoroughly explore contrary arguments (or discuss with friends who think differently!). This prevents mental stagnation, as your brain literally reinforces unchallenged beliefs over time.
49. In our era, adaptability is (much) more important than planning.
50. A basic understanding of dopamine will help you avoid most modern addictions — an easy, high-reward investment in your mental clarity.
51. Sleep 8 hours — it’s great for your mental clarity and health.
52. Most decisions are far more reversible than you realize. But for the true irreversible ones that deeply impact your life, take enough time to assess carefully.
53. If a moment of discomfort today can prevent a year of pain tomorrow, do it. Better to suffer for a day than drag it out for a year.
54. You can't change your past, but you can shift its meaning. You can't rewrite your history, but you can write your story.
55. Stop checking your phone first thing in the morning. Just keep it in another room and you will see how much better your days start.
56. In the evening, switch off bright lights and use only soft lamps. You'll be amazed how seamlessly you'll transition to sleep and how renewed you'll feel.
57. Learn to say 'I don't know' confidently. Embrace it, then give yourself space to think and learn. Admitting it openly calms your mind and opens the door to genuine learning.
58. Automate as much as you can. It's better to invest 4 hours in automation once than to spend 30 minutes doing it manually, day after day.
59. In the age of AI, you can be a programmer just by understanding system design and prompt engineering — the actual coding can be handled by AI.
60. Block one day every month for pure learning. Explore new apps, optimize processes, learn new skills. This small commitment compounds very powerfully over time.
61. Writing is the fastest (though sometimes intimidating) path to clear thinking.
62. Being positive alone won't make you succeed, but being negative almost certainly will make you fail.
63. Remember that one thing you’re looking to buy, convinced it will finally make you happy? It won’t. We humans adapt to everything, and unfortunately, faster than I’d like.
64. Don't be afraid of math and numbers. Even fundamental understanding of arithmetic and statistics puts you way ahead of the crowd.
65. Train yourself to step back and explore your emotions without them controlling you. Move from 'I am sad' to 'I am feeling sadness'. This change will transform your experience.
66. Don't underestimate what you can learn from books — they contain centuries of wisdom ready to be absorbed. But don't fool yourself by waiting around, the final form of knowledge only reveals itself through action.
67. More often than not, what we call talent is really just obsession.
68. Addiction (to anything) is far easier to start than to stop. The moment you notice increased frequency with decreased pleasure, put strong barriers in place.
69. When everyone shares the same problem, we often mistake it for normal life.
70. While monogamy may be ideal for our modern society, it's worth acknowledging that it doesn't align with our deeper biological wiring — which probably explains many tensions in our relationship dynamics today.
71. Nothing you can buy at a pharmacy (yet) matches exercise's proven ability to sustainably boost your mood, sharpen your mind, and improve your sleep.
72. Used wisely, psychedelics offer far more value than most people realize.
73. A shocking number of people are just background characters in their own lives — repeating the same actions without ever questioning them.
74. The strength of religion lies in its ability to provide meaning, not in truth — because truth was never the goal.
75. Without family and friends, life loses its spark. Make the effort to care for them and always keep them close.
76. Money won't guarantee happiness, but lack of it will guarantee struggle. Be wise: don't let it become your life's purpose, but also don't make choices that leave you without it.
77. The greatest strategists only play games where victory is already secured.
78. Science has undoubtedly been the greatest driver of progress, but where it reaches its boundaries, philosophy steps in to make sense of the unknown.
79. The human brain is full of biases, and understanding them deeply can dramatically enhance the quality of your decisions.
80. Life is full of randomness and unseen risks. Those who recognize this adapt wisely, while those who don’t fall for illusions, mistaking luck for skill.
81. In a world that moves fast, the easiest way to become an expert is to enter an industry that barely exists yet.
82. Video calls may look sharp, but they can’t replace real human connection. The subtle chemistry of in-person interactions just doesn’t translate through a screen.
83. Winning arguments isn’t as important as influencing decisions — know the difference.
84. Pay attention to what algorithms are showing you. If it’s not aligned with your goals, change it — or choose platforms that align with your goals, not ones that profit from keeping you hooked.
85. Everything people do is a signal — whether they realize it or not. Learn to read those signals, and you’ll understand them better than they understand themselves.
86. In hindsight, everything seems obvious — but don’t be fooled; it almost never is. Don’t mistake past clarity for future predictability.
87. Chronic stress is as damaging as junk food. If you don’t control it, it’ll slowly eat away at your health.
88. Get at least 10-15 minutes of morning sunlight, and your sleep, mood, and focus will improve drastically.
89. Writing and reading on paper has a unique charm, but in the digital age, relying only on it means missing out on efficiency, searchability, and AI augmentation.
90. A real friend or love partner isn’t just someone who’s fun and great company — they are someone who genuinely cares about you and helps you grow. If you have someone like that, hold on to them.
91. Being called crazy by society often just means you're thinking outside their comfort zone. History has shown us time and again that yesterday's madness becomes tomorrow's brilliance.
92. Logic is one of the most powerful tools to rationally navigate reality and make sense of complexity.
93. Depression and anxiety aren’t just bad moods. Feeling down sometimes is normal, but if stress and sadness become your default, don’t ignore it — your mind is asking for help.
94. People’s actions are shaped far more by their circumstances than their values.
95. True understanding means being able to explain something in simple terms.
96. In relationships and in business, being too available makes you less attractive — people value what isn’t easily attained. But when you find a relationship that is real or true business partners, commit and grow together.
97. Compounding is magical. Whether in knowledge, habits, or investments, small consistent actions lead to massive long-term results.
98. Time is the one asset you can never regain — spend it wisely.
99. We are (almost) certainly living in a computer simulation.
100. Life's scoreboard is measured in moments of joy.