Book Notes:

• Wealth is assets that earn while you sleep, not money or status.
• Specific knowledge > general knowledge; build what you’re uniquely passionate about.
• Leverage (capital, labor, code) magnifies output; judgment is the highest form.
• Happiness is a choice rooted in present-moment awareness, not external conditions.
• Desire is suffering—reduce cravings to eliminate pain.
• Long-term games with long-term people compound success and trust.
• Reputation is your most valuable asset; it compounds but is fragile.
• Self-ownership means taking radical accountability for your life’s outcomes.
• Reading is the foundation of learning; prioritize original thinkers.
• Health is the ultimate priority—without it, wealth and happiness fade.
• Judgment > hard work in the age of leverage and technology.
• Peace is happiness in motion; stillness is its essence.
• Avoid competition by being authentically yourself—no one can compete.
• Productize yourself: scale your uniqueness via code, media, or capital.
• Retirement is when you stop sacrificing today for tomorrow.
• “If it’s a hard decision, say no”—clarity comes from simplicity.
• Wealth creation is positive-sum; society rewards value creation.
• Build or buy equity—don’t rent your time indefinitely.
• Incentives dominate outcomes; align them ethically to avoid disasters.
• Rationality is a moral imperative—truth-seeking reduces suffering.
• Free markets reflect human nature; participate with integrity.
• Skills compound—learn to sell, build, and think independently.
• First-principles thinking dissolves dogma; question inherited assumptions.
• Meditation trains focus on the present, dissolving anxiety and regret.
• Specific knowledge can’t be taught; it’s earned through curiosity.
• Envy is a trap—play your own game, not others’.
• Status games are losers’ pursuits; opt out to win.
• Money is stored social credit for value delivered.
• Time is your scarcest resource—guard it fiercely.
• Happiness is your default state; remove distractions to rediscover it.
• Leverage technology to automate income and amplify impact.
• Ethics compound—shortcuts today poison tomorrow’s opportunities.
• Busyness ≠ productivity; focus on depth, not motion.
• Build habits around strengths, not fixes for weaknesses.
• Wealthy seek freedom; the rich seek luxury—aim for freedom.
• Learn by doing; theory without action is self-delusion.
• Teach publicly to solidify knowledge and attract collaborators.
• Optimize for independence, not approval or conformity.
• Mental fitness requires daily practice like physical fitness.
• Clarity emerges from eliminating noise, not adding information.
• Wisdom is knowing what to ignore—cut distractions ruthlessly.
• Luck surfaces through persistent iteration, not waiting.
• Impatience with actions, patience with results—trust compounding.
• Authenticity attracts opportunities; fakeness repels them.
• Suffering is optional—pain is inevitable, narrative is choice.
• Create systems, not goals; processes outlast objectives.
• Self-awareness reveals blind spots; seek uncomfortable feedback.
• Embrace randomness—plan principles, not rigid outcomes.
• Technology democratizes leverage; wield it ethically.
• Ownership mindset > employee mindset for wealth creation.
• Small daily improvements compound into life-altering results.
• Legacy is impact, not possessions—build for eternity.
• Rational optimism > naive hope or cynical despair.
• Trust > transactions; relationships compound like money.
• Freedom from reactivity is true power.
• Learn to fail fast—iterate toward truth.
• Simplify life to amplify focus and joy.
• Wealth ≠ consumption—it’s freedom to create.
• Happiness is non-transactional; don’t tie it to outcomes.
• Automate finances to remove money as a distraction.
• Health spans compound—invest early for longevity.
• Curiosity fuels learning; monetize what you love.