1. The War For Your Attention
“My experience is what I agree to attend to”
— William James
Technology has made communication easier than ever. With the tap of a button, you can talk to anyone in the world and share your message with billions. Yet the arrow flows both ways. Billions now have access to the inbox of your mind — an onslaught of others’ thoughts, a war for your attention.
Which ideas are worthwhile? Which will make you happier, healthier, more fulfilled? And how can one hear their own voice amidst the din?
2. Time is the Greatest Filter
“Truth is the daughter of time”
— Francis Bacon
It’s difficult to predict which ideas will prove true, but we know most won’t. However, it’s silly to reject all external thought. There are good ideas from without we’d be foolish to ignore. How can one find signal in a noisy world?
Employ time as your filter. If an idea was conceived long ago and has endured, it is likely a great one. The effect is cumulative; scrutiny adds up over time, so the longer an idea has persisted, the stronger it is. To find great ideas, look to the past.
3. A Great Life
“It is not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste a lot of it.”
— Seneca
Fill your mind with great ideas, not mediocre ones. It sounds trite — why would you do anything else? But our actions betray our intentions. Which nobody’s ideas did you let into your mind while scrolling today?
In ancient Rome, the Rostra was where great speeches were delivered to the public. Sit in the stands and read humanity’s greatest ideas in Rostra. As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.