This is true: It’s hard to cheat an honest man.
Friends are better than money. Almost anything money can do， friends can do better. In so many ways a friend with a boat is better than owning a boat.
Perhaps the most counter-intuitive truth of the universe is that the more you give to others， the more you’ll get. Understanding this is the beginning of wisdom.
Separate the processes of creation from improving. You can’t write and edit， or sculpt and polish， or make and analyze at the same time. If you do， the editor stops the creator. While you invent， don’t select. While you sketch， don’t inspect. While you write the first draft， don’t reflect. At the start， the creator mind must be unleashed from judgement.
You can obsess about serving your customers/audience/clients， or you can obsess about beating the competition. Both work， but of the two， obsessing about your customers will take you further.
Never get involved in a land war in Asia.
To make mistakes is human. To own your mistakes is divine. Nothing elevates a person higher than quickly admitting and taking personal responsibility for the mistakes you make and then fixing them fairly. If you mess up， fess up. It’s astounding how powerful this ownership is.
If you are looking for something in your house， and you finally find it， when you’re done with it， don’t put it back where you found it. Put it back where you first looked for it.
The Golden Rule will never fail you. It is the foundation of all other virtues.
To make something good， just do it. To make something great， just re-do it， re-do it， re-do it. The secret to making fine things is in remaking them.
Optimize your generosity. No one on their deathbed has ever regretted giving too much away.
The more you are interested in others， the more interesting they find you. To be interesting， be interested.
Trust me: There is no “them”.
When you are young spend at least 6 months to one year living as poor as you can， owning as little as you possibly can， eating beans and rice in a tiny room or tent， to experience what your “worst” lifestyle might be. That way any time you have to risk something in the future you won’t be afraid of the worst case scenario.
The purpose of a habit is to remove that action from self-negotiation. You no longer expend energy deciding whether to do it. You just do it. Good habits can range from telling the truth， to flossing
Don’t take it personally when someone turns you down. Assume they are like you: busy， occupied， distracted. Try again later. It’s amazing how often a second try works.
Everyone is shy. Other people are waiting for you to introduce yourself to them， they are waiting for you to send them an email， they are waiting for you to ask them on a date. Go ahead.
Don’t be the best. Be the only.
Rule of 3 in conversation. To get to the real reason， ask a person to go deeper than what they just said. Then again， and once more. The third time’s answer is close to the truth.