Paradoxes of Life

Welcome to the 2,497 (!!!) new members of the curiosity tribe who have joined us since Friday. Join the 49,371 others who are receiving high-signal, curiosity-inducing content every single week.Today’s newsletter is brought to you by AppSumo!I have found some life changing products on AppSumo. From productivity tools to teleprompter portals, AppSumo is my go-to place for discovering and investing in unique business-building products at a deep discount to their market rate.This Black Friday, AppSumo is rolling out some insane deals on digital products at discounts of up to 90% off. This is their biggest sale of the year and they sell out quickly! Click the link below and grow your startup today. Trust me, you won’t want to miss this.Today at a Glance:A paradox is defined as a seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement or proposition that when investigated or explained may prove to be well founded or true.Life is full of paradoxes. Once you become aware of them, you will find yourself empowered to use them to your advantage.Paradoxes of LifeParadox: a seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement or proposition that when investigated or explained may prove to be well founded or true.From a young age, we are pressured to view the world as linear and logical—when in reality it is anything but. Many of life’s most important truths appear contradictory or convoluted on the surface.Look around long enough and you’ll realize the ultimate truth:Life is full of paradoxes.They are everywhere around you. They have the potential to confuse…or empower.Once you become aware of these paradoxes—once you truly internalize them—you will find yourself empowered to use them to your advantage.To get you started on this journey, here are 20+ powerful paradoxes of life…The Persuasion ParadoxHave you noticed that the most argumentative people rarely persuade anyone of…well…anything?The most persuasive people don’t argue—they observe, listen, and ask questions.Argue less, persuade more.Persuasion is an art that requires a paintbrush, not a sledgehammer.The Effort ParadoxSprezzatura is an Italian word meaning “studied carelessness”—it encapsulates the effortful art of appearing effortless.You have to put in more effort to make something appear effortless.Effortless, elegant performances are often the result of a large volume of effortful, gritty practice.Watch videos of Roger Federer playing tennis in his prime. There is a certain nonchalance to his actions on the court, but this nonchalance was the earned result of endless hours of studied, careful, meticulous practice.Small things become big things. Simple is not simple.The Wisdom Paradox“The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don't know.” — Albert EinsteinThe more you learn, the more you are exposed to the immense unknown.This should be empowering, not frightening. Embrace your own ignorance. Embrace lifelong learning.The Productivity ParadoxParkinson's Law says that work expands to fill the time available for its completion.Work longer, get less done.When you establish fixed hours to your work, you find unproductive ways to fill it.Modern work culture is a remnant of the Industrial Age. It encourages long periods of steady, monotonous work unsuited for the Information Age.To do truly great, creative work, you have to be a lion. Sprint when inspired. Rest. Repeat.The Money ParadoxYou have to lose money in order to make money.Every successful investor & builder has stories of the invaluable lessons learned from a terrible loss in their career. Sometimes you have to pay to learn.Put skin in the game. Scared money don't make money!The Growth ParadoxGrowth takes a much longer time coming than you think, and then it happens much faster than you ever would have thought.Growth happens gradually, then suddenly.When you realize this, you start to do things differently—apply effort appropriately, stay the course, and let compounding work its magic.The Failure ParadoxYou have to fail more to succeed more.Our greatest moments of growth often stem directly from our greatest failures.Don’t fear failure, just learn to fail smart and fast.After all, getting punched in the face—a few times, but not too many—builds a strong jaw.The Say No ParadoxTake on less, accomplish more.Success doesn’t come from taking on everything that comes your way. It comes from focus—deep focus on the tasks that really matter.Say yes to what matters, say no to what doesn’t. Protect your time as a gift to be cherished.The Speed ParadoxYou have to slow down to speed up.Slowing down gives you the time to be deliberate with your actions. You can focus, gather energy, and deploy your resources more efficiently.It allows you to focus on leverage and ROI, not effort.Move slow to move fast.The Death ParadoxYou must know your death in order to truly live your life.Memento Mori is a Stoic reminder of the certainty and inescapability of death. It is not intended to be morbid; rather, to clarify, illuminate, and...