We do not have the power to make our lives monumentally better, only monumentally worse.

Art is compressed communication.

Benjamin Franklin sought to cultivate his character by a plan of 13 virtues, which he developed at age 20 (in 1726) and continued to practice in some form for the rest of his life. His autobiography lists his 13 virtues as:

• Temperance. Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.
• Silence. Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.
• Order. Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.
• Resolution. Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.
• Frugality. Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.
• Industry. Lose no time; be always employ'd in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.
• Sincerity. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.
• Justice. Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.
• Moderation. Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.
• Cleanliness. Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloaths, or habitation.
• Tranquility. Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.
• Chastity. Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another's peace or reputation.
• Humility. Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

Barlow’s 25 Principles of Adult Behavior:

• Be patient. No matter what.
• Don’t badmouth: Assign responsibility, not blame. Say nothing of another you wouldn’t say to him.
• Never assume the motives of others are, to them, less noble than yours are to you.
• Expand your sense of the possible.
• Don’t trouble yourself with matters you truly cannot change.
• Expect no more of anyone than you can deliver yourself.
• Tolerate ambiguity.
• Laugh at yourself frequently.
• Concern yourself with what is right rather than who is right.
• Never forget that, no matter how certain, you might be wrong.
• Give up blood sports.
• Remember that your life belongs to others as well. Don’t risk it frivolously.
• Never lie to anyone for any reason. (Lies of omission are sometimes exempt.)
• Learn the needs of those around you and respect them.
• Avoid the pursuit of happiness. Seek to define your mission and pursue that.
• Reduce your use of the first personal pronoun.
• Praise at least as often as you disparage.
• Admit your errors freely and soon.
• Become less suspicious of joy.
• Understand humility.
• Remember that love forgives everything.
• Foster dignity.
• Live memorably.
• Love yourself.
• Endure.

Make mistakes, just don't make them permanent.

Doing nothing vs making a small effort

1.0 ^ 365 = 1.0

1.01 ^ 365 = 37.8

If you went back and fixed all the mistakes you've made, you'd erase yourself.

The 25 most popular icebreaker questions

1. What was your first job?
2. Have you ever met anyone famous?
3. What are you reading right now?
4. If you could pick up a new skill in an instant what would it be?
5. Who’s someone you really admire?
6. Seen any good movies lately you’d recommend?
7. Got any favorite quotes?
8. Been pleasantly surprised by anything lately?
9. What was your favorite band 10 years ago?
10. What’s your earliest memory?
11. Been anywhere recently for the first time?
12. What’s your favorite family tradition?
13. Who had the most influence on you growing up?
14. What was the first thing you bought with your own money?
15. What’s something you want to do in the next year that you’ve never done before?
16. Seen anything lately that made you smile?
17. What’s your favorite place you’ve ever visited?
18. Have you had your 15 minutes of fame yet?
19. What’s the best advice you’ve ever heard?
20. How do you like your eggs?
21. Do you have a favorite charity you wish more people knew about?
22. Got any phobias you’d like to break?
23. Have you returned anything you’ve purchased recently? Why?
24. Do you collect anything?
25. What’s your favorite breakfast cereal?

This place is like the Army: the shark ethic prevails, eat the wounded. In a closed society where everybody's guilty, the only crime is getting caught.

The delicate illusions that get us through life can only stand so much strain.

There is a saying that wisdom comes with age, but sometimes, age comes alone.

“Can you imagine a smart guy with a bad memory?” he asks. “When you can’t remember somebody’s name, you look stupid. Memory and smartness are integrated.”

When you start a new company, you build a shining goal, and after that, you can scale it back to something more realistic. I always use the same approach. To create an impossible vision.

He has “learned to be fair” about money, and sees it only as a tool for life planning. “Some people make too much of out of it, some make too little of it, but they have to realize, money isn’t the goal.” For him, it’s activity and contribution that matter.

There is a saying: you can live in a country as long as you’re able to leave it.

The only way for human civilization to survive is to find a way to make our brains a million times more effective than they are now.

There is a Russian saying: ‘What’s the difference between an optimist and a pessimist? A pessimist believes things are so bad, they couldn’t get any worse. An optimist knows that they can.’

Financially effective people tend to hold themselves to certain rules about money. I don’t borrow money for anything smaller than a house. I ledger every dollar in or out. I live on 80% of my income and invest the difference.

Fit, energetic people tend to have personal rules about health. I run or walk every day, rain or shine. I fill half my plate with vegetables. I don’t keep junk food in the house.

Productive people keep personal rules about work. I’m always at my desk at seven sharp. I clean out my inbox out every Friday. I don’t use social media before five o’clock.

Eat Stop Eat is a 24 hour fast developed by Brad Pilon and is probably the easiest fast to follow.

You don’t eat for 24 hours for one day a week. And that’s it.

Pick one day of the week you won’t eat on and do it. It’s easy for beginners or for people who don’t want to restrict their eating all week.

Great self-destruction follows upon unfounded fear.