You can build a career around sales. Just like you can build a career solely around accounting, teaching, recruiting, and various other disciplines. But there’s another route. Taking sales as an example, the ability to sell is a skill. Various attributes such as empathy, communication skills, strategy, and perseverance combine to create someone who can …

You don’t need to understand anything about math or physics to drive a car. A surface-level understanding is fine if you want to make modifications and wrench on engines in your spare time. You can even be a decent engineer without a strong foundational understanding as long as you can grasp how engines have worked …

What’s the point of a discussion with someone who holds a view different than your own? Is it to “win?” Or is it learn and improve your own understanding? The second mindset completely changes the game. Rather than seeking to expose the other person and poke holes in their argument, we actually listen to understand. …

A direct question deserves a direct answer. Not a meandering attempt to skirt the question. A real answer. Sure, often there’s nuance that needs to be properly accounted for, but it shouldn’t take a Law degree to translate the response to a yes/no question. -Brandon

In theory there is no difference between theory and practice; in practice, there is. Unknown -Brandon

Intuitively, we’d tend to think that being successful makes it more likely that our future endeavors will be successful. In reality, that’s not the case. If anything, it’s the opposite. Like everyone else, we typically start with simple tasks. If we’re the type of person who is good at solving problems and achieving goals, we …

Want to create less pollution? Why not just drive less? It’s an obvious, yet somehow overlooked idea. It’s great to seek greener transportation options, but the most effective way to reduce emissions is to leave the car in the drive way (or don’t buy it at all). Complex problems can have simple solutions. That doesn’t …

Sometimes it’s obvious what the better choice is. Eating a bowl of broccoli is certainly healthier than eating a bowl of ice cream. But other times, it’s not as clear. Take hybrid cars as an example. They burn a lot less gas than conventional cars, meaning that they produce significantly fewer emissions on the road. …

Where’s the line between being a wandering generality and a meaningful specific? I’ve written before about how the immense value I feel I gained athletically from playing multiple sports rather than specializing at an early age. And even within a specific sport, such as football, there’s a lot to be learned from playing multiple positions. …

To believe your own thought, to believe that what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men, — that is genius. Speak your latent conviction, and it shall be the universal sense; for the inmost in due time becomes the outmost,—— and our first thought is rendered back to us …