We’ll never be exceptional at anything unless we raise our standards, both of ourselves and of what’s possible. - Shane Parrish

We convince ourselves that low-chance events are zero-chance events and think only of best-case outcomes.

Most geniuses — especially those who lead others — prosper not by deconstructing intricate complexities but by exploiting unrecognized simplicities.

One reason we resist change is that keeping things the way they are requires almost no effort. This helps explain why we get complacent. It takes a lot of effort to build momentum but far less to maintain it. Once something becomes “good enough,” we can stop the effort and still get decent results. The inertia default leverages our desire to stay in our comfort zone, relying on old techniques or standards even when they’re no longer optimal.