be sophisticated you need to accept that you are not so. - Nassim Nicholas Taleb

True success is exiting some rat race to modulate one’s activities for peace of mind

Organisms need, to use the metaphor of Marcus Aurelius, to turn obstacles into fuel — just as fire does.

Authors, artists, and even philosophers are much better off having a very small number of fanatics behind them than a large number of people who appreciate their work. The number of persons who dislike the work don’t count — there is no such thing as the opposite of buying your book,