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A review by highflyer
The Almanack of Naval Ravikant: A Guide to Wealth and Happiness by Eric Jorgenson
2.0
Naval Ravikant values his time at $5,000 per hour.
By doing this, naturally there’s things he refuses to do.
Helping his mother with a to-do list? “I just don’t do that.”
Fixing something for his wife? “That’s not a problem I solve.”
Responding to an emergency? “I don’t care if the world is imploding and melting down, it can wait another thirty minutes until I’m done working out.”
Now before you start thinking of Naval as a self-absorbed prick, he goes on to share his love for his family.
“The moment you have a child…all of a sudden the most important thing in the Universe moves from being in your body into that child’s body. That changes you. Your values inherently become a lot less selfish.”
Which values?
“My number one priority in life, above my happiness, above my family, above my work, is my own health.”
Come again?
“It starts with my physical health. Second, it’s my mental health. Third, it’s my spiritual health. Then, it’s my family’s health.”
For those taking notes in the back, that’s family health at number four.
While that quote seems to directly contradict the previous one, it’s possible to charitably think he said those things at different stages in life.
Oh wait. He said those quotes on the same day.
He has better things to say about learning, “The genuine love for reading is a superpower,” happiness, “Envy is the enemy of happiness,” and business, “Play long-term games with long-term people.”
Unfortunately that does not make up for the values he espouses.
Naval has some nuggets of wisdom, but he is not a wise man.
Take the nuggets, leave the rest.
By doing this, naturally there’s things he refuses to do.
Helping his mother with a to-do list? “I just don’t do that.”
Fixing something for his wife? “That’s not a problem I solve.”
Responding to an emergency? “I don’t care if the world is imploding and melting down, it can wait another thirty minutes until I’m done working out.”
Now before you start thinking of Naval as a self-absorbed prick, he goes on to share his love for his family.
“The moment you have a child…all of a sudden the most important thing in the Universe moves from being in your body into that child’s body. That changes you. Your values inherently become a lot less selfish.”
Which values?
“My number one priority in life, above my happiness, above my family, above my work, is my own health.”
Come again?
“It starts with my physical health. Second, it’s my mental health. Third, it’s my spiritual health. Then, it’s my family’s health.”
For those taking notes in the back, that’s family health at number four.
While that quote seems to directly contradict the previous one, it’s possible to charitably think he said those things at different stages in life.
Oh wait. He said those quotes on the same day.
He has better things to say about learning, “The genuine love for reading is a superpower,” happiness, “Envy is the enemy of happiness,” and business, “Play long-term games with long-term people.”
Unfortunately that does not make up for the values he espouses.
Naval has some nuggets of wisdom, but he is not a wise man.
Take the nuggets, leave the rest.