The Most Read Articles This Year
My 2024 re-cap
Today is my birthday—happy birthday to me—and also the end of 2024. With the end of the year and the approaching new year comes excitement, dread, motivation, and a bag full of other human emotions as the marketing machines go into overdrive, telling us all what we should be doing to have a ‘better’ year than the last.
If you’re diving headfirst into the new year, good for you and good luck. If the new year fills you with trepidation, then my advice is to start whenever you are ready. Regardless of what side of the fence you're on, make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons- and that usually begins with because you want to.
In the last couple of months, my articles have slowed down as I’ve ditched the notion that to keep subscribers, I need to maintain a schedule and be reliable. I read The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig in November, and the book completely stopped me in my tracks. It took me a while to come to terms with what I’d read. I suddenly felt like I’d been driving around in the rain without my windscreen wipers on, and then suddenly, they worked.
In homage to that beautiful book, next year there will be a focus on quality over quantity. Having a schedule to meet (fill) is the opposite of what a great writer would do. At least to me, anyway. I hope to publish weekly but if I’ve nothing good to say then I won’t publish, it’s that simple. We are bombarded by mundane, unimportant, regurgitated shit and I think it’s about time we washed ourselves off it.
I plan to do more deepdives into topics, businesses and people with a focus on understanding the philosophies that made them. It’s becoming ever more apparent to me that philosophy is everywhere, and most people aren’t even aware of how much it’s ingrained into our everyday lives. Don’t believe me? Look at the Oxford Dictionary definition:
“Philosophy; A theory or attitude that acts as a guiding principle for behaviour. The study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence,”
Lastly, I want to thank everybody who’s taken an interest in my ramblings as I try to understand them by turning them into words on paper. For those who are new or may wish to re-read, below is a list of my most popular articles this year, as well as my favourite.
Learn How to Become a Systems Thinker
Beyond Ghor, there was a city. All its inhabitants were blind. A king with his entourage arrived nearby; he brought his army and camped in the desert. He had a mighty elephant, which he used to increase the people's awe. The populace became anxious to see the elephant, and some sightless from among this blind community ran like fools to find it. As they…
5 Powerful Lessons From Naval Ravikant For A Happier Life
“I would rather be a failed entrepreneur than someone who never tried.”
How The Feynman Technique Can Make You More Intelligent
Richard Feynman was one of the most accomplished physicists of the 20th century, renowned for his contributions to quantum mechanics, quantum electrodynamics and particle physics. Winning the Noble Prize in 1965 and contributing to the Manhattan Project, he was just as famous for his unorthodox teaching style, brilliant communication skills and humour.
On Being Present
My mind has been preoccupied for the last week or so. Everything I do seems to need more effort than typical and my motivation seems to be lagging something rotten. I’m not unwell though or even unhappy. In fact, I’m just the opposite, I’m fit, healthy and excited.
The 7 Most Important Lessons from Reading Zero to One
Almost 20% of businesses fail in the first year, 45% fail within 5 years and 90% of small businesses fail. Period.
Until next time, Karl (The School of Knowledge.
Whenever you’re ready
The School of Knowledge helps you understand the world through practitioners. Those who try, fail and do (skin in the game). 📚💡
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