40 Little Sayings That Have Held Up Over 40 Years

I’ve been around for a full 40 years now. I, like everyone on Earth, still have no real idea about what’s going on here. But! I have been picking up little “heuristics” (aka “sayings that make decisions simpler”) to try to make slightly better models for navigating the world.

Many have been wrong. I’ve tried to discard those (like “just work hard” is a very incorrect heuristic). But, there are 40 heuristics* that still seem to be true…so far.

Also, these are sayings I tell myself. I’m writing them as I tell them to myself. I’m writing them publicly, because, maybe someone will find one useful? Many of these I have shamelessly adopted from others (thank you!). But none of them are meant to comment on any specific event or person.

1. There will always be much, much more that you don’t know that you don’t know than what you’ll ever know that you know.
2. Convenience always wins.
3. Constraints force creativity.
4. People are so desperate to be told what to do, they’ll listen to anyone. Remember that you are people.
5. Scarcity creates stupidity.
6. Never trust a thought that came to you indoors.
7. Just because there’s a lamp, doesn’t mean that’s where you should look for your keys.
8. Motivation + willpower are rabbits. Habits is a tortoise.
9. Habit stacking is real life compound interest.
10. There are always tradeoffs, though often they are hiding as opportunity costs.
11. Show me the incentive and I’ll tell you the outcome.
12. Going for a walk solves most problems.
13. Never trust your own thoughts.
14. Forming a habit or thought pattern is like clearing a path in the brush.
15. Someone has already figured this out.
16. If you’re working hard, then you’re using the wrong tool.
17. A job worth doing is worth doing right.
18. A habit worth starting is worth doing lazily.
19. Be more than a bundle of opinions.
20. Work generally expands to fill the time allotted.
21. Fail fast. Fail often. Fail forward. Failing is not a disgrace if you keep failing better.
22. Nobody truly knows what they’re doing.
23. To clean up your city, sweep your doorstep first.
24. Everybody is just copying everyone. And you are everyone.
25. Don’t attribute to malignancy or what can be explained by incompetence, forgetfulness, or really anything else.
26. Don’t divorce the salt and the pepper.
27. Don’t do something, just stand there.
28. You have way fewer hours with your kids, your parents, and loved ones than you think (source).
29. Where you live matters more than you think.
30. You’re the average of the 5 people that you spend time with.
31. If a human made it, then a human can change it.
32. The purpose of a system is what it does.
33. Where you stand depends on where you sit (i.e., tell me your role and I’ll know your opinion).
34. Civilization is a system of cogs designed & turned by humans. If you have a problem, find the human in charge of the specific, relevant cog and offer them some WD-40.
35. If you can do a little, then you can probably do a lot.
36. Every decision makes sense if you have enough information.
37. There are always more than two options.
38. Process and outcome matter. It’s never either/or.
39. When in doubt, just show up.
40. This has all been going on a whole lot longer than you can imagine.

That’s all :)