[May 13, 2026] Over several decades, I had the privilege of closely observing highly effective leaders across U.S. and foreign militaries. I studied what enabled them to accomplish demanding missions under pressure and deliberately worked to adopt their approaches. A clear pattern emerged. The following traits and behaviors consistently predicted superior military performance. Intelligence Higher intelligence, as measured… Read More »
[May 11, 2026] We are each morally and socially obligated to do remarkable things. This is because the world is a difficult place, and being part of it means we owe it to ourselves and to others to be fully engaged. Otherwise, we risk becoming embittered, depressed, and hateful. Yesterday, under Rule 63, I wrote that “life is… Read More »
[May 10, 2026] You have less time for the many things you want to do, much less time than you think. Be aware of that, and be grateful and awake. Maximize the time and minimize the wasteful, stupid, unnecessary behavior, because you do not know when your time is up or when those opportunities will vanish. Your time… Read More »
[May 8, 2026] Find something worthwhile and difficult to do in your life. Why? Humans are not made for comfort or for pleasure. If those sorts of things come along in your life, then be grateful and enjoy those short-term pleasures, then move on. Your life should not be aimed at comfort or pleasure; doing so is reprehensible,… Read More »
[May 5, 2026] Your enemies will tell you things about yourself that you do not know and that no one else will tell you. Of course, some of those things might not be true. But some of them will. And if your enemies tell you something terrible about yourself that’s true; they immediately become your harshest critics and… Read More »
[May 3, 2026] There is nothing like waking up on a sunny Sunday morning (before sunrise, heh) to look at a bunch of funny memes on the Internet. It’s been since January since I posted last, and yes I’m late, but my wife reminded me I’m overdue posting a Sunday Morning in Pictures on my website. Pssst, she… Read More »
[May 1, 2026] Michael Rothman does it once again by piecing together an excellent summary of Friedrich Hayek’s takedown of Socialism and why it will always fail. Hayek’s argument is what we now consider mainstream criticism of all forms of Socialism/Marxism/Communist ideology. Hayek says that a highly-centralized government cannot fully grasp the complexities of any society, and thus… Read More »
[April 27, 2026] What are Harvard students fighting back against? Slavery in Africa? World famine? Nope. It looks like the university leadership wants to institute tougher grading rules and students are calling this proposed policy “racist” for certain groups of students. The fact that this controversy is happening is another example of the destruction of higher education. The… Read More »
[April 26, 2026] I have long believed that it is a moral duty, a necessary and profound duty, to recognize talented individuals and give them opportunities where they can excel. I also understand that talent is rare and that people don’t understand that. Indeed, there’s a massive inequality in the distribution of talent. I know it’s harsh and… Read More »
[April 25, 2026] Here is an interesting observation that I don’t really understand. When I was in the U.S. Army, I noticed that being a Soldier had a differential impact on men and a particularly significant impact on racial minority men. This is a good news story. For example, black men, particularly from the rural Deep South (like… Read More »