Live Like an Optimalist

You wouldn’t even be alive if any of your ancestors had died before making babies. You didn’t choose to be born into the family, community or country that provided so many of the opportunities you’ve benefited from in life. Be humble. Be grateful.

Observations are the basis of science and learning. In fact, Quantum Physics tells us that all possible realities coexist until someone makes an observation. You are literally forming the universe around you, by observing it.

Knowledge is the most valuable commodity and an infinitely renewable resource. Without good information, people develop biases and make bad decisions. Keep acquiring new knowledge and you’ll continue to grow into your fullest potential.

Our brains are wired to become less and less open to new input. We must work deliberately to counteract this and the cognitive bias it causes. Seek out different perspectives. Be open to changing your mind and admitting you were wrong.

The whole is only greater than the sum of its parts if the parts are different from each other. Surround yourself with people from diverse backgrounds, with contrasting perspectives and you’ll achieve more than you alone can even imagine.

Everything we do can still be done better—more efficiently, more fairly, more elegantly. Keep on trying to improve yourself, your habits and your methodologies. This applies to every aspect of your life; to your relationships as much as to your occupation.

No matter how hard you work, remember that there are people working even harder, whose circumstances prevent them from getting ahead. Seek out ways to use your position of relative privilege to help those less fortunate than yourself.

The planet has finite resources and is already hurting from our exploitation and waste. Never buy anything out of vanity or boredom. If you already own or have access to something that serves the purpose, be grateful for that.

The game of life isn’t about getting the highest score. It’s about experiencing and sharing love, happiness, knowledge and creativity. Don’t get caught up trying to win. Quit as soon as you’re ahead to reduce your carbon, water and waste footprint.

A truly sustainable civilization, by definition, creates no waste and does no permanent damage to its ecosystem. Garbage, pollution and environmental degradation are systemic problems that require systemic solutions. But we should each be trying to reduce our own personal footprints to zero.