How to Live: 27 conflicting answers and one weird conclusion

Here’s how to live: Be independent.

All misery comes from dependency.

If you weren’t dependent on income, people, or technology, you would be truly free.

The only way to be deeply happy is to break all dependencies.

Most problems are interpersonal.

To be part of society is to lose a part of yourself.

Cut ties with society.

Don’t engage.

Don’t even rebel, because that’s reacting.

Instead, do what you’d do if you were the only person on Earth.

When you say you want more freedom from the world, you may just need freedom from your past self.

You don’t see things as they are.

You see them as you are.

Change yourself and you change the world.

Don’t depend on any company, especially not the big tech giants.

Use only open-source software and open communication protocols.

Keep your own backups.

Get your own domain.

Run your own server.

New habits are what you’re trying.

Old habits are who you are.

Falling in love is easy.

Staying in love is harder.

Enthusiasm is common.

Endurance is rare.

Marriage is for getting through the times when you’re not in love.

Expect things to get bad.

Your mutual commitment gives you the security to weather the storms, knowing they won’t destroy the relationship.

Be loving even when you’re not feeling loving.

We treat the future like a garbage dump.

We dump our debts, pollution, junk, and responsibilities on the future, as if it’s a problem solved.

It’s the most psychopathically inconsiderate thing we do to our children, since it’s their world, not ours.

Journal every day. Write down your activities, thoughts, and feelings for future reference.

To enjoy your past is to live twice.

Nostalgia links your past and present.

Nostalgia protects against stress and boredom, and improves your mood.

Nostalgia makes you more optimistic, more generous, more creative, and more empathetic.

Nostalgia is memories minus the pain.

Being nostalgic makes you less afraid to die.

The passion comes after you start getting good.

Most people fail in life not by aiming too high, but by aiming too low.

Discipline turns intentions into action.

Discipline means no procrastination.

Discipline means now.

Choose the pain of discipline, not the pain of regret

Self-control is always rewarding.

Self-control is always the right thing to do.

This is a universal law.

Your self-control is highest in the morning and diminishes during the day, so review your book’s rules every afternoon.

Which would you rather be?

Someone who hasn’t created anything in years because you’re so busy consuming?

Or someone who hasn’t consumed anything in years because you’re so busy creating?

Don’t wait for inspiration.

Inspiration will never make the first move.

She comes only when you’ve shown you don’t need her.

Do your work every day, no matter what

So try to be wrong.

Try to disprove your beliefs.

Never believe something on faith.

Prove it or disprove it.

While other people have one idea that they think might work, you will have thousands you can prove didn’t work, and one you couldn’t make fail.

Just keep a log.

A mistake only counts as experience if you learn from it.

Record what you learned, and review it.

Otherwise, it was a waste.