- How to stay rational in a chaotic world
- Maintaining your psychological strength despite problems and obstacles
- Techniques to stop worrying even when you have a thousand problems
- How to get self-confidence when living in a hostile environment
- Overcoming barriers to personal growth, internal and external
- How to deal with difficult people in your business and personal life
- Stress management under difficult circumstances
- How to build your self-esteem in times of adversity
- Overcoming anxiety and excessive concern
- The low-cost approach to self-development
A free presentation of my book The 10 Principles of Rational Living:
Packaged foods are conditioned to suit the taste of the consumer, which
varies from country to country. Bread is baked differently in cities
that are just a hundred kilometres away. Our culture feeds on sugar
contained in cakes, cookies, ice cream, and alcoholic drinks.
How to prevent detrimental actions and mistakes
Opponents
of the Western diet will warn you that sugar is going to kill you.
Actually, not only sugar, but also alcohol, red meat, white flour, and
other elements of the modern fare. Contemporary medical studies have
proven those admonishments true to a good extent, but they also
acknowledge that death will very rarely be the penalty for eating a beef
hamburger.
The reasonable conclusion is that some foods create
certain health risks; you should be aware of them and select your meals
accordingly. Nowadays, few people contend the principle that bad food is
detrimental to your vitality.
If you don't make a minimum effort
to gather correct dietary information, you will make random choices. If
you eat appallingly, you will suffer the consequences. In terms of
food, science has established that sweetness is not always conductive to
wellness.
The need for consistent principles and goals
Can we remove counter-productive actions also from
other areas of our life? How much of what we believe about the world
holds true upon detailed examination? Are our convictions solidly based
on facts? What about our ethical values and fundamental goals? Do we
resort to prejudice in order to hide irrational fears? Do we appeal to
tradition in order to safeguard inefficiency?
It takes a strong
will and massive efforts to modify the way we eat. On many occasions,
men and women undertake such changes only as a last resort, for
instance, after having suffered a heart attack or being diagnosed with
cancer.
Embracing a better diet becomes a major challenge when
individuals endure constant social pressure to behave irresponsibly.
Business meetings in Russia are still being closed with rounds of vodka.
When colleagues and customers push you to drink, it is very difficult
to resist, even if you are conscious of the negative consequences of
your actions.
Inferior food and excessive alcohol undermine our
health. Falsehoods sabotage our interests and place heavy burdens on our
shoulders. Misrepresentations can be pleasant and enticing despite
their lethal consequences. Stay away from them.
For more information about rational living and personal development, I
refer you to my book The
10 Principles of Rational
Living
Text:
http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com
Image by PhillipC under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license
terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us
Rationality is the way to happiness
by John Vespasian
In a world where philosophy is often reduced to catch-phrases and empty
theories, this is a passionate defence of logic and consistency as the
keys to happiness. Personal effectiveness, the basis of well-being and
success, results from rational goals, workable plans and relentless
action.
In the areas of career, health, relationships and investments,
this essay shows how to let go of wasteful propositions, pursue
compatible goals, cultivate perseverance and resilience, minimize
problems and maximize opportunities. Inspired by the teachings of
Aristotle, Maimonides, Erasmus, Montaigne, Epictetus and Spinoza, the
book encourages readers to embrace rationality and adopt a self-reliant,
entrepreneurial attitude.
Table of Contents
1. The untold key to success and happiness
Ten positive trends rarely reported by the media
The way to independent thinking
Trust only your own statistics
Achieving happiness through rationality
Wake up to a sharp vision of reality
Important lessons from history
In search of principles that make sense
2. Fundamental skills that everybody should master
Relentless initiative creates opportunities
An active mind looks for alternatives
Cultivate perseverance and resilience
Avoid waste and embrace frugality
Shun overcommitment and worry
3. The easy way to prosperity
Select a career where you can make a good living
Principles of accelerated learning
Using Ancient Mongol tactics to find employment
Discard the myth of career planning
Growth sectors in the 21st century
Those who can sell are always received well
4. Philosophical ideas to make the best of your life
Take the perspective of a lifetime
Focus on practical solutions
Self-confidence arises from preparedness
Pursue compatible goals
Concentrate your resources on essential tasks
5. Get out of losing situations
Immobility is the enemy of achievement
Train yourself to face nonsense calmly
Throw away unworkable plans
Read the writing on the wall
Take simple measures to protect yourself
You have more options than you think
6. Avoiding major mistakes
Preserve your independent thinking
Don't make the same mistake as Confucius
Entrepreneurship is the opposite of resignation
Abandon perfectionism right now
Waiting for the world to change is a waste of time
7. How to find love without making a mess of sex
Rational values are the basis of great relationships
Overcoming the main obstacle to meeting new people
The high cost of short-term romantic involvement
The entrepreneurial factor in love and friendship
What is the crucial success element in dating?
Break free from artificial social constraints
8. Saving and investing to secure your future
Take control of your financial life
Principles of rational investment
Techniques for reducing risk
How to develop self-confidence as an investor
Saving regularly brings peace of mind
The advantage of turbulent times
9. Principles of optimal health
The teachings of Maimonides
Living in accordance with nature
How psychology can improve your health
Modern theories about prolonging life
How some people live to become 100 years old
The low-cost approach to good nutrition
Effective methods for minimizing stress
Sleeping well by natural means
10. Seeking personal growth one day at a time
Embrace rational principles
The link between personal effectiveness and happiness
Become an entrepreneur in your everyday life
Do not be discouraged by your limited resources
Clear thinking gives you the ultimate advantage
It is on slow days when you make big breaks
11. Conclusion
The human need for logic and consistency
Achieving happiness in a chaotic world
Philosophy summarized in a single sentence
It takes a while, but it can be done
Rationality is the way to happiness
by John Vespasian
Studies in different areas of the world have tried to identify the
common causes of extraordinary longevity. In Europe and Asia, certain
villages, valleys, and islands are home to a large proportion of healthy
octogenarians and nonagenarians. This is the case of Sardinia in Italy
and Okinawa in Japan.
What factors contribute most to an optimal health?
Medical research has identified the
elements in local diet that help residents maintain an excellent health
at an advanced age. Some factors, such as landscape and climate, are
linked to specific areas; other determinants, those of a more general
nature, can contribute positively to human vitality irrespective of
geography.
It stands to reason that the driving factors of
extraordinary longevity must correspond to those of excellent health.
The issue is to identify elements that we can take up in our daily life
without incurring disproportionate effort and expense.
Even if we
possessed evidence that some exotic herb is the key to excellent
health, such knowledge would be of little help to people who cannot
afford to purchase that plant on a regular basis. What we need are ideas
that are, at the same time, beneficial and workable.
What we need are beneficial and workable ideas
The island
of Sardinia, located in the Mediterranean Sea, is a favourite vacation
destination for many Europeans. Its weather and landscape, however
beautiful and pleasant, are not much different from other locations
around the world. This factor alone renders the study of longevity in
Sardinia particularly interesting.
Lessons drawn from the diet in
Sardinia can be applied in other regions of the globe. This aspect is
crucially important, since studies conducted in other areas of the world
often link the enviable physical condition of youthful nonagenarians to
herbs and plants that are unavailable to the populations of other
countries.
Another remarkable outcome of the research carried out
in Sardinia lies in the apparent simplicity of the formula. In
contrast, if you have read any modern book on nutrition, you will have
noted the extreme complexity of the advice it presents. Page after page
are filled with long lists of recommendations and tables showing the
specific dosage of each ingredient. Who can remember all that?
Like
in business, success in health matters tends to depend on just a few
factors. Minute instructions telling salesmen how to close a deal are
useless in a commercial environment. Life is too fast for knowledge that
cannot be summarized in a small number of consistent principles. The
human mind is constructed to reduce knowledge to the essential and
forget cumbersome details.
What are the few factors behind the
excellent health of the elderly living in Sardinia? The conclusions of
the research can be presented in five rules that are logical and easy to
remember. These recommendations can be practised inexpensively by
individuals in most countries of the world.
[1] Eat fresh food,
above all vegetables and fruit: This truth may seem deceptively
self-evident. In reality, few people make the effort to select fresh
ingredients for their meals. The great majority of packaged food,
whether intended for breakfast or dinner, does not contain fresh
vegetables or fruit.
If you eat out frequently, you might go a
long time without tasting fresh ingredients, except for the occasional
salad. Can you figure out alternatives so that you consume more
vegetables and fruit? What can you do to reduce your dependence on
packaged food?
The reason why few people consume fresh food has
to do more with inconvenience than expense. Eating fresh fruit and
produce requires frequent visits to the supermarket, to the detriment of
more pleasurable activities. Are you willing to make the necessary
effort to protect your health?
[2] Use olive oil: Extra virgin
olive oil is consumed widely in Mediterranean countries. Italian, Greek,
and Spanish cooking include olive oil as necessary ingredient in many
dishes, as well in salads, marinades, and sauces. The use of butter and
margarine for cooking is considered an inferior choice for your health.
The
retail price of olive oil has diminished in the last decade due to
changes in packaging. The traditional dark green glass bottle has been
replaced by a hard plastic bottle of the same colour, which seems to
preserve the characteristics of olive oil equally well.
If you
don't live in a region where olive oil is in abundant supply, you might
have to pay a few additional dollars per bottle. All in all, the
decision to incorporate extra virgin olive oil in your diet might
increase your food budget by a couple of hundred dollars per year, which
is a modest investment if you consider the advantages for your health.
[3]
Lemons and oranges: Citrus fruits contain high doses of vitamin C,
which reinforces our immune system and helps combat cardiovascular
disease. Vitamin C is also known to protect human cells against the
accumulation of noxious substances.
Fresh oranges and lemons are
available in most regions of the world at reasonable price, depending on
the season. Grapefruit, papaya, strawberries, and mango are good
substitutes for oranges and lemons.
Amongst the vegetables,
vitamin C is also abundant in spinach and broccoli. Irrespective of your
place of residence, eating citrus or similar fruits is an affordable
habit that you should acquire.
[4] Eat fish often and,
occasionally, lean meat: The reason behind this recommendation lies in
the beneficial type of fat that is present in fish. Fish, in particular
oily fish such as mackerel and sardines, is rich in a type of fat known
as "omega-3." This element has proven to reduce dangerous cholesterol in
human beings.
Fresh fish is a major component of the traditional
Greek, Spanish, Italian, and Japanese diets. Unfortunately, this
dietary habit has declined in the last decades, leading to an overall
deterioration of the health level of the population.
Wild salmon,
whose consumption is known to be particularly beneficial, is neither
part of the traditional diet of Sardinia nor widely available across the
world. Luckily, in most countries, you can find at least one or two
types of fish that are affordable. Eating fish is a habit that you can
easily take up and which can bring substantial advantages to your
health.
[5] Drink alcohol rarely (and if you drink at all, then mainly red wine): The red wine
produced in Sardinia, in particular the type known as "vino nero" due to
its dark colour, contains high doses of poly-phenol. This element,
which comes from grape skins, has been proven to have a positive effect
on the human cardiovascular system.
The consumption of red wine
might explain why extraordinary longevity in Sardinia is mostly a male
characteristic. Octogenarian and nonagenarian women are also present in
the island, but their number does not reach the unusual proportion of
healthy elderly men.
Red wines produced in other countries may
contain less poly-phenol, but a moderate consumption should also produce
a beneficial outcome for your health unless there are specific reasons
that advise against your consuming any alcohol at all. Quality red wine
is available around the world at reasonable price and most people love
its taste.
Can you improve your health by following a few simple rules?
If you want to improve your overall health, forget
about complicated rules. In the field of business, successful
entrepreneurs know that the best results are obtained by concentrating
energies on essential areas. Similarly, when it comes to enhancing our
vitality, we will be better off if we acquire a few effective and
pleasurable habits.
For more information about rational living and personal development, I
refer you to my book The
10 Principles of Rational
Living
Text:
http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com
Image by Rob Lee under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license
terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us
The best blogs about psychology
A wrong perspective can block more of your initiatives than any external
obstacle. If your vision is short-sighted, you will not perceive
anything beyond the immediate. If your vision is blurred, you will get
lost in speculative discussions. If you look too far away into the
future, you will lose touch with your environment.
How the wrong perspective can destroy your life
At the turn of
the 10th century, thousands of peasants in Europe believed that the
world was coming to an end. Their incentive to work diminished sharply
and, as a result, agricultural output decreased. High food prices led to
the fulfilment of their prophecy, since many families starved during
the winter that inaugurated the second millennium of our era. A wrong
perspective annihilated part of the population,
Drug addicts and
compulsive gamblers embody an extreme type of short-term mentality.
Their world is restricted to what will happen in the next hours or
minutes. Their minds do not register the physical and financial
consequences of their actions. Their numbed sensitivity ignores danger
signals. Their grasp of reality has shrunk to the minimum. Warnings
cannot reach their ears.
Are the above examples valid? Do you
consider self-evident that man needs a proper perspective of life? If
everybody agrees with this conclusion, is the whole discussion
pointless? Frankly, I don't think so.
Embarking in losing ventures is the antithesis of self-development
If you really believe that
the issue is settled, you might be making a fundamental mistake. The
truth is that, every year, millions of individuals destroy their lives
by embarking themselves on counter-productive ventures.
People
quit hard-earned positions and abandon established professions in
pursuit of unworkable projects. Sometimes, individuals risk their health
or physical survival by getting involved in losing propositions.
Occasionally, such delusions affect a large segment of the population.
These
tragedies happen so often that we have grown desensitized to them. This
phenomenon is so apparent that we have lost the capacity to see it.
Lack of perspective wrecks innumerable human lives. The seriousness of
the problem is deeper than we are willing to admit; its size, bigger
than statistics can register.
Leading a prosperous and happy life
requires that we discard ideas that don't work. Trying to accomplish
the unworkable serves to fuel vanity, not well-being. Nobody will be
helped if you attempt to accelerate change beyond what the environment
can take.
For more information about rational living and personal development, I
refer you to my book The
10 Principles of Rational
Living
Text:
http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com
Image by MJorge under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license
terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us
Thinking must take place before action if such action is to be
productive; planning must take place before implementation if success is
to be attained. Self-confidence needs to be built before it can be
applied; skills must be acquired before they can be employed. How can we
overcome exaggerated fears and take well-calculated steps? In which way
can we increase our chances of success?
Reason is the most
powerful tool for dismantling falsehoods
If we grow convinced that we
stand a good chance of accomplishing our goals, we will become less
worried and more adventurous. Logic is our cardinal ally for contesting
overblown concerns. The best way to face fear is to demonstrate its
irrationality, namely:
Are you exaggerating the likelihood of disaster?
The
intensity of a potential catastrophe is independent of the likelihood of
its occurrence. Salesmen promote insurance policies by painting vivid
pictures of misfortune, but their sales presentations seldom mention the
actual statistical probability of such misfortune taking place.
The perception of risk is also heavily
influenced by cultural stereotypes. Saving rates differ from country to
country according to how citizens see their future; the willingness to
change jobs and move to a distant city is higher in the US than in
Europe; the proportion of the population that invests in the stock
market also varies from country to country.
Are you allowing your emotions to blow risks out of proportion?
Potential dangers need to be quantified in order to be
properly assessed. If emotions take control, they will exaggerate the
negative consequences of risk. On many occasions, the material damages
that people actually suffer are minor compared to the accompanying
psychological discomfort.
Many things we fear arise from stories written by marketeers.
Why do California residents protect themselves more often against
earthquakes than against divorce? Because salesmen market earthquake
insurance very effectively, while at the same time, few couples are
aware that a pre-nuptial agreement can protect them against a
devastating divorce.
Taking the time to assess risks objectively
is essential for making good decisions
If you are considering a
challenging professional move, forget about irrational fears and ask
yourself the right questions: if your new job proves to be a
disappointment, what is the actual likelihood of your becoming
unemployed? Even if you lost your new position, how long would it
reasonably take you to regain employment?
We worry about risks
that have been exaggerated by marketeers trying to promote their
products or services. Those who sell pension plans frequently paint grim
pictures of retired people living in poverty and rightly so. There is
no reason why salesmen should refrain from offering their insurance
policies, but it is up to us to appraise risks according to their true
gravity.
For more information about rational living and personal development, I
refer you to my book The
10 Principles of Rational
Living
Text:
http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com
Image by RA_photography under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license
terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us
Imagine for a moment that you would able to go after your goals without
having to fear criticism from friends and family. Would you devote more
efforts to pursuing your ambitions if you did not have to worry about
ridicule in case of failure? How far would you invest yourself if you
never had to deal with discouragement and doubts?
There are good
reasons why we fear failure more than we crave success. If we formulate
the proposition in purely material terms, the discomfort suffered from
not having any car is far superior than the advantages derived from
having two cars; similarly, the terror of losing all our savings in a
stock market crash is stronger than the perspective of doubling our
assets if stock prices rise.
Stress, worry, and anxiety are powerful
inhibitors of achievement. Fear can make us discard viable initiatives;
apprehension may consume our energies and prevent us from moving
forward; concern can block reasonable attempts to improve our situation.
We
stay behind because our minds blow risks out of proportion; we give up
too soon because we underestimate our capacity to adopt preventive
measures; we walk downtrodden paths for fear of lions that we have never
seen; we stick to unproductive routines to avoid the discomfort
associated with change.
Books and lectures that recommend to take
risks remain unconvincing to most people. Common sense weighs heavier
than motivational speeches. Change is disruptive; we crave what we can
gain less than we dread what we can lose.
Cheerful words and doubtful
promises are not sufficient to assuage our concerns. Only realism can
prompt us to overcome fear; only rationality can lead us to take
entrepreneurial risks.
For more
information about rational living and personal development, I refer you
to my book The
10 Principles of Rational
Living
Text:
http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com
Image by Simon Davidson under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license
terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us
The Philosophy of Builders
by John Vespasian
The factors that lead to prosperity and happiness have changed little
through the ages. From the lives of accomplished men and women, we can
extract the three principles that they have used to build a better
future: self-reliance, tolerance and entrepreneurship.
This book
presents how individuals can use these principles to overcome adversity
and improve their lives. Through the analysis of situations in the areas
of relationships, career, health and investments, it shows how to
overcome pessimism and discouragement, walk the path of least
resistance, simplify your life and reduce costs, and focus on real
opportunities.
The ideas are illustrated with examples from the lives of
Paracelsus, Jane Austen, Thomas of Aquinas, Gutenberg, Jules Verne and
many other historical figures, showing how they overcame obstacles and
built a better future for themselves.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Achieve basic stability
Never underestimate what one man alone can do
Establish the foundation of long-term achievement
Attack problems one by one
Do not allow vanity to paralyse you
Pay attention to danger signals
Build on existing strengths
Learn to view problems in perspective
Wait only the strictly necessary
2. Overcome pessimism and discouragement
Assess risks rationally, not emotionally
Quantify what you can expect
Passive acceptance is not the way to go
Dispute negative thinking patterns
Embrace a philosophy that leads to happiness
Avoid inconsistent decisions
Read inspiring authors
3. Walk the path of least resistance
Discard unworkable plans
Use realism to avoid waste
Look at what people are actually buying
Adopt a lifestyle that suits your temperament
Use long-term goals to determine your direction
Stay out of hopeless ventures
Avoid relativism and scepticism
Find an outlet for your talents
4. Take measures to prevent problems
Be prepared to face misfortune
Concentrate on crucial factors
Pay attention only to quality information
Identify potential threats
Look for simple prescriptions
Protect yourself effectively
Increase your resilience against adversity
5. Simplify your life and reduce your costs
Don't fall in the trap of short-term thinking
Enjoy the benefits of the immigrant mentality
When should you be willing to overpay?
Choose inexpensive alternatives
You can learn the basics quickly
Being healthier by consuming less
The solution to stress: simplification
6. Start new projects with minimum resources
Gather support as you go
The danger of getting stuck in abstractions
Avoid inaccessible markets
Do not be intimidated by other people's achievements
Most barriers are psychological
Small but regular steps often lead to success
7. Focus on real opportunities
Select a low-risk approach
You can profit from troubled times
How to identify promising ideas
Should you worry about the state of the economy?
Use low-cost marketing techniques
Redefine what is essential
Value creation begins with observation
8. Adopt productivity as a way of life
Do not assign excessive weight to mistakes
In case of doubt, opt for a logical explanation
Steady work is preferable to occasional jobs
Choose stories that promote achievement
A change of speed might be all you need
Work only on one major project at a time
Let go of linear expectations
Never entrust your future to chance
Keep flexible and alert
9. Take relentless action
Fill your days with worthy activities
Experiment to find out what works
Adopt effective routines
In crucial matters, do not leave anything untried
Continuous action breeds opportunities
Rewrite your personal history
Can you turn adversity into an asset?
Action is the best way to overcome obstacles
The Philosophy of Builders
by John Vespasian
If you want to waste your life, you just have to devote your days to
searching for things where there aren't. A second formula for
squandering your resources is to chase people that are unavailable. The
same goes for attempting to travel to places that are not accessible.
Location is not a philosophical issue
We
all engage in this kind of pursuits occasionally and that's fine, since
nobody possesses perfect knowledge. What is heartbreaking is when
someone persists in trying to reach an impossible goal. Children engage
in such attempts and so do mice trapped in a maze; adults should know
better than that.
Counter-productive behaviour arises from
self-inflicted blindness. We sabotage our interests when we allow our
desire for comfort to obscure the truth. If you want cheap oranges, go
to Morocco, not to the airport deli.
If you wish to move towards
prosperity, take action consistent with reason. This principle, if
applied consistently, can bring major improvements to your life. A wise
man in search of a job does not go to the desert. If you do that, you
might get lucky and find the only opening available, but chances are
that you won't.
Imagine that you are working at a factory located
in a small town that does not offer other employment possibilities.
What should you do if the factory shuts down? You should not waste time
hanging around waiting for a miracle. You should pack your things, get
into your car, and drive to a place where companies are hiring.
The mistake of pursuing personal growth where possibilities are scarce
Choose
the easy way to prosperity and do not try to sell products where there
are no buyers. Sometimes, you find large numbers of empty houses in a
thinly inhabited area. This happened because real estate developers made
a wrong calculation and wasted a fortune. Putting up buildings on
locations where few people are interested to buy or rent constitutes
pure waste. The lesson to be drawn is clear. Focus your efforts on
places where there are customers.
Nobody should go to Siberia on
holidays seeking warm weather. People who prefer to live in areas where
cold temperatures reign most of the year usually have good reasons for
doing so, such as cheap housing, low criminality, or specific job
opportunities.
Location is not a philosophical issue. A man can
choose to live wherever he likes best, but if you happen to love warm
weather, Siberia shouldn't be amongst your favourite destinations.
Every
minute devoted to pursuing the impossible is gone forever without
profit. The world is complicated enough as it is. Attempting to hit
unattainable targets is pointless; it does not even make a good hobby.
Take the easy way to prosperity: stay away from barren fields and focus
your efforts on fruitful land.
For more information about rational living and personal development, I
refer you to my book The
10 Principles of Rational
Living
Text:
http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com
Image by jurvetston under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license
terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us
The best blogs about psychology
Sooner or later, human beings come to realize that some ideas that they
hold in high regard do not work. The most common reaction in those cases
is denial. Few individuals like the uncertainty of change; even fewer
are willing to admit mistakes and take openly the blame.
Are
your ideas helping you improve your life?
Ideas
engage people and people move the world. Our convictions contribute to
our effectiveness more than our material resources. If we hold the right
ideas, we will progress; if we believe in falsehoods and
inconsistencies, we will fail. There is no escape from this principle.
Are your beliefs promoting
fear or prompting you to take effective action? Have you acquired a
clear view of the world? Can you see reality without the distortions of
wishful thinking? Can you face life without envy and discouragement? Are
your convictions hindering or supporting your motivation?
The courage to discard concepts that don't work
We can
define ideas that work as those that allow us to identify problems,
analyse their causes, and figure out workable solutions. Worthless
opinions are those that render us insensitive to danger, lead us to
react irrationally to difficulties, and contaminate our emotions with
anger or anxiety. Counter-productive views are those that sabotage our
initiatives and waste our potential.
The first step to improve
your life is to throw away all ideas that do not work; you have to let
go of unproven theories before you embrace feasible solutions; you
cannot become efficient until you discard all excuses for rigidity and
inertia. In order to move forward, we must stop pushing backwards; in
order to look at the horizon, we must lift our eyes from the ground
For more information about rational living and personal development, I refer you to my book The 10 Principles of Rational Living
Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com
Image by Tony the Misfit under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us
Chances are that you have never heard of Horatio Alger. In his time,
that is, during the last two decades of the 19th century, he was one the
best-selling writers in the United States of America. Alger was the
author of dozens of novels aimed at young readers, telling for the most
part rags-to-riches stories.
"Ragged Dick" was his most famous
book. Its protagonist, a quintessential Alger character, tries out his
hand at different professions until he finally achieves the life of
prosperity that he pursues. "He went into business," wrote Alger in that
novel, "starting in a small way, and worked his way up by degrees."
If
you read Alger's novels nowadays, you might find their plot too simple.
His characters were, to a certain extent, stereotypes. Did Alger's
stories take place in exotic, exciting settings? No, that was mostly not
the case. Was Alger an author known for his ability to write impressive
dialogue? Hardly. His prose was fine, but not spectacular.
Literary
critics who have studied Alger's work often conclude that his
extraordinary popularity was based on the fact that "his stories
responded well to the spirit of his time," a period of adventurous
entrepreneurs and rapid economic progress.
This conclusion might
be true, but in my view, it still leaves an important aspect out of the
picture. If you read Horatio Alger's stories, you will find that they
address important life issues. His novels revolved around fundamental
values such as ambition, independence, and integrity.
The
recurring message in Alger's books is that you, the reader, has the same
right to succeed as anybody else, irrespective of your origin, family,
or personal history. If you don't give up and keep on pushing, you might
just make it.
"Keep up a little longer and we will save you,"
wrote Horatio Alger in the final chapter of his best-selling book. "Dick
heard the shout and it put fresh strength into him. He battled manfully
with the treacherous sea, his eyes fixed longingly on the approaching
boat. Hold on tight, little boy, there's a boat coming."
No
wonder that those who read Alger's novels in the late 19th century liked
them so much. At that time, when the world was still untouched by
radio, films, and television, Alger's popular fiction was a bright sign
pointing to a better future, telling each of his readers that he had
been selected to make his dreams come true. Today, a century later, this
message of hope is something that we don't get to hear often enough.
For more information about
rational living and personal development, I refer you to my book
The
10 Principles of Rational
Living
Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com
Image by Chuck Nhorus under Creative
Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us
The 10 Principles of Rational Living
by John Vespasian
In order to improve your life, you don't need to place your hopes on a
lottery ticket or wait for the world to grant you the perfect
opportunity. There is a better way and it is condensed in the principles
of rational living, principles such as “think like an entrepreneur, not
like a crusader,” “ignore the noise and focus on results,” “stay away
from high-risk situations,” “find people who share your values,” and
“develop strong long-term passions.”
This book presents the principles
of rational living in great detail, with numerous examples of people who
have applied them successfully. The principles of rational living are
sound ideas that can dramatically improve your life. Learn all about
them and start applying them today.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Think like an entrepreneur, not like a crusader
A recipe for getting ahead in good and bad times
Debating and arguing are a waste of time
The true believer is the one who preaches by example
Entrepreneurs thrive on trouble and inconvenience
Unlike resources, opportunities are infinite
2. Ignore the noise and focus on results
If one road is blocked, take another
How to keep calm when you are surrounded by nonsense
The effective way to handle work overload
Learning from people who never feel discouraged
A proven strategy against career stagnation
3. Live inexpensively and invest for future income
Why the stock market offers the best opportunities
Common traits of great businessmen and investors
What kind of companies should you invest in?
A simple strategy is all you need
Adopt a realistic and practical approach
4. Choose a simple and healthy lifestyle
Don't just eat well, eat wonderfully
What is healthy, tasty, and easy to cook?
How to reduce everyday risks to your health
Eating healthily when you are travelling
Is it possible to slow down ageing?
Why it is so difficult to lead a simple life
5. Find people who share your values
Why you should ignore most of what you hear
The ugly duckling story repeats itself every day
Overcoming the resistance to changing jobs and relocating
Don't be original, be unique
Proven strategies for building great relationships
Would you recognize yourself in the crowd?
6. Listen to your emotions, but check the facts
Beware of exaggerated romantic tales
In dating and cooking, choose natural ingredients
How far are you willing to go for happiness?
Conflicting values lead to contradictory behaviour
The short distance between infatuation and obfuscation
Do not waste your best years pursuing unworkable ideals
7. Accept the inevitable hassles of life
Putting an end to exaggerated fears
Extreme reactions are foolish and wasteful
In praise of caution and circumspection
Can you remain self-confident in times of trouble?
How impatient people become stoic philosophers
Never grant problems more weight than they deserve
8. Stay away from high-risk situations
Death statistics make great bedtime reading
Tranquillity seldom comes cheap
Do not make an obsession of the perfect profession
Three situations that you should avoid like the pest
Every archer needs more than one arrow
The jungle never sleeps
9. Acquire effective habits
An hour has sixty minutes, a day twenty-four hours
In praise of staying behind
How a proactive attitude helps you overcome difficulties
Let go of the dead weight of prejudice
Smooth operators get more out of life
Personal effectiveness depends on patterns
10. Develop strong long-term passions
Comparing yourself with other people makes no sense
Don't drink the poison of contradiction
What heroes are made of
The myths of the single skill and the unique opportunity
Become tolerant of mistakes, since you will make so many
The link between integrity and passion
The 10 Principles of Rational Living
by John Vespasian
Aristotle was a great philosopher, but entrepreneurship was one thing that he never managed to understand. In the Nicomachean Ethics, his essay on justice and morality, he views society as a market where human desires are stable, where the demand for each product is constant, and each purchase has a predictable price.
The philosophy of psychology
One does not need to look at the world for long to rate Aristotle's view as highly unrealistic. The truth is that, in the field of work and commerce, prices vary incessantly. New products appear daily on the market. Growing ventures create jobs, while old-fashioned industries are reducing the number of their employees. Trading conditions change, markets move, and money circulates.
Businessmen are conscious of the fact that initiative leads to success. Entrepreneurship is the lifeblood of innovation. Economic growth begins with one person making the first move and showing the way. In order to surpass average results, a man has to step out of the routine.
In the world of business, clients and profits are the result of entrepreneurship. A company that has profitable sales can always borrow money. Bankers seldom refuse a loan to businesses that generate positive cash-flow. Personal initiative fuels innovation and drives companies to higher levels of performance.
The role of personal initiative
The situation is not much different in the area of relationships. Friendship and love grow stale without personal initiative. Developing a happy social life requires a certain type of entrepreneurship. This is a factor that cannot be replaced by any amount of wishful thinking.
Unfortunately, the entrepreneurial factor in love and happiness is frequently underrated or denied. Television repeatedly shows stories where success happens by chance. Films love to portray heroes who attain happiness by coincidence without any effort from their side. Those tales are mostly made-up and a wise man should never take them as a fair representation of reality.
Entrepreneurial activity involves shifting resources through time and space. A businessman might, for instance, borrow money at 6% interest in order to invest it for a 10% return. If he does that several times with growing sums of money, chances are that he will become very wealthy.
The example can be applied to the field of relationships. If you wish to enjoy a great social life in the future, you should make the effort to establish new contacts regularly. Even if you just meet one new person per week, sooner or later, you will get to know a few individuals who share your values.
Friendships and love relations can begin in the most unusual circumstances. The key requirement is that individuals should be open to an initial contact. Brief introductions may lead to further interactions that develop into long-term relationships. This is why entrepreneurs are always alert to unexpected opportunities and love to meet new people. You will observe the same attitude in those who enjoy happy social lives.
Speed as a synonym for efficiency
Entrepreneurial minds can be spotted by their extreme impatience at school or during their apprenticeship. They dislike slow motion and are driven towards activities that produce tangible results. They want to lead a life of growing improvement and continuous progress. They view speed as a synonym of efficiency.
Let me encourage you to adopt an entrepreneurial attitude in the area of personal relationships. Everybody has constrains in terms of time and resources, but those limitations should not prevent you from seeking out opportunities to meet new people whom you might find interesting.
Conferences that revolve around your favourite subjects constitute great places for meeting like-minded individuals. In the majority of cases, those initial contacts will not lead to friendship or love and that is precisely the way it should be.
Entrepreneurs are only interested in opportunities that are right for them. They know that, before they can embrace one successful idea, they will have to discard many others that lead nowhere. Possibilities are infinite, but resources are always limited.
For more information about rational living and personal development, I refer you to my book The 10 Principles of Rational Living
Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com
Image by Rosa y Dani under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us
The best blogs about psychology
Human action produces the greatest benefits when it is focused on
providing rational solutions to critical problems. A wise man uses logic
to determine which difficulties are to be addressed with priority. He
applies his energies to overcome major obstacles and ignores small
inconveniences.
Barring extreme bad luck, ethical actions
lead to happiness
Given sufficient time, logic and consistency
produce positive results. A rational approach to living gives you the
ultimate advantage in the fields of investment, health, career, or
relationships. Barring extreme bad luck or misfortune, ethical actions
lead to happiness.
The easiest way to accelerate your personal
growth is to concentrate your efforts on the area of your life where
problems are most pressing. Successful managers apply this strategy to
their businesses. For instance, when assembly difficulties slow down
production in a furniture factory, the solution might call for simpler
designs.
You only have one life to enjoy and it is up to you to
decide which path to follow. Assess your situation objectively, placing
facts above prejudice. Ignore empty promises and select your best
alternative on solid grounds.
Do not waste time trying to impress
people who do not care for you. Discard nonsense and embrace logic.
Design your strategy according to reality. See what works well in the
world and identify the keys to prosperity.
Why complaining and
wishful thinking are ineffectual
Complaining and
wishful thinking are ineffectual. Ambitious goals can only be achieved
through thoughtful plans and consistent implementation. Psychological
balance can only be maintained through rational values and a sense of
purpose.
Sound principles are as beneficial as they are
demanding. Irrationality may seem comfortable in the short-term, but
contradictions ultimately result in failure. Individuals determine their
own future by their passion to turn dreams into reality and their logic
in the choice of means.
For more information about
rational living and personal development, I refer you to my book
The
10 Principles of Rational
Living
Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com
Image by MAC SURAK under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us
Economic problems are similar to the influenza
virus that marks the arrival of winter every year. Exaggerated concern
seldom improves anything. Instead, individuals should identify the path
that minimizes trouble and, if possible, find ways to profit from it.
Worrying is essentially a waste of time
Whenever
you hear that inflation or deflation are coming, ask yourself how you
can structure your finances in order to benefit from the situation. Can
you link your income to a product whose price is likely to increase or
decrease at the same pace as the overall economy? Can you reduce the
amount of cash that you require to live and invest the remainder in
assets that will profit from upcoming economic changes?
Economists
speculate all the time about next year's rates of unemployment,
inflation or deflation. For your personal investment decisions, you
don't need to wait until the exact figure is known. On most occasions,
knowing the general trend is enough to make rational investment choices.
If
newspapers are discussing whether next year's inflation is going to be
6% or 7%, that tells you as much as you need to know. Take swift action
and reflect about how to structure your finances to deal with such price
increases. Worrying is essentially a waste of time. Although you cannot
reshape the world according to your taste, nothing prevents you from
taking measures to minimize trouble.
Why you should discard stress, anxiety, and depression
Discard stress, anxiety, and depression, learn to
face problems in the best possible way, and become a rational investor.
Your financial and philosophical sharpness will grow together. Your
personal effectiveness will increase and you will become more tolerant
and self-reliant.
Stop worrying, take action, and start making
money. Never place all your savings on a single investment. If you
acquire the habit of diversifying your investments amongst different
types of assets, chances are that you will be much less troubled. If you
purchase shares of solid companies around the world, your portfolio
will tend to be less affected by problems in specific countries.
Learning
to deal with the world's problems is a better approach than being
paralysed by them. Wisdom is the process of learning what a man can
achieve and what he should rather let go of. Becoming a rational
investor will make you a better human being and help you overcome
whatever financial fears the day may bring.
For more information about rational living and personal development, I refer you to my book The 10 Principles of Rational Living
Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com
Image by Marshall Flickman under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us
The world is plagued by problems of all sorts. During your lifetime,
chances are that you will go through periods of inflation, deflation,
unemployment, rising share prices and stock market crashes. Newspapers
report these problems with regularity and it seems that some of them
will remain unresolved in the foreseeable future.
Stop worrying and start protecting yourself
At the time of
this writing, most economists agree that increased consumer prices are
coming, although nobody can tell precisely when this will happen. If you
live on a fixed income, as it is the case of most pensioners, you
should view inflation as a cause of a serious concern.
When the
media mention that a loss of purchasing power might take place within
months, danger is already looming in the horizon. If you do nothing,
inflation will catch you unprepared. If you take appropriate measures,
that will not be the end of the story either. As soon as inflation is
under control, the next problem will come to haunt us, possibly another
stock market crash.
Even if you occupy a position of influence,
your possibilities of changing society remain minuscule for the simple
reason that millions of people out there don't care about what you think
and never will. Major changes in History ultimately result from ideas
held in high regard, rightly or wrongly, by significant segments of the
population. Those beliefs evolve through generations and change very
slowly, even in the era of the internet and the global economy.
Do what you can do, let go of what you cannot
As
an investor, you will be much better off if you realize your impotence
to bring fundamental changes to society and stop worrying about it. An
effective strategy to help other people, which is by all means a
laudable intent, is to focus your efforts on a restricted field where
your contribution can really make a difference.
Adopting a
rational investment philosophy involves giving up unrealistic
expectations and concentrating on what is feasible. You cannot prevent
inflation or deflation from taking place, but if you play your cards
well, you can make money from them. Instead of worrying about the
disadvantages of rising or falling prices, why don't you figure out how
to use each financial phenomenon for your personal profit?
Achieving
a positive result in your bank account will allow you to devote your
gains to helping others, if that is your wish. For each disruptive
event, there is an investment strategy that can help you make a profit.
Rising share prices represent the easiest situation to deal with because
most people can figure out that there is plenty of money to be made if
you borrow at 6% interest and invest at 12% return.
Overcoming the psychological resistance to action
What makes
rational investment difficult is our psychological resistance to letting
go of worry, recognizing past mistakes, and taking practical action. In
addition, a wise man must accept that an investment method that proves
successful in one environment frequently becomes unsuitable when the
context changes.
Real estate and gold coins may be great
investments during inflationary periods, but tend to be lousy places to keep
your money when the curve turns and prices begin to fall. You certainly
don't want to be caught with a huge mortgage at a high rate when
the price of residential properties begins to fall.
It is up to you in each case to take sensible
measures to profit from the situation or, at least, to minimize its
negative consequences. As individuals, our best strategy consists of
letting go of anxiety and viewing inflation, deflation, unemployment, or any other economic challenge
just as another problem to be handled.
For more information about rational living and personal development, I refer you to my book The 10 Principles of Rational Living
Text: http://johnvespasian.blogspot.com
Image by Mara 1 under Creative Commons Attribution License. See the license terms under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/us
