HKB

I was inspired to write this by a young man who's now setting out into the Real World, whatever that might be, and considering how to best proceed. This knowledge was gained mostly from standing on the shoulders of giants, and the rest from my personal experience, interpretations, and deductions of how this realm operates. It's in no small part a retrospect of my "successes" and "failures" (those terms are subjective across cultures) — sort of a letter to my 12 year old self should a portal to the past open up on my watch.

This is of course just one man's take. Everything is subjective as even the very particles that make up all we can see and touch behave differently depending on if they're being watched or not. It's a wacky universe, to be sure. The main takeaway is that we do our own thinking as those who are the most absolutely certain in their beliefs are usually the same ones who are the most wrong.

We are but travelers in this vast and fleeting moment of existence, wandering through a landscape that is both beautiful and temporary. This world, with all its complexity and wonder, is not our permanent home but a station along the journey of our soul. We are here not by chance, but with a purpose—a purpose that calls us to observe, to experience, and to embrace the lessons that life unfolds before us.
Rumi

Learn to think independently and critically — this is not taught in schools but should be the primary objective. Schools "teach-to-the-test", that is, how to memorize and regurgitate what one "should know". The highly ordered, authoritarian environment trains students to be compliant order takers; this is because the system was designed to serve the designers, not the students or the nation.

Question everything you hear and even what you see with your own eyes, especially that which comes from the media machine and other entrenched institutions that somehow just came to be (wink wink). Much of the direction you receive, even from "experts", will not be the best option for you, or outright false (consider how many scientific theories once held as gospel truth are now considered quackery). Your ability to discern fact from fiction will be fundamental to your well being in all regards. Keep in mind, whatever subject you research there will be two sides that "know" that they are in the right and believe those with opposing views to be misguided lunatics. Consider the implications of that eternal schism and how it affects your own positions.

rec reading: 1) The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind by Gustave Le Bon. 2) Free at Last: The Sudbury Valley School by Daniel Greenberg

The masses have never thirsted after truth. Whoever can supply them with illusions is easily their master; whoever attempts to destroy their illusions is always their victim.
Gustave Le Bon

The "economy" as pitched by GovCorp is a pyramid scheme, a subversion of natural law which can be temporarily circumvented, but never defeated. The inverted economy maximizes inefficiency and waste to churn and burn through materials and labor in quest of eternally increasing financial returns, which is an impossibility and is the reason the false economy bites the dust every generation or so. The corporate economy flies under the banner of "planned obsolescence" wherein things are designed to break or become useless long before the materials and purpose have expired. And like a cancer, this parasitic economy will ultimately kill the host. Natural world economics —that which respects resources and future generations— is efficient and durable and has intrinsic value— and will always win in the end despite the machinations of the overlords of the inverted system.

Don't fall for their trap. Avoid consumer debt and buy only what you can afford at the time. This will build discipline to delay gratification, a powerful tool you can apply universally. Find pleasure in the natural world and productive hobbies (eg. exercise, camping, reading, writing, woodworking, cooking, gardening). You will probably find, if you haven’t already, that acquiring material goods may fill a void, but only momentarily. You have to go within to find lasting peace.

To find a meaningful and rewarding vocation, consider things you enjoy doing that have valuable applications, then develop multiple skills around those activities and become a master at them. If you haven’t yet found things you enjoy doing, explore... read, volunteer, study and try random new things from building to backing, music to metalworking... eventually, something will resonate. Keep practicing, always. Don’t wait for inspiration to strike to take on a new project. Inspiration rarely manifests out of the blue, but rather comes through the work.

I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.
Confucius

Find a common problem that people/businesses have, and provide them with an elegant solution. If you are good at your work and honest in your dealings, you will be busy and prosperous, but be sure to first find work you enjoy as you will spend a significant amount of your life doing it. I studied engineering thinking I'd be... an engineer. Crazy, I know. It turns out, I'd be a manager and one day maybe a bigwig executive. I had no interest in any of that. Those four years and expenses could have been put to much better use (but at least I had a very good time in those 4 years of summer camp!). Be sure you understand what your work will actually entail as it is very often not what it appears from the outside.

Learn how to market yourself and your skills. People need to know you exist and have a good impression of your work for you to be able to serve them and succeed. Also learn to read your “customer” because there will be jobs that you do not want to take. This knowledge unfortunately comes mostly from the School of Hard Knocks.

Education v. Knowledge. There are currently too many degrees in the marketplace with a few exceptions. If your goal is just to gain knowledge, that can be done through books, videos, and practice along with self discipline. If you want to get a degree for economic reasons, be absolutely sure to calculate ALL costs, including the value of your time and interest on any loans. Then do the math to determine if those expenditures of time and money will provide you an acceptable return on investment (hit me up if you need help with the calcs).

Don’t take any one else’s opinion on the future value of a degree as they may be trying to sell you expired goods. You will have to forecast future earnings through your own research knowing that a few years later, that data may no longer be valid. I know that sounds rough, but it’s the reality, and you don’t want to start your journey strapped with a load of worthless debt.

rec reading: The Underground History of American Education by John Taylor Gatto

Traditional education and hyperspecialization is a way to make people subservient to the dominant paradigm / system. Study the generalized principles of nature and be a deep generalist.
Daniel Schmachtenberger

Your health is your most valuable asset; protect it at all costs. Diet and nutrition are the primary drivers of health. Try to eat as many whole foods as possible, avoid highly processed and inorganic stuff like sugars, artificial sweeteners, and seed oils (tip: stay on the perimeter of the grocery store and out of the middle aisles, and better yet, hit the farmers market first). Keeping your immune system strong is also key as your body is designed to eliminate disease before it manifests. A good diet, sunlight, and exercise will build a strong immune system. Avoid drugs (Rx, alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, etc.) and screens as much as possible.

Also consider the hidden benefits of good health. The average American spends a mind-boggling $14,57o on "health care" per year. By staying truly healthy via the methods of previous generations, you will save a small fortune that you can apply toward useful endeavors, and you will be vastly more content and productive having a sound body and mind.

Always strive to do and be your best, even if, no especially when, no one is watching. This will become your natural state and can propel you to great heights in whatever you do. Conversely, repeatedly cutting corners will develop into negative habits that will shortchange you in the long run. Be it in your education, vocation, or your hobbies, always strive for excellence. Take workouts for example. Using bad form may get you an extra rep or two, but the quality of the movement, the result, is inferior, and you risk injury. Good form, on the other hand, produces the best results in the shortest time with the lowest risk.

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.
Aristotle

Enjoy your life and don’t take yourself, anyone else, or this trip too seriously. We’re here for a brief time, and “changing the world” is not really our job as we’re far from wise enough to determine what’s best for others, and certainly not en masse. Is that hypocritical to say after writing this? Maybe it is! So remember, question everything and forge your own way as you see fit while doing no harm!