Be proud of who you are.

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#activist
#socialist
#humanist
#environmentalist

How to become a SUCCESSFUL academic: a guide 1/n

How do I know how to become a successful academic? I don't, but I have received plenty of advice. As a good academic, I will just summarize what I have learned from listening

1) Be the ultimate collaborator but also don't be

Say yes to as many collaborations as physically possible: co-produce papers, LEARN, co-write grants, DISCUSS, it is all about synergy. But also, collaborations slow you down, have your own ideas! Just say no to collaborations

2) Be the methods ninja but also don't be

Science is only as good as its weakest link: don't be satisfied by applying the default analyses in the field. But also, don't let perfect be the enemy of the good and don't confuse reviewers. Just apply the default analyses in the field

3) Be the superstar teacher but also don't be

Professor means teacher, it is LITERALLY in the name. Being a good professor means being a superstar teacher. But also, focus on the science and minimize the hours of teaching, don't try to become a superstar teacher

Too much intellect without a sense of self can inflate your ego.

This is why a lot of high IQ people lack social intelligence.

They talk to humans like robots & are baffled when they are resented for it.

This is why the charismatic person who knows less often rises up quicker

'What you smoking bro?? My IQ will be the biggest factor of my success!'

Incorrect.

That's a limiting belief.

I'm gonna shake up your paradigm real quick 👇

You have been conditioned your entire life to believe that IQ score alone will dictate success.

And like most people, we were like 'yea, sure!'

But there's few incorrect thought patterns here

1. Success is subjective.

2. IQ exam insinuates intellect is fixed.

3. Your high IQ won't make others give a fuck, your communication will.

Let's go thru each one

1. Success is subjective

What I consider success may not be success for you.

Success it's a mirror image of where you are & where you want to be.

Aka sense of self.

So measuring success starts from looking within, not an exam.

Your Most PRECIOUS Currencies:

-Energy

-Time

-Attention

-Trust

-Love

-Loyalty

-Respect

Only give these currencies to high value people. Never spend these currencies on low value shitheads eg: trolls, weasels, snakes, naysayers etc.

'Wait, I thought money was the most important currency?'

Nah.

Once you adopt abundance mentality, you realize their is no shortage of money.

Making the dollars your most important currency will have you leading an empty life.

Time to flip your perspective.

👇

▪Energy

When you strip yourself to the core, you are an emotional creature.

Emotions are your internal worlds energy.

Harnessing that energy is crucial for leveraging yourself to obtain whatever you want.

You have a finite amount everyday, so spend it wisely.

▪Time

A second that is lost will never be returned.

You start valuing the hell out of this currency the more you mature.

As the years start adding up, you realize time is precious.

You must always have a scarcity mindset towards time.

Once you do so, you will not be lazy.

▪Attention

You can be here, but not present.

Attention is completely mental.

Giving someone your attention means you are clearing up mental bandwidth to make room for them.

Only give your attention to people who help you grow.

For the negative ones?

Ignore their existence

The reason to try a new approach to things is because you have demonstrated proof that existing approaches are not working.

let's unpack:

1. what counts as proof?

2. what counts as failure?

3. not working for whom?

4. not working towards what end?

what counts as proof? and what counts as failure?

in order to answer this one needs to understand a thing well enough to know what success looks like and to know what failure modes exist.

A thing can fail by succumbing to a known failure mode, or failing in a new way. New failure modes commonly emerge from new contexts. Or they may be due to new developments in an existing context.

proof of failure means you have observed (rather than concluded via hearsay or via abstract reasoning) failure in a known mode or new mode. in order to obtain this proof, a relatively close distance or even insider perspective is usually necessary.

failure modes are specific to the thing being examined but there are some very common patterns. here's a couple of the most common patterns:

How to Escape the Prison of Your Mind

// Thread //

O𝚋̲𝚜̲𝚎̲𝚛̲𝚟̲𝚎̲ Y𝚘̲𝚞̲𝚛̲ T𝚑̲𝚘̲𝚞̲𝚐̲𝚑̲𝚝̲𝚜̲

Your mind is a room and your thoughts are a window.

When you think it is as you look into your room of thoughts.

Pay attention to what goes on, learn your mental triggers. Pay attention to how you respond to situations

Continued..

Your thoughts are not always to be believed.

You thoughts come and go like a car going through a car wash.

One in, one out. Depending on how long you want to wash the car depends on how long the thought stays.

Observe your thoughts with no judgement

L𝚒̲𝚟̲𝚎̲ 𝚒̲𝚗̲ T𝚑̲𝚎̲ P𝚛̲𝚎̲𝚜̲𝚎̲𝚗̲𝚝̲

Understand where you are in your reality at all times

Think about the description of thing to the left of you:

-What color is it?
-What shape is it?
-How big is it?
-What is its function?
-Why is it built that way?

Continued..

Why is this healthy? Because it releases your thoughts into your present objective reality.

Knowing that you are there is a good way to stop thoughts because then you start to live. 👽