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darius 's review for:
Principles: Life and Work
by Ray Dalio
The Book in 3 Sentences
1. Be radically open-minded and transparent to identify problems, bring these problems up honestly with your peers, and adapt to new circumstances.
2. Set clear goals, identify problems preventing you from achieving your goals, design a plan to resolve these problems, and push through your plan by establishing good work habits.
3. Perceive yourself and others objectively, and from a higher level, to eliminate your own biases and acknowledge when you are not the most versed person on a subject (including in arguments/discussions) — seek out more "believable" people.
Impressions
The book has a lot of useful information about the importance of rational thinking, but I feel like Dalio under-emphasizes the importance of weighing your emotions in your decision-making. That is, a recurring theme throughout the book was that suppressing your "lower-level", emotional thinking is the best practice in any given situation. While I can agree that letting your emotions run unchecked can be harmful, I think that a fundamental component of human nature — that even distinguishes us from other species (which Dalio doesn't seem to recognize, as he deems emotional responses "animalistic") — is our capacity to consider our emotions adequately when weighing decisions, as well as empathizing with others to produce the most satisfying outcome.
Additionally, some of his ideology pertaining to understanding how others should cooperate in a work environment didn't fully resonate me, especially his approach to using baseball cards to list personality "statistics" about his employees at Bridgewater. To me, this seems to act as a limiting factor for anyone subjected to it, as I imagine one might box themselves in and subconsciously conform to the statistics they're assigned on their own card, rather than try to actively improve their weaknesses — which is a truism that Dalio himself frequently advocates for. Nonetheless, I found the rest of his advice to be relevant, especially the importance of seeking out "believable" people for topics beyond your scope, and viewing yourself from an objective perspective to accurately diagnose your strengths and weaknesses (and aim to remediate them).
Impact on Me
Reading this book made reevaluate how I view myself — whether it's from a biased, egotistical point of view, or one from which I can identify my own downfalls objectively. I found Dalio's emphasis on having this perspective to be especially pertinent in the context of having "thoughtful disagreements" instead of arguments. While arguments can easily devolve into mindless battles over who is right or wrong, they should really be active discussions in which both parties have a genuine desire to come to the correct conclusion. I also thought about how often I genuinely seek help from more knowledgeable people, rather than selfishly believing that I alone can find the answers to all of my questions.
Top Quotes
People who change their minds because they learned something are winners, whereas those who stubbornly refuse to learn are the losers.
I just want to be right—I don’t care if the right answer comes from me.
If you’re not failing, you’re not pushing your limits, and if you’re not pushing your limits, you’re not maximizing your potential.
1. Be radically open-minded and transparent to identify problems, bring these problems up honestly with your peers, and adapt to new circumstances.
2. Set clear goals, identify problems preventing you from achieving your goals, design a plan to resolve these problems, and push through your plan by establishing good work habits.
3. Perceive yourself and others objectively, and from a higher level, to eliminate your own biases and acknowledge when you are not the most versed person on a subject (including in arguments/discussions) — seek out more "believable" people.
Impressions
The book has a lot of useful information about the importance of rational thinking, but I feel like Dalio under-emphasizes the importance of weighing your emotions in your decision-making. That is, a recurring theme throughout the book was that suppressing your "lower-level", emotional thinking is the best practice in any given situation. While I can agree that letting your emotions run unchecked can be harmful, I think that a fundamental component of human nature — that even distinguishes us from other species (which Dalio doesn't seem to recognize, as he deems emotional responses "animalistic") — is our capacity to consider our emotions adequately when weighing decisions, as well as empathizing with others to produce the most satisfying outcome.
Additionally, some of his ideology pertaining to understanding how others should cooperate in a work environment didn't fully resonate me, especially his approach to using baseball cards to list personality "statistics" about his employees at Bridgewater. To me, this seems to act as a limiting factor for anyone subjected to it, as I imagine one might box themselves in and subconsciously conform to the statistics they're assigned on their own card, rather than try to actively improve their weaknesses — which is a truism that Dalio himself frequently advocates for. Nonetheless, I found the rest of his advice to be relevant, especially the importance of seeking out "believable" people for topics beyond your scope, and viewing yourself from an objective perspective to accurately diagnose your strengths and weaknesses (and aim to remediate them).
Impact on Me
Reading this book made reevaluate how I view myself — whether it's from a biased, egotistical point of view, or one from which I can identify my own downfalls objectively. I found Dalio's emphasis on having this perspective to be especially pertinent in the context of having "thoughtful disagreements" instead of arguments. While arguments can easily devolve into mindless battles over who is right or wrong, they should really be active discussions in which both parties have a genuine desire to come to the correct conclusion. I also thought about how often I genuinely seek help from more knowledgeable people, rather than selfishly believing that I alone can find the answers to all of my questions.
Top Quotes
People who change their minds because they learned something are winners, whereas those who stubbornly refuse to learn are the losers.
I just want to be right—I don’t care if the right answer comes from me.
If you’re not failing, you’re not pushing your limits, and if you’re not pushing your limits, you’re not maximizing your potential.