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Is Reading Naval Ravikant a Good Idea?

Why you should stop reading articles written by the bourgeoisie.

This article might upset some people and might even result in a flame war. Or nobody will react to it. Either way, I wanted to share this with you guys.

Time for Something New

The system is broken, but those who benefit from it won’t agree.

How does society respond to new technology in general? Do you think everyone is open to new technology, even if they would lose their job if mass adoption of it would happen?

Did the horse seller think cars were going to be a good idea?

Those who benefit from a system will try to keep the status-quo as long as possible, because they will keep benefitting from it for years to come.

How can you change your thinking about a system if you are reading about it from someone who has benefitted from it massively?

Making money is actually just that: boring. It’s always the same. Do something that works, and then repeat it over and over again. –– Daniel Wieser

The Questionable Almanack…

What I would like to quote now is the The Almanack of Naval Ravikant (link leads to the online version). A book that is, by reading this article, on everyone’s lips. It’s on the bestseller list too.

Who would have thought?

But, despite all the great reviews and articles about this book, you should not take everything in this book by heart.

Shane Parrish said, that the Almanack is “packed with unforgettable wisdom and penetrating insights, your mental gears will be working overtime”.

Are you sure?

The following quote stood out and made me question whether the author is someone who I should listen too…

Another example is all the people you dated until you met your husband or wife. It was wasted time in the goal sense. Not wasted in the exponential sense, not wasted in the learning sense, but definitely wasted in the goal sense. — p49

Why does Naval Ravikant think this way? Is a person truly a waste of your time if you loved them?

When you’re dating, the instant you know this relationship is not going to be the one that leads to marriage, you should probably move on. — p49

Holy shit. That’s a real quote.

Here is another one, not about love, that will question his sanity.

It’s not well thought out properly:

When you’re studying something, like a geography or history class, and you realize you are never going to use the information, drop the class. It’s a waste of time. It’s a waste of your brain energy. — p49

Naval is right:

If you are stupid you are probably going to do that.

If you think you will be working at a fast food chain restaurant anyway, you will never need history or geography.

Good grief, please drop out of it already!

The Almanack is a good resource for valuable insights but also includes questionable advice…

Do This Instead…

The truth of the matter is this:

By the time you are learning the first time about X you can’t possibly know how X could benefit you in the future. If it is a small part of your curriculum, better to finish it to have a complete overview of everything related.

Be Open To new Ideas…

I think of Naval Ravikant as a man who is interested in science and usually has good ideas that you will absolutely benefit from. The following quote resonated with me––and with you too probably:

Reading science, math, and philosophy one hour per day will likely put you at the upper echelon of human success within seven years. — p113

So how come his perception of relationships — as a way to achieve a “marriage” — is so outdated in relation to his other ideas?

I really don’t know.

It just tells me that you should take everything from everyone with a grain of salt –– even if it’s Naval Ravikant!

Conclusion

No matter who you read from, but especially when the book/author is very popular, question everything.

I am probably not going to become very popular with this article.

But that’s okay.

Everything popular is wrong.–– Oscar Wilde

Popular doesn’t mean better by any absolute scale. Popular simply means that more people like this thing than that thing. — Seth Godin

Understanding "popular"

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