List of the Most Useful Razors and Rules from Famous and Successful Personalities
Bezos’ Razors
- If unsure what action to take, let your 80-year-old self make the decision.
- If unsure who to work with, pick the person who would have the best chance of breaking you out of a third-world prison.
Skinner’s Law
- Make the pain of not doing it greater than the pain of doing it.
- Make the pleasure of doing it greater than the pleasure of not doing it.
Luck Razor
- If stuck with two equal options, choose the one that feels like it will generate the most luck later on.
Bragging Razor
- If someone brags about their success or happiness, assume it's half of what they claim.
- If someone downplays their success or happiness, assume it's double what they claim.
Hofstadter’s Law
- It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take Hofstadter’s Law into account.
- Every project costs 2x as much and takes 3x as long – even when you factor this into your projections.
Elon’s Law
- If you have a project, combat Hofstadter’s Law by setting a ridiculously ambitious deadline.
Naval’s Razors
- If you have two choices and it’s 50/50, take the path that’s more painful in the short term.
- If a task is worth less than your ambitious hourly rate – outsource it, automate it, or delete it.
Munger’s Law
- Never allow yourself to have an opinion on a subject unless you can state the opposing argument better than the opposition can.
Hitchens’s Razor
- What can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence.
Newton's Flaming Laser Sword
- If something can be settled by experiment or observation, then it is not worthy of debate.
- Example: UFC 1 > Decade-long debates on the best martial arts.
Joe Rogan’s Razors
- If unsure what action to take – ask what the hero in the movie would do.
- If you're intensely passionate about something and no one around you is interested, assume the internet will help you find your people.
Taleb’s Surgeon
- If presented with two seemingly equal candidates for a role, pick the one with the least charisma.
Discomfort Razor
- The more uncomfortable the activity, the more likely it is to lead to growth.
- The more comfortable the activity, the more likely it is to lead to stagnation.
Chekhov’s Gun
- When telling a story, if it’s non-essential – don’t include it.
Occam’s Razor
- Simple assumptions are more likely to be correct than complex ones.
Walt Disney’s Rule
- If struggling to think clearly about a subject, draw it out.
Schwarzenegger’s Rule
- Never need to monetize your artistic pursuits. That way, you won’t have to sacrifice your inner joy and vision for a payday.
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