This inspiration for this post came coincidently from reading two different passages on positioning within a 24-hour period. Or maybe that’s just a result of positioning myself to glean these nuggets of wisdom from very different authors writing at different times.
I fancy myself a practitioner of Stoicism, wherein you make the best of any position with equanimity, playing the hand that you’re dealt. Positioning isn’t something that I consider actively much. Given a moments reflection, however, I’ve probably been ignoring this important aspect to my detriment, so hopefully this becomes an unlock for my life, and, if you’re following me here, you too!
The first passage is from the recent book Clear Thinking by Shane Parrish, the excellent writer on judgment and decision making. To sum up, positioning is akin to reputation or investing – easy to lose in a moment and many multiples of time & effort to eke back. You can place yourself in the best position to achieve your goals by not reacting thoughtlessly and digging yourself into holes which waste energy to escape from. I’ve definitely been guilty of this, and I recommend Clear Thinking to anyone who has shot themselves in the foot in live, love, or labor.
The second passage is from Sahil Bloom’s excellent newsletter, Curiosity Chronicle, on the burgeoning field of AI, which is tangential to my work in the GPU / AI Infra space. The parable tells of a child who asks a parent what their life is worth. To illustrate that worth is contextual, the parent sends the child to different places with a gem and receives wildly different offers for the gem based on who he’s asking. The moral here is to think of yourself as dynamic and position yourself with those that recognize your value.
I love it when disparate readings inform each other and cement an idea from various angles in my mind. I wanted to share and recommend these writings in hopes that it amplifies their wisdom.
Shane Parrish – Clear Thinking
Sahil Bloom – Curiosity Chronicle – The Most Important Choice of Your Life.