Unconventional Wisdom

Fascinating and unheard-of insights to help one achieve personal and professional excellence

- S. Ramnarayan

IT IS SAID THAT EXPERIENCE is inevitable; but learning is optional. To be able to learn, we have to be very deliberate in pursuing and facing the truth, which is not always easy. When we seek feedback from fair and objective colleagues on our actions, we may receive criticism; but we still need to ask for clear and honest assessment of our behaviour. Since all these tend to cause intellectual and emotional pain, we may choose to avoid such exploration. That’s why learning from experience is easier said than done.

On the other hand, Ray Dalio, founder of the largest hedge fund in the world that manages $160 billion, and author of the book Principles is a person who has failed well. Rather than wallow in his failure, he had chosen to be brutally honest with himself and reflect on his painful experiences which helped him develop valuable life and work principles. In the 500-plus pages of the book, he shares these principles in three parts.