Once, I was asked what advice I’d give to young graduates. My answer was: “Strategize every move.”
I admire the opportunism I see in many young people, though it often feels more tactical than strategic. My wish for them is to channel that opportunism onto strategic rails.
To jump higher, athletes often step back first. The farther the step back, the higher the jump – usually. Moving backward isn’t always a loss; it can be part of the strategy.
Nanny state thinks of plastic surgery!
Rehearsal
Before important negotiations, it helps to discuss the topic with trusted, sharp-minded people who can collectively play the role of your opponent. They’ll push you to find realistic answers so you’re fully prepared for the real clash!
Dark blue collar
Current situation in the world: Blue-collar has been turning dark blue, just like the blue blood. The rise of inequality!
Life after 40
Society has established certain expectations for what people should accomplish before the age of 40: go to university, get married, find a job, earn and save money, start a family, and so on. But when it comes to the next 40 years – from 40 to 80 – society, unfortunately, offers no clear blueprint or guidance.
The freedom to choose
Existentialism explained:
The problem is that there are two things we have no choice in:
1. We are not asked whether we want to come into this world.
2. We are not asked whether we want to leave it.
Where there is no choice, there is no freedom, no meaning. Only in this life are we free to choose – and to take responsibility for those choices. What matters most is that we always remain honest with ourselves.
The price of greatness
All great people believe their greatness will be rewarded with tolerance for their entitlement. But only great artists are forgiven for the chaos they create in their private lives. Do great leaders have this luxury? Apparently not. Take Churchill, for example.
These thoughts were sparked by the movie Maestro, about Leonard Bernstein’s private life. I think there’s an explanation for this difference: when a great artist creates a mess, it usually concerns only themselves and a few mistresses or lovers. But when political leaders create a mess, it often affects millions.
The peace dividend
Military gets resources and, in return, delivers public goods – security, defense, and a tool for diplomacy. But what about peacetime? We need to make the case for a public good produced then: a good citizen, a mature individual?
Defense by design
For a country facing existential risks, the defense industry is typically under the military.
Pluses: long-term programs.
Minuses: less efficiency.
For a country with a “big brother,” the defense industry might fall under the Ministry of Industry.
Pluses: greater efficiency.
Minuses: stronger inclination toward civilian projects.
The boarding school model
If you asked me to choose one thing the UK still does better than any other country in the world, I would say it’s the private boarding school industry. Centuries of intense competition between these institutions have led to high productivity, streamlined processes, and interesting managerial practices. While at first you may be free to explore and study any subject you like, by high school your ability to choose the most prestigious or in-demand subjects depends on your track record in earlier years. If you’ve studied them well and achieved good grades, you’re allowed to take them.
But it’s not just about subjects. Even the roommates assigned by the school often depend on academic performance (though this isn’t formalized and schools would likely deny it if asked directly). If you’ve done well in previous years, you’ll most likely be placed with the best-performing and best-behaved boys; otherwise, you get what you deserve.