Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it. He who doesn’t, pays it. Albert Einstein
This quote was said in reference to money, but is widely applicable. When we have encountered truly impressive people, it has been due to their deliberate practice of items that compound over years.
These are key areas we deliberately seek to compound:
- Acquisition of knowledge: the effects of many inputs – great conversations, reading, interviews, speeches, etc. – over time are immense.
- Acquisition of wisdom: deliberately distilling knowledge and experience into competence with regard to the realities of life [1] is desirable above all else. [2]
- What we eat and drink: unhealthy food and drink is unlikely to kill us in the short-run. Consuming it in large quantities over decades is very risky. Our bodies are imperfect, complex adaptive systems. They will eventually break down. We prefer not to accelerate the process. We also feel better and have more energy when we eat food that is good for us in reasonable quantities.
- Physical exercise: similar to food and drink – our bodies are imperfect, complex adaptive systems subject to growth and atrophy. Our physical capabilities adapt to our physical needs. If we do not exercise our physical capabilities they will atrophy, become frail, and can accelerate our decline (e.g. the road to death often begins with a broken hip…so lift weights and never stop lifting). [3] We also feel better and have more energy when we stay active.
- Mental exercise (dialectic): similar to physical exercise – our brains are imperfect, complex adaptive systems subject to growth and atrophy. Most of our purposes require superb ability to pursue truth and reason well, so we must intentionally exercise and grow these capabilities.
- Verbal expression (rhetoric): similar to mental exercise – our communication faculties are imperfect, complex adaptive systems subject to growth and atrophy. Most of our purposes require superb ability to communicate in a clear and concise manner to be effective, so we must intentionally exercise and grow these capabilities.
Notes and references
[1] Thanks, Gerhard von Rad
[2] Proverbs 8:11 (paraphrase)
[3] Thanks, Peter Attia
Last updated: 2021 (v4)
Prior versions: 2018 (v3), 2016 (v2), 2014 (v1)