Greetings friends,

Thank you to everyone who let me know their thoughts on last weeks email - it really is appreciated.

I hope you enjoy this week and take something valuable away from it.

Killing it with Kagan: An Update.

I will no longer be updating my Kagan series weekly. The reason for this is related to both what I've been learning about the dangers of Ego (and early pride) and the fact that most of the things I am now testing have a longer time horizon than a single week.

As such, I will tie up everything I do test and learn in a series of blog posts at the end of the experiment.

Further Insights on Ego.

Last week I wrote about some lessons that I have gained from my reread of Ego is the Enemy. I haven't read any more - instead, I've continued to reflect on the notes that I took from the first section.

Another key concept that I have been really focusing on can be summed up in a single line: Control your emotions.

Ryan Holiday warns against passion and even titled a chapter "Restrain Yourself".

The argument against Passion is actually one in favour of Purpose. He summarises the difference quite simply. Passion is about (i.e. what we're passionate about), while Purpose has a focus on doing (i.e. the things that we were put onto this world to do, the things that we're willing to endure for.)

Passion is selfish, focusing on solely what we want. Purpose goes beyond this, there is no I, instead there is only what we feel we need to do and give the world. Passion is dangerous and mercurial - Purpose can provide a deep strength that passion could never compare to.

Holiday recommends combining Purpose with Realism (an honest and accurate way of viewing the world and confronting uncomfortable truths), with the pair you'll go much further than Ego-riddled Passion would let you.

Passion is an overwhelming emotion and ties in with the next point: Restrain yourself. You need to gain control of your emotions - the good and the bad - if you really want to achieve long-term success in any field. We don't respect people that let their emotions get the better of them, so why would the world respect us for the same? Learn to control them.

(Note: Controlling does not mean suppressing. It just means gaining a better handle on your emotions, and not letting them make decisions for you.)

The 20th Century Elon.

Elon Musk has become a staple of the Modern World – there are few people who are not impressed by his feats, and fewer still that haven’t heard of him.

His rise and meteoric success across multiple industries and fields, with world-changing impacts, is often linked to his focus on applying scientific thinking to his projects and his natural abilities as a polymath. 

Elon is no doubt a trail-blazer but it may surprise you to know that the above description is not exclusive to him. In fact, you could just as easily apply it to an almost forgotten name – Alfred Loomis.

Loomis – who studied mathematics and science, before graduating magnum cum laude from Harvard Law School – was one of the greatest minds of the twentieth century. He succeeded in law rapidly, before growing bored and moving into finance. Here he applied his scientific mindset, to turn around failing companies and earn higher returns than nearly anyone else in Wall Street.

Not satisfied yet – and now with an immense fortune behind him – he moved back into his initial love of science. He used his fortune to invent innovative technology, pioneer fields and champion unpopular ideas.

How important were his contributions? Here’s just a single example:

He led (and bankrolled) key radar and navigation systems during World War Two. These developments were so crucial that President Roosevelt said that Loomis was second only to Churchill in civilians that helped the Allies win the war.

It’s clear that Loomis was astonishing and a genius. Here’s five of the things we can learn from him:

Apply Scientific Principles.

Charlie Munger – Warren Buffet’s business partner – is known for encouraging others to acquire mental models from numerous fields, allowing you to see more than others whose knowledge may be limited entirely to their own field.

Elon Musk – and likely Loomis – is a big believer in applying First Principles, they’re a great place to start.

Focus on Reinvention.

Loomis had a special talent for reinventing old methods and rewriting rules as he did it.

Applying the First Principles mental model you’ll be able to identify methods for reinvention. Don’t shy away from it, instead, take advantage of it where you can.

Experiment over Theory. 

One of the most notable aspects of Loomis was his ability to acquire knowledge rapidly and make progress in areas that had stalled for years – or were seriously lacking in innovation.

The key to this was his bias for experimenting over just accepting theories. This led him to develop serious hands-on experience and gain an edge over others in the industries and fields he entered.

Develop a bias for experimentation – and reap the rewards.

Invest in your peace of mind.

While some of his investments were questionable at best, Loomis had a knack for spending his money well for the most part.

After establishing his wealth, he was very quick to put the money into establishing more peace of mind for himself – he bought a small island away from the city before eventually buying his dream house and renovating it so that he could conduct most of his work and experiments from home.

Loomis realised that the return in his lifestyle and peace of mind were worth far more than further monetary gains he could have made.

More than one idea.

Perhaps the greatest secret to Loomis’s astronomical success was his seemingly endless flow of ideas. He always had more ideas than he had time to cultivate them.

This gave him an absolute edge over competitors in science, business, and war. It’s an edge that we can develop as well.

The best path to begin with this is to follow James Altucher’s advice and start writing down ten ideas a day (no matter if they’re good or horrible). Over time, you’ll get better at coming up with ideas and have a steady stream of them daily.

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If you're interested in learning more about Alfred Loomis and the countless lessons that you can learn from him, you should check out Tuxedo Park by Jennet Conant.

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Once again, thank you so much for reading. Let me know any thoughts, questions or comments you have on the above.