“We have no need of other worlds. We need mirrors. We don’t know what to do with other worlds. A single world, our own, suffices us; but we can’t accept it for what it is.”

“Indifference is the strongest force in the universe. It makes everything it touches meaningless. Love and hate don’t stand a chance against it.”

“There never can be a man so lost as one who is lost in the vast and intricate corridors of his own lonely mind, where none may reach and none may save.”

“You cannot buy the revolution. You cannot make the revolution. You can only be the revolution. It is in your spirit, or it is nowhere.”

“It’s not the end of the world at all. It’s only the end for us. The world will go on just the same, only we shan’t be in it. I dare say it will get along all right without us.”

“We all have our time machines, don’t we. Those that take us back are memories… And those that carry us forward, are dreams.”

“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”

“You can never know everything, and part of what you know is always wrong. Perhaps even the most important part. A portion of wisdom lies in knowing that. A portion of courage lies in going on anyways.”

“We are, each of us, a multitude. I am not the man I was this morning, nor the man of yesterday. I am a throng of myself queued through time. We are, gentle reader, each a crowd within a crowd.”

“Life is beautiful and life is stupid. As long as you keep that in mind, and never give more weight to one than the other, the history of the galaxy, the history of a planet, the history of a person is a simple tune with lyrics flashed on-screen and a helpful, friendly bouncing disco ball of glittering, occasionally peaceful light to help you follow along. Cue the music. Cue the dancers. Cue tomorrow.”

Far from cold science, these lines are all about emotion, insight, and wonder within the pages of sci-fi favorites.

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In his latest <a href="https://www.blackrock.com/corporate/investor-relations/larry-fink-annual-chairmans-letter">annual letter</a>, Larry Fink—CEO of BlackRock—shared his outlook on where investing is headed.One idea stood out to me: the push toward making investing more inclusive, especially when it comes to private markets.Why does this matter? Because Fink sees private market access not just as a financial opportunity, but as a powerful tool to spread prosperity more widely—even in uncertain times like these.Here are the six key lessons I took from his message—insights I believe every investor should take to heart.

Introduction

Larry Fink talks about something he calls the “prosperity flywheel”—and I think it’s a concept every investor should understand.It’s a cycle where broader access to investment opportunities leads to more innovation, more growth, and more wealth creation—not just for big institutions, but for everyday investors like us.

1. The Prosperity Flywheel: Why Access Matters More Than Ever

Private markets play a key role here. Historically, they’ve delivered stronger returns than public markets, partly because they’re less affected by short-term noise and volatility.But the catch? Most individual investors have been left out.Fink believes that opening up access to private markets can unlock a new wave of prosperity. More people investing = more capital flowing = more growth.And if we’re not part of that? We’re likely missing out on a big piece of future potential.

Larry Fink reminds us that the answer isn’t to give up on markets—but to make them bigger and more inclusive.Market democratization isn’t new; it started over 400 years ago with the creation of public stock markets, which allowed everyday investors to own a piece of growing companies.But here’s the catch: that democratization hasn’t fully reached private markets—until now.

2. Market Democratization: Expanding Access for Everyone

Today, accredited investors have new ways to invest in pre-IPO companies through platforms like <a href="https://equityzen.com/">EquityZen</a>, where you can start with as little as $5,000.This shift is breaking down the walls between public and private markets, opening fresh opportunities for growth.In my view, this is the next big step in democratizing investing—and it’s one we can’t afford to ignore.

Larry Fink points out a simple but powerful truth: some of the most groundbreaking assets—think data centers, ports, power grids, and the fastest-growing private companies—aren’t available to most investors.They live in private markets, often behind barriers that only the ultra-wealthy or giant institutions can cross.

3. Private Markets: Where Tomorrow’s Innovations Are Being Built

Take innovation, for example.Industries like artificial intelligence and cybersecurity are booming, with over 1,200 “unicorn” companies valued at a staggering $4.4 trillion—all still private.These companies are staying private longer, which raises a big question: how much growth potential remains by the time they eventually go public?From where I stand, gaining access to private markets—while it comes with risks—is becoming essential for investors who want to be part of the next wave of innovation and growth.

Larry Fink envisions the future of investing moving away from "the classic 60/40 stock-to-bond portfolio" toward something more like 50/30/20—where private assets like real estate, infrastructure, and private credit make up a meaningful chunk.But here’s the challenge: Bridging that gap between public and private markets is tough for most investors. Even those who can afford it often end up putting all their private allocation into just one fund. That’s hardly true diversification.

4. Rethinking Diversification: Beyond the Traditional 60/40

From my perspective, private assets deserve a bigger role in a well-rounded portfolio because they offer exposure beyond stocks and bonds, potentially boosting returns and reducing concentration risks.The problem? Private market investments have long been out of reach for many—high minimum investments, limited liquidity, and complicated processes made entry difficult.The good news? Technology is changing the game.New platforms are lowering these barriers, giving more accredited investors—not just the ultra-wealthy—a real chance to diversify and strengthen their portfolios with private assets.

Larry Fink emphasizes that private markets don’t have to be risky, opaque, or out of reach.The real game-changer? Innovation in data.Unlike public markets, private markets haven’t historically offered transparent, timely information. But that’s changing fast.

5. Data: The Key to True Market Democratization

Thanks to platforms like <a href="https://pitchbook.com/">Pitchbook</a> and <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/">Yahoo! Finance</a>, investors now have better tools to research private market opportunities.Take <a href="https://equityzen.com/">EquityZen</a>, for example — its <a href="https://blog.equityzen.com/view-the-private-market-like-never-before">“Private Market Map”</a> and detailed Company Pages offer data drawn from over 45,000 transactions across 450+ private companies.For me, this improved access to data is crucial. It’s what makes private markets more accessible, simpler to navigate, and fairer—helping level the playing field for all investors.

Larry Fink highlights an important but often overlooked point: private assets are not only allowed in retirement accounts—they can be highly beneficial and are becoming more transparent.For many investors, retirement accounts hold their largest pool of investable funds. Adding private market investments to these accounts is gaining traction as a smart way to pursue long-term growth.What resonates with me is how well private investments’ long-term horizons align with retirement goals. This makes them a natural fit for retirement portfolios looking to balance growth and stability over decades.

6. Including Private Assets in Retirement Portfolios Makes Sense

Larry Fink’s letter drives home a crucial point: private market access is becoming an essential part of investing today—and you don’t have to wait to get involved.Accredited investors can already tap into the growth of promising private companies before they hit the public markets, helping to build a more inclusive financial future.

Final Thoughts

That said, private investments come with risks. They tend to be illiquid, speculative, and not every company will go public or be acquired.It’s important to remember that diversification doesn’t guarantee profits or protect against losses.Also, tools like the Private Market Map and Company Pages are great for reference but shouldn’t replace personalized financial advice.Always consider your own risk tolerance and do your homework before diving in.

Important Risk Warning: Proceed with Caution in Private Markets

BlackRock’s CEO, Larry Fink, recently made a strong case for giving more investors access to private markets. As I see it, his perspective isn’t just theory—it’s a signal of where the investment world is heading, especially for accredited investors ready to take action.

Discover the world of business and economics.

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Economics

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Money & Investments

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Technology & The Future

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Business

What I’ve Learned from BlackRock’s CEO: 6 Lessons Every Investor Should Live By

Teaching is the highest form of understanding.If you can break down a concept so clearly that a 12-year-old could grasp it, you truly own that knowledge.Explaining forces you to clarify fuzzy thinking, expose gaps in understanding, and connect loose ends.It transforms passive recall into active processing.<ol><li>Pick a concept or skill you want to understand deeply.</li><li>Write out an explanation in the simplest terms possible.</li><li>Spot what’s unclear or confusing.</li><li>Study those parts again.</li><li>Simplify further until it flows smoothly.</li></ol><a href="https://thebookthreads.beehiiv.com/subscribe">Think and Grow Rich Visual Book</a> (its FREE)

1. The Feynman Technique — Learn by Teaching

Let’s say you’re learning how Bitcoin works.Try explaining it like this:“Bitcoin is a digital currency. Instead of being printed, it’s mined by computers solving math problems. These solutions verify transactions and are recorded on a public list called the blockchain.”If you can’t get to that level of clarity, go back and refine your knowledge.

Example

“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”

We retain information better when it’s presented in multiple formats—especially visual + verbal.Different parts of your brain process visual and linguistic information. When both are activated, learning is enhanced through deeper encoding and better recall.<ul><li>Draw diagrams, timelines, and concept maps.</li><li>Use infographics to summarize written notes.</li><li>Explain visuals in your own words to deepen encoding.</li></ul>

If you’re learning about marketing funnels, create a flowchart showing each stage (Awareness → Consideration → Conversion) and pair it with definitions in simple words.It’s like downloading a file in two formats. You always have a backup if one fails.

“People learn better from words and pictures than from words alone.”

We forget what we don’t revisit.Spacing reviews over time strengthens memory.Each time you revisit material after a delay, your brain has to work harder to retrieve it. This difficulty boosts retention through a phenomenon called “desirable difficulty.”<ul><li>Use apps like Anki or physical flashcards.</li><li>Schedule review sessions: Day 1 → Day 3 → Day 7 → Day 14.</li><li>Keep sessions short but focused.</li></ul>

3. Spaced Repetition — Beat the Forgetting Curv

Learn new vocabulary on Monday, quiz yourself on Wednesday, again on Saturday, then review it next week. You’ll remember far more than if you studied it all at once.Learning is like watering a plant. You don’t flood it once. You water it often.

Example:

“Practice doesn’t make perfect. Practice with spacing makes permanent.”

Mixing up topics (instead of studying one in isolation) helps you learn to apply skills in varied, real-world situations.Interleaving forces your brain to recognize patterns, make distinctions, and apply context—rather than rote memorization.<ul><li>Rotate between different but related subjects (e.g., copywriting, storytelling, branding).</li><li>Quiz yourself on mixed problems instead of grouped ones.</li><li>Build study playlists that jump between topics.</li></ul>ExampleA basketball player practices shooting, passing, and defense all in the same session—not just shooting for 2 hours.

4.Interleaving — Mix, Don’t Block

“Studying multiple skills at once improves your ability to distinguish between them.”

Mind maps organize ideas around a central theme and help you see relationships between concepts.Visual-spatial organization triggers associative thinking, reinforcing connections between pieces of knowledge.<ul><li>Start with a central idea in the middle of the page.</li><li>Branch out with subtopics, then further branch with examples or supporting ideas.</li><li>Use color, images, and curved lines to make it memorable.</li></ul>

If you’re learning personal finance, your mind map might branch into: Income → Budgeting → Investing → Taxes → Debt.A mind map is like a mental subway map—easy to navigate and always showing how ideas link.Great for brainstorming, revising, and connecting ideas quickly.

“The mind doesn’t think in lines. It thinks in networks.”

Chunking organizes information into manageable, meaningful units so your brain can store and retrieve them efficiently.Our working memory has a limited capacity (around 7 pieces of info).Chunking bypasses this by turning many inputs into one pattern or structure.<ul><li>Group related facts, ideas, or steps together.</li><li>Create acronyms, phrases, or visual groupings.</li><li>Practice until each chunk becomes automatic.</li></ul>Example:Phone numbers use chunking: 555–867–5309 instead of 5558675309.Think of LEGO blocks. Build small, then assemble into something big.

“The essence of intelligence is the ability to make distinctions.”

Not all learning inputs are equal. Identify and focus on the high-leverage 20%.Most outcomes are driven by a small number of causes. In learning, mastering the fundamentals drives 80% of long-term skill development.<ul><li>Deconstruct the skill.</li><li>Find what drives results (e.g., in writing: clarity, headlines, storytelling).</li><li>Obsess over those core inputs.</li></ul>Example:In learning guitar, chords and rhythm give you 80% of playing ability. Advanced solos are the other 20%.In writing, 20% of effort goes to headlines, intros, and clarity. Nail those first.

7. Pareto Principle — Learn The 20% That Drives 80%

“80% of results come from 20% of the effort.”

SQ3R is a 5-step strategy for reading actively and retaining more.It transforms reading from passive intake to active construction of meaning. You engage with material before, during, and after reading.<ol><li>Survey — Skim headings and structure.</li><li>Question — What do I want to learn from this?</li><li>Read — Engage deeply with purpose.</li><li>Recite — Summarize in your own words.</li><li>Review — Revisit your notes or key takeaways.</li></ol>Example:Before reading a productivity book, ask, “How does this help me with time management?” Then read with that lens.It’s like going on a road trip with a map—not just wandering.

Every skill has a “Dip”—a low point where motivation fades and progress slows.Most people quit here.Smart learners plan for it.Expecting the Dip reframes struggle as part of the process. It builds grit and mental toughness.<ul><li>Track progress weekly, not daily.</li><li>Use visual reminders of long-term goals.</li><li>Normalize boredom. Mastery is repetitive.</li></ul>Example:You’re 3 weeks into coding and it stops being fun. You hit bugs. You stall. That’s the Dip. Most quit. You push through.The Dip is like mile 17 in a marathon—keep going, and the finish line appears.

Most people forget 90% of what they learn within a week.
They consume endless content but retain nothing.
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Artificial intelligence (AI)—especially generative AI—is rapidly emerging as a key engine of global economic growth.Goldman Sachs Research estimates it could add nearly $7 trillion to global GDP over the next decade by driving major productivity gains across industries.While long-term forecasts deserve caution, AI’s impact is already visible. Tools like ChatGPT can mimic human conversation, while others are diagnosing cancer, predicting equipment failures, and generating realistic images and videos.

This momentum is backed by strong investor confidence. In 2024, global venture capital investment in AI hit $100 billion, up 80% year-over-year (Crunchbase).While U.S. startups received the lion’s share, AI is also helping traditional tech companies upgrade legacy systems and improve their offerings—underscoring AI's transformative role across the board.So, which companies are leading the AI revolution?Here’s a closer look at 10 influential players shaping the future of artificial intelligence—and why they matter to investors.

Amazon is a major force in AI, thanks largely to the strength of its cloud division, Amazon Web Services (AWS).As the global leader in cloud infrastructure—with a 30% market share and an annual revenue run rate of $115 billion—AWS provides the backbone for many AI applications. Cloud platforms like AWS are essential for AI development due to their scalability, cost-efficiency, centralized data management, and robust analytics capabilities.AWS has evolved into a full-fledged AI development platform.

1. Amazon (AMZN)

Tools like SageMaker and Bedrock help developers easily build, train, and deploy AI models while offering seamless integration with AWS-hosted data and strong built-in security.Amazon also leverages AI internally. Its Amazon Q assistant—developed on AWS—saved the company an estimated $250 million in a major Java migration project that would have otherwise taken 4,500 developer-years.Beyond software, Amazon is investing in AI hardware tailored.Its custom-built chip, Trainium2, is designed to efficiently handle complexity and has delivered top results at competitive costs for enterprise users.

Founded in 2016 by Clément Delangue, Julien Chaumond, and Thomas Wolf, Hugging Face began as a chatbot designed for teens.While the chatbot didn’t gain much traction, the founders uncovered a more valuable opportunity: a need for a centralized platform to share, evaluate, and collaborate on open-source AI models.That pivot proved visionary. Today, Hugging Face is a leading hub for the AI community, hosting over 1.5 million models and more than 340,000 datasets.Users can filter models by use case—such as translation, summarization, audio, and video.

2. Hugging Face

Even each listing includes code samples, documentation, benchmarks, and licensing details, making AI development more accessible and collaborative.Company’s potential hasn’t gone unnoticed.In 2023, Hugging Face raised $235 million at a $4.5 billion valuation. The investor list reads like a who’s who of the tech world—Google, Amazon, Nvidia, Intel, AMD, Qualcomm, IBM, Salesforce, and Sound Ventures.Despite generating modest revenue, the high valuation—reportedly 100x its annual revenue—reflects strong investor confidence in the platform’s long-term growth and influence in the open-source AI.

Founded in late 2015 by a group of high-profile investors including Elon Musk, Reid Hoffman, Peter Thiel, and Sam Altman, OpenAI’s mission is to ensure that advanced artificial intelligence benefits all of humanity.Early progress was slow, but the company found its breakthrough by focusing on generative AI. This led to the development of the GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) models, culminating in the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022.ChatGPT quickly captured global attention, attracting over 100 million users within two months—making it the fastest-growing app in history.

3. OpenAI

Despite intense competition in the AI space, OpenAI’s technology remains widely used and influential.The company generates revenue by providing access to its AI models for developers and through various ChatGPT subscriptions.In 2025, OpenAI expects revenues to triple to $12.7 billion (CNBC).However, staying at the forefront of AI requires heavy investment, especially in data center infrastructure.To support its ambitious growth plans, OpenAI is reportedly considering raising $40 billion at a valuation of $300 billion.

DeepSeek traces its origins to Chinese hedge fund manager Liang Wenfeng, who founded the quantitative hedge fund High-Flyer in 2015.Wenfeng used AI to identify investment opportunities and optimize portfolios, assembling a team of top data scientists to develop advanced AI models.However, when the U.S. government restricted sales of Nvidia’s GPUs—critical for AI processing—to China, Wenfeng’s team had to innovate.They employed cutting-edge techniques like “distillation” and “mixture of experts” to build AI systems that required less processing power.

4. DeepSeek

Distillation: using large AI models to train smaller, efficient ones.

Mixture of Experts: training specialized parts of a model for specific tasks.

These innovations led to the launch of DeepSeek, a startup that released its R1 AI model earlier this year.The model demonstrated strong performance, rivaling established AI systems like ChatGPT, yet reportedly cost less than $6 million to develop.DeepSeek’s open-source release shook the AI market.On the day of the announcement, Nvidia’s stock dropped 17%, erasing about $600 billion in market value—highlighting the disruptive potential of nimble startups in a volatile AI landscape.While DeepSeek’s future is unclear, but its rise highlights the serious competition big AI firms face.

n 2009, a group of computer science students at UC Berkeley launched Apache Spark, an open-source project designed to simplify data processing for AI models—perfect timing as deep learning technology was gaining momentum.Building on Spark’s success, the founders created Databricks, a comprehensive data platform that offers analytics, security, and governance.

5. Databricks

Today, over 10,000 customers, including major names like Comcast, Shell, and Rivian, rely on Databricks to manage their data and power AI initiatives.Under CEO Ali Ghodsi, Databricks has pursued an aggressive acquisition strategy. Last year, the company acquired Tabular for around $2 billion.In early 2025, Databricks raised $10 billion in funding at a $62 billion valuation, along with a $5.25 billion credit facility—resources that will help fuel further growth and acquisitions.

Meta takes a different approach from other tech giants by focusing on building open-source AI models. In early 2023, it launched Llama (Large Language Model Meta AI), positioning itself as a key player in AI development.One of Meta’s biggest strengths is its access to massive datasets. With platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp boasting over 3.3 billion daily users.

6. Meta Platforms Inc (META)

Meta can leverage this data to deliver highly intelligent and personalized experiences, including its Meta AI assistant.CEO Mark Zuckerberg highlights Meta AI’s scale, stating, “Meta AI is already used by more people than any other assistant, and once a service reaches that kind of scale it usually develops a durable long-term advantage.”

Google researchers made a breakthrough in 2017 by publishing the paper “Attention Is All You Need,” which introduced the transformer model — the foundation of today’s generative AI.Although Google pioneered this technology, it was slow to commercialize AI products. The launch of ChatGPT by competitors sparked urgency, leading Google to release its own AI assistant, Bard, which initially disappointed users.Since then, Google has made significant progress. Its latest AI model, Gemini 2.5, delivers strong performance with advanced multi-step reasoning.

7. Alphabet Inc (GOOG, GOOGL)

In demonstrations, Gemini 2.5 even created a video game from a single prompt, showcasing its versatility.Beyond language AI, Alphabet owns Waymo, a leading self-driving taxi service operating in several U.S. cities including Phoenix, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.Waymo’s vehicles have proven safer than human drivers, with 83% fewer airbag deployment crashes and 81% fewer injury-causing incidents in key markets.Last October, Waymo secured $5.6 billion in funding, led by Alphabet, and now completes over 100,000 paid trips per week, a tenfold increase from the previous year.

Founded in 1993, Nvidia (NVDA) began as a pioneer in graphics processing units (GPUs), primarily serving the booming gaming industry.In 2012, breakthrough research by Alex Krizhevsky, Ilya Sutskever, and Geoffrey Hinton demonstrated that Nvidia’s GPUs were highly effective for training advanced AI models, such as those used in image recognition.These chips excel at processing large amounts of data in parallel, and Nvidia’s Cuda software enabled deep customization — a key advantage for AI developers.Back then, Nvidia’s market value was around $7–8 billion.

8. Nvidia Corp (NVDA)

The AI boom has since propelled it to a staggering $2.6 trillion valuation, ranking it among the world’s most valuable companies.Over the past year, Nvidia’s revenues skyrocketed by 114% to $130.5 billion.Despite rising competition in the GPU market, Nvidia stands out thanks to heavy investment in research and development — nearly $13 billion in the last year — and a strong ecosystem.The number of developers using the Cuda platform more than doubled from 2.5 million to 5.1 million between 2021 and 2024, while AI startups relying on Nvidia surged from 7,000 to 19,000 in the same period.

In 2019, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella made a bold move by investing $1 billion in OpenAI — a little-known research lab at the time.The bet was strategic: Nadella recognized that AI would be central to Microsoft’s long-term success, and OpenAI had a world-class team. Microsoft would go on to invest an additional $13 billion, securing a 49% ownership stake.The partnership has proven transformative. Microsoft gained exclusive access to OpenAI’s models and became its sole cloud provider, tightly integrating OpenAI’s technology into Microsoft’s products and infrastructure.

9. Microsoft Corp (MSFT)

That initial investment is now estimated to be worth nearly $150 billion. AI-driven revenues at Microsoft reached $13 billion over the past year, a 175% increase year-over-year.Growth is being fueled by a broad ecosystem that includes Azure AI Foundry for developers, Microsoft Copilot products for consumers and enterprises, and Copilot Studio, which enables businesses to create their own AI tools.In the most recent quarter alone, users built over 400,000 AI agents using Microsoft’s platforms — double the volume from the previous quarter.

As AI becomes more efficient and accessible, we will see exponentially more demand.

Founded in 2021 by former OpenAI executives Dario and Daniela Amodei, Anthropic was born out of a commitment to AI safety.Anthropic’s latest release, Claude 3.7 Sonnet, offers a novel feature: users can choose between fast responses or multi-step reasoning depending on the task — from simple fact lookups to complex problem-solving.In March 2025, Anthropic raised $3.5 billion at a $61.5 billion valuation, backed by leading investors including Lightspeed, Bessemer, Cisco, Fidelity, and Salesforce Ventures — signaling strong confidence in its approach to ethical, cutting-edge AI.

10. Anthropic

AI isn’t just enhancing existing industries — it’s reinventing them. The companies on this list are not just chasing trends; they’re creating the infrastructure, platforms, and ethical foundations of a new era.From cloud giants like Microsoft to startups like Anthropic and Hugging Face, each one offers a unique window into how AI is evolving.For investors, these names represent more than just potential returns.They reflect where capital, talent, and long-term vision are converging. Even how consumers interact with technology, and how governments think about innovation, safety, and regulation.

Conclusion

Understanding these companies means staying ahead of the curve. It means seeing not only where AI is today, but where it's going — in healthcare, education, mobility, content creation, enterprise software, and beyond.—These aren't just tech companies.—They're architects of a smarter future.Whether you're investing, building, or simply learning — this is your opportunity to witness history in the making. The next decade will be defined by how these AI breakthroughs are applied, scaled, and governed.And those who understand the landscape early will have the clearest advantage.

Meet these 10 pioneering AI companies are not only pushing the boundaries of machine learning and generative AI, but also reshaping industries. Positioning themselves as the most influential players in the next wave of technological transformation.

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Artificial Intelligence

🤖 10 Game-Changing AI Companies Every Investor Should Know

Benjamin Franklin grew up in working-class conditions, starting his career early on as a tradesman and then pivoting into writing for and producing newspapers. He decided he was destined for more at an early age. As such, he created 13 guiding principles on a long ship ride across the Atlantic, which shaped the path to becoming the esteemed scientist, writer, politician, and founding father over the next 50 years.

A Long Ship Ride Across The Atlantic

”Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.” Modern medicine confirms the wide variety of health benefits that come from avoiding overeating and obesity, including the promotion of longevity. Likewise, imbibing alcoholic beverages frequently contributes to an increased risk of a variety of diseases and all-cause mortality. More likely along the lines of Franklin’s thinking when creating this first principle, gluttony from food and alcohol can stifle personal productivity and diminish others’ perception of us.

Virtue #1: Temperance

“Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation .”Franklin hosted a variety of philosophical clubs throughout his life. These clubs would often involve debates and intellectual sparring between members. Franklin cut his teeth during these debates, which contributed to him evolving into the politician, diplomat, and founding father that he became. In his professional and personal life, Franklin preferred deep conversation over small talk. Social scientists have found that deeper conversational topics promote social bonding more than small talk.

Virtue #2: Silence

”Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.” Being organized in one’s physical spaces and in how one spends their time was important to Franklin. Both facets of this wisdom help us enhance personal productivity while simultaneously avoiding careless errors, such as losing an important document or missing an important business meeting. The order principle taps into the personality trait of conscientiousness, which is the strongest of the Big 5 traits in predicting success metrics.

Virtue #3: Order

“Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.” Here we see another tried and true statement about honoring one’s word. Franklin was a strong believer in commitment and performing work dutifully. Those who stick to their professional and personal commitments are held in higher regard compared to those who fail to do so.

Virtue #4: Resolution

“Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself (i.e., waste nothing).” Franklin did not tolerate financial wastefulness. He developed frugal habits early on in life. Even later in life, when Franklin was wealthy, he practiced and preached the importance of economical behavior. He often wore old robes to high-stakes political meetings (perhaps to a fault), and he was quick to instill a lesson in frugality whenever a family member requested something extravagant. Indeed, research suggests that materialistic aspirations are negatively associated with happiness and psychological health.

Virtue #5: Frugality

“Lose no time; be always employed in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.” The list of lifetime accomplishments on Franklin’s CV is as astonishing: He discovered electricity, understood the cause of colds (germs, not cold air), observed that exercise prevents disease and exercise intensity is more important than duration, linked illness across a variety of trades as being caused by lead poisoning, established police and firefighting systems, established a postal system between the colonies and worked as postmaster, and established the declaration of independence.

Virtue #6: Industry

“Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.” Franklin was a proponent of telling the truth above all else. Franklin was a gentlemanly politician who preferred to discuss matters cordially and thoroughly. The sincerity principle operates similarly to authenticity, a construct that describes Franklin well and is associated with increased likability.

Virtue #7: Sincerity

“Wrong none by doing injuries or omitting the benefits that are your duty.” Treat others fairly and fulfill your moral duties. Avoid causing physical or emotional damage to others and go further by helping others whom you consider your adversary if it is your job to do so. This principle helped Franklin serve effectively as an intermediary between the U.S. and Britain during tense times. Psychology research confirms that seeking revenge can have negative consequences, personally and socially.

Virtue #8: Justice

“Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.” The key idea here is to stay balanced in life. Franklin advocates for harmony across disciplines as evidence of the variety of accomplishments and careers he held. Social science research supports the idea that balance is important for avoiding burnout and maintaining creativity and consistency.

Virtue #9: Moderation

“Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes, or habitation.”Although perhaps less enlightening than the other principles, keep in mind this was before running water and the germ theory of disease. As silly as this sounds now, Franklin was forward-thinking in his cleanliness principle, which may have contributed to his significantly longer than average life. Health scientists are now unanimous in their recommendation of personal hygiene practices.

Virtue #10: Cleanliness

”Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.” Franklin was a student of Stoic philosophy. If something negative happens to you that is outside of your control, accept your bad luck and move on without brooding in negative emotions. Psychology research finds that ruminating on negative events hurts well-being and mental health.

Virtue #11: Tranquility

“Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation.” This one is a bit personal to Franklin: Franklin’s first child was conceived out of wedlock to a woman who was never revealed by Franklin nor discovered by historians. Franklin was criticized for his personal indiscretion by enemies throughout his career, and it took a toll on his marriage. Recent research finds that sexual misconduct is punished even more harshly than academic misconduct (misreporting or faking data).

Virtue #12: Chastity

“Imitate Jesus and Socrates.” Practice humility by learning from wise and virtuous role models. Franklin was a lifelong learner and an astounding scholar, receiving several honorary doctoral degrees despite having zero formal education. He believed in learning from others, which aligns well with the classic psychology finding of observational learning.

Virtue #13: Humility

At the ripe old age of twenty, Benjamin Franklin created his own list of 13 virtues. His selections were ordered by importance, and he saw the earliest ones as being needed to achieve the latter ones. They were also chosen for simplicity, as each covers a small and defined area of character.

How Benjamin Franklin understood psychological principles to help guide him to an extraordinary life, and what you can learn from them.

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