Page 167 - Ray Dalio - Principles

you are trying to do is consistent with your nature (i.e., your
natural abilities). The third path—accepting your weaknesses
while trying to find ways around them—is the easiest and

typically the most viable path, yet it is the one least followed.
The fourth path, changing what you are going after, is also a
great path, though it requires flexibility on your part to get past
your preconceptions and enjoy the good fit when you find it.

f. Asking others who are strong in areas where you are weak to help you is a
great skill that you should develop no matter what, as it will help you develop
guardrails that will prevent you from doing what you shouldn’t be doing. All

successful people are good at this.

g. Because it is difficult to see oneself objectively, you need to rely on the input
of others and the whole body of evidence. I know that my own life has
been full of mistakes and lots of great feedback. It was only by
looking down on this body of evidence from a higher level that
I was able to get around my mistakes and go after what I
wanted. For as long as I have been practicing this, I still know

I can’t see myself objectively, which is why I continue to rely
so much on the input of others.

h. If you are open-minded enough and determined, you can get virtually
anything you want. So I certainly don’t want to dissuade you from
going after whatever you want. At the same time, I urge you to
reflect on whether what you are going after is consistent with

your nature. Whatever your nature is, there are many paths
that will suit you, so don’t fixate on just one. Should a
particular path close, all you have to do is find another good
one consistent with what you’re like. (You’ll learn a lot about
how to determine what you’re like later, in Understand That
People Are Wired Very Differently.)

But most people lack the courage to confront their own

weaknesses and make the hard choices that this process
requires. Ultimately, it comes down to the following five
decisions:

1. Don’t confuse what you wish were true with what is really true.
2. Don’t worry about looking good—worry instead about achieving your goals.

3. Don’t overweight first-order consequences relative to second- and third-order
ones.
4. Don’t let pain stand in the way of progress.