What Do I Want To Avoid?
It’s remarkable how much long-term advantage people like us have gotten by trying to be consistently not stupid, instead of trying to be very intelligent. There must be some wisdom in the folk saying: “It’s the strong swimmers who drown — Charlie Munger
Ask yourself, What Do I Want To Avoid? Find out what you want to avoid in life. This can be just as useful if not more than setting big goals and trying to chase after success.
By single-mindedly pursuing your dreams, you run the risk of missing blindingly obvious pitfalls.
These can start from simple things like avoiding toxic people, avoiding an early death (aids, shootings), bad relationships/marriages.
My own to avoid list includes having to commute on a daily basis, dealing with people I don’t like in both professional and personal settings, having high expectations, drama, excess, envy, working on anything I don’t love.
It’s also very useful to have specific to avoid lists like Employers to Avoid, Friends to Avoid, Dating Partners to Avoid.
The exercise will help you narrow down the characteristics that turn you off like people that lie all the time, people that don’t act with integrity, people that constantly criticize.
In dating, I avoid people with insecurity. It often leads to jealousy, control and often times a need for regular reassurance.
This list can also serve as a useful guide for adjusting your own behaviour whenever you catch yourself doing something that you don’t like in others.