The 50th Law – Part 4: Turn Shit Into Sugar. Opportunism. - a podcast by Jon & Dre

Shit is abundant – a near infinite supply of it as available to you at any given moment. But like most things that're easy to come by, it's not what we want or what we value. So how can we transform it into something sweeter?

This week we explore how to turn negatives into positives without disappearing up our own asses in a cloud of glitter and new-age platitudes. Instead, we tease out the crucial difference between believing 'everything happens for a reason', and rising to the occasion to turn shitty situations into something better.

'Turning shit into sugar' is Stoicism made real for modern times, pushing us into becoming the venture capitalists of our own life experience. That's how 50 Cent turned nine bullet wounds and a lost record deal into the springboard that launched him to superstardom. Thankfully, you don't need to get shot to do the same in your own life.

Opportunism gets a bad rap, but we reveal how this really stems from power structures designed to keep you down. Haven't people always praised ingenuity and the ability to seize the moment? So why does doing it today get labelled 'opportunism', as though you're some dodgy character dedicated to screwing everyone else over?

We dive into the archetypes of Greek and Roman and Norse mythology; weigh up whether cramming or planning reaps the best rewards; and ask what kind of intelligence is really the most useful?

And there's plenty of time to lay into the stupidity of clinging to 'strong and stable' systems, Donald Trump, and people who go to the gym and do nothing to challenge themselves.

This Episode Includes:

• Opportunism vs. Ingenuity
• How to play the Trickster
• Turning bugs into features
• Building momentum in every aspect of life
• Escaping the Fight or Flight binary
• Why waiting for 'the right moment' is a one-way ticket to failure

Mentioned in the Episode:

• Ryan Holiday's superb book on Stoicism, The Obstacle is the Way
• Jocko Willink's book, Extreme Ownership
• Robert's later book, Mastery

 

Be Silly. Be Kind. Be Weird.

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