✏️ Man as a Product of His Environment
The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.
Niccolò Machiavelli
One of the most challenging factors in raising those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds out of poverty is that their environments are often rife with bad role models and temptation. The value of private education, particularly in lower-income countries, is that only those that can afford a certain lifestyle are able to attend, and this economic filter results in a much healthier environment for children. It is no surprise that children from 2 parent households and those from wealthier backgrounds generally do much better than those on the opposite end of the spectrum. My point in bringing this up is to exemplify how much influence your environment can have, particularly in the formative ages of youth. It is important — perhaps even vital — to ruthlessly examine your physical and social environments. What you are looking for is not perfection from your peers, but an honest appraisal of who and what in your life is guiding you to positive and/or negative outcomes.
The company you keep influences the views you hold, the habits you adopt, the way you speak, and the direction of your life.
📸 Photo of the Week
📖 Book of the Week — Dune by Frank Herbert
One of the most popular books of the science fiction genre, Dune is the first book in a series of novels set on the planet Arrakis, the sole source of ‘melange’, a substance that extends life and enhances mental abilities. I acquired this book for my book club (which shortly fizzled out of existence), and it has been a great addition to my Kindle library.
Heard the movie is pretty good too.
💭 Quote of the Week
The first gulp from the glass of natural sciences will make you an atheist, but at the bottom of the glass God is waiting for you.
🔭 Sunday Best
Cannae— commissioned by the German field marshal and strategist Alfred von Schlieffen. He was inspired by Hannibal’s victory by double envelopment at Cannae and studied the battle extensively as he believed that Germany would have to fight outnumbered in the event of war. The Schlieffen Plan, the German offensive war plan used early in the 1st World War, was significantly influenced by tactics used at Cannae.
18 Trends That Will Shape Our Careers in 2022 — from digitally native jobs to the pathless path.
Guilty Until Proven Innocent — a documentary from one of the best criminal psychology channels on YouTube.
💡 Food for Thought
Part of freedom is having the freedom to make mistakes and pay the price for them.
Happy holidays!
AT