People tend to respect those who are rare, those who appear elusive. From this mystery arises a sense of danger, and from danger comes respect. Sometimes, one must be willing to walk away in order to be truly valued. People will show you greater consideration when they know, for example, that you are capable of anger or of clearly expressing your disagreement.
The Strategy of Polarization
There is often little benefit in remaining lukewarm—that state which leads to cowardice and, ultimately, to moral failure. To avoid falling into the trap of constant compromise, it is vital to perform an act of boldness each day. This act need not be grand or spectacular; rather, it must be repeated so that it becomes second nature.
Honesty and Sincerity Are the Paths to Courage
There can be no courage without the effort of speaking one’s mind. Speaking openly is the mark of a free person. The word “franchise” comes from the name of the Franks, which originally meant “free man.” Evasive behavior is harmful: it leads to confusion and degradation. Developing the habit of speaking your mind first requires knowing what you think. To do this, you must spend time alone—and with God. To be honest is to listen to your heart, rather than over-intellectualizing at the risk of missing your true feelings.
The Habit of Courage Will Always Save You
To be courageous is to learn to face your fear. Fear wears many masks: it can hide behind excuses or manifest as paralysis that prevents action. The best way to become courageous is to identify your fears when they arise and confront them one by one, with determination.
Understanding the Notion of the Comfort Zone
The human being is made up of many dimensions: intellectual, emotional, physical, etc. These dimensions develop at different rates, as we naturally have tendencies and preferences. To grow, one must accept the need for constant self-questioning. In truth, stagnation is regression—there is no such thing as standing still when time is involved. Stagnation reflects a poor use of one’s time.
List Your Fears and Growth Areas… and Act
To expand your comfort zone, you must attack your fears like a fortress under siege. You won’t overcome them in a day, but you can reduce their power daily. Each listed fear becomes a stronghold to conquer. The law of concentration advises that energy should be focused in one place; thus, it is better to face your fears one at a time.
Embrace Your Vulnerability
Vulnerability means showing yourself as you truly are, despite your flaws. It’s about ceasing to hide and instead fully embracing your humanity. This involves accepting pain, sadness, and even shame. It is only by accepting things that we can truly transform them.
It’s Not Victory That Is Noble, but the Struggle
We live in a bourgeois era that prizes gain and victory—whether in sports or business. This obsession with results is relatively recent. For a long time, what mattered was the sense of sacrifice and generosity—values that go beyond the notion of winning or losing.
The Main Problem with Victory for Victory’s Sake
Wanting to win at all costs leads to shortcuts: cheating, lying, duplicity. If you are not worthy of winning, you should not win—period. Victory and defeat should merely indicate our level of preparation. They are not ends in themselves but logical consequences of mastery. When measurement becomes the goal, the process is corrupted.
What Does It Mean to Struggle?
Struggling means pursuing an infinite goal. It is the very principle of growth. It is a mental faculty that allows us to enter an “infinite game,” where the goal is not to finish but to keep playing. Focusing solely on victory blocks this mindset. When we only value outcomes, we neglect the process—even though it is the process that ultimately shapes the outcome. All good strategies consider the long term.
The True Purpose of Struggle
Every discipline is meant to develop skills. But the true aim of any art or game is the elevation of character. Some results can only be achieved by mastering our lower nature. These “invisible thresholds” are what distinguish champions on the final steps of the podium. Character is a champion’s greatest asset—but it takes time to build. This is why it is futile to focus too much on short-term results; doing so may even corrupt the character.
To Triumph, One Must Embrace the Fight
Competition is stressful because it exposes our vulnerability. If our ego is fragile, losing can feel devastating. The best way to overcome the fear of loss is to embrace the fight—to internalize the idea of dying, symbolically. If you accept to fight as if it were your last battle—no matter the activity—defeat loses its sting. In fact, the more you accept death as a possibility, the more glory you attract.
How to Triumph Over Your Enemies
What often eats away at us is the hatred we feel toward our adversaries. Hatred weakens us and makes us impulsive. To truly overcome an enemy, you must recognize their qualities—perhaps even learn to love them. This is difficult, especially when they attack us. But it is by sincerely honoring your opponent that you can fight with the greatest ferocity. Why? Because we instinctively refuse to fight those we deem unworthy; doing so would degrade us. Yet sometimes, confrontation is inevitable. In those cases, seek the nobility in your adversary to face them without hatred… but with dignity and calm resolve.
