Sterling Terrell

smart ideas from books (mostly)

Vuja De

Vuja De

Like most, I have heard of Déjà vu, but I had to Google Vuja de.

And, of course this is correct: Vuja de is when we see something familiar and it like it is new.

I had no idea.

The more I learn, the more I realize the scope of my ignorance.

But that’s the point, right?

I want tested insight into new problems. And I want fresh insight into old problems too.

More, please.

The starting point is curiosity: pondering why the default exists in the first place. We’re driven to question defaults when we experience vuja de, the opposite of déjà vu. Déjà vu occurs when we encounter something new, but it feels as if we’ve seen it before. Vuja de is the reverse—we face something familiar, but we see it with a fresh perspective that enables us to gain new insights into old problems.

-Adam Grant, Originals

Learn Everything

Learn Everything

You have had to learn everything you do, did you know that?

Every. Single. Thing.

This seems like a simple idea, but we can easily see past it.

You and I had to learn to walk, talk, read, write, type on a keyboard, use Excel, forgive others, and take turns speaking.

Kids get frustrated with this point easily, so remind them of it when you can.

  • “Of course you can’t dance exactly like that girl in the show, she has been dancing longer than you have been alive, sweetheart.”
  • “Don’t be discouraged yet, son. You have been practicing basketball for less than a year. Keep going.”
  • “Come here sweet girl. You can’t be sad at not being able to play the piano. You have never practiced playing the piano.”
  • “Of course algebra is hard, you have not learned how to do it yet. Let’s figure this out.”

Understand: Everything is practice.

And since this is true, the key is in finding something you enjoy practicing.

“See!” Uncle Jake said. “You’re not DUMB. You just need to APPLY yourself.” “What does that mean?” I asked him. “It means work hard. Focus. Give one hundred percent. You see, no one is BORN knowing the times tables—or anything else! You have to LEARN and you have to learn EVERYTHING. That means you have to actually study and work until you know. Of course, this will be easier for some people than others.”

-Jocko Willink, The Way Of The Warrior Kid

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