The first question we would ask if aliens landed on this planet is not, 'What does this mean for the economy or jobs?' It would be, 'Are they friendly or unfriendly?'
Peter ThielRead
It's good to test yourself and develop your talents and ambitions as fully as you can and achieve greater success; but I think success is the feeling you get from a job well done, and the key thing is to do the work.
Interpretation
Success stems from personal fulfillment and the satisfaction of completing a task well.
In this quote, Peter Thiel emphasizes that true success is not merely defined by external achievements or accolades but rather by the intrinsic feeling of accomplishment that comes from doing quality work. He advocates for self-development and the pursuit of ambitions, highlighting that the essence of success lies in the effort and dedication put into one's work, rather than just the end results.
In practice
This quote is perfect for a motivational speech at a professional development seminar.
The first question we would ask if aliens landed on this planet is not, 'What does this mean for the economy or jobs?' It would be, 'Are they friendly or unfriendly?'
People working on bigger ideas on a more protracted timeline will be more on the stealth side. They aren’t releasing new PR announcements every day. The bigger the secret and the likelier it is that you alone have it, the more time you have to execute. There may be far more people going after hard secrets than we think.
What is it about our society where anyone who does not have Asperger's gets talked out of their heterodox ideas?
Every time you write an email, it is in the public domain. There are all these ways where security is not as good as people believe.
Creating value isn't enough - you also need to capture some of the value you create.
A startup is the largest endeavor over which you can have definite mastery. You can have agency not just over your own life, but over a small and important part of the world. It begins by rejecting the unjust tyranny of Chance. You are not a lottery ticket.
That some achieve great success, is proof to all that others can achieve it as well.
The two most important requirements for major success are: first, being in the right place at the right time, and second, doing something about it.
Start with a growing market. Swim in a stream that becomes a river and ultimately an ocean. Be a leader in that market, not a follower, and constantly build the best products possible.
Discipline is the foundation upon which all success is built. Lack of discipline inevitably leads to failure.
Those who would judge us merely by the heights we have achieved would do well to remember the depths from which we started.
The defining factor [for success] is never resources; it’s resourcefulness.
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