Derek Sivers

Quotes are word for word from the source.

• Private vs Public Writing

  “I already write many hours a day privately, but I only post something to the public when I feel it's really worth sharing.”

  Our noteDerek explains his standard for publishing content versus his daily writing habit.

• The danger of luxury

  “Luxury is the enemy of happiness because you adapt to its comforts. Luxury makes you soft, weak, and harder to satisfy.”

  Our noteDerek warns that becoming dependent on high-end comforts reduces future happiness.

• Social support

  “Ultimately you must be lifted by those around you.”

  Our noteDerek notes that self-improvement alone isn't enough; you need to be valued by others.

• Misconception about networking

  “I used to think that having connections in the music industry meant that you'd have business meetings, and only talk about your mutual business interests.”

  Our noteDerek reflects on his early misunderstanding of how professional connections are actually formed.

• The Hell Yeah Rule

  “If you're not feeling "Hell yeah, that would be awesome!" about something, say no. It's an easier decision. Say no to almost everything.”

  Our noteDerek explains his famous decision-making heuristic for avoiding mediocrity.

• Explicit computer control

  “But I don't want my computer to do anything I didn't explicitly tell it to do.”

  Our noteDerek discusses his preference for manual control over automated intelligence.

• Protecting meaningful work

  “I think it's because I don't want any outside automation or intelligence in the work that matters to me.”

  Our noteDerek reflects on why he avoids automation in his core creative work.

• Measuring personal growth

  “If you're not embarrassed by what you thought last year, you need to learn more and faster.”

  Our noteDerek suggests that embarrassment about past beliefs is a sign of progress.

• Seeking new environments

  “I've been on a semi-sabbatical for the last six years, and ready to make a change. I felt like being in the middle of things again, but a different middle than before.”

  Our noteHe describes the desire to shift from a quiet life to a more active cultural hub.

• Doubt your memory

  “Memories feel like facts, but they're not. People don't doubt their memory, but you should.”

  Our noteDerek explains why we should be skeptical of our own recollections of past events.

• The power of subtraction

  “The world pushes us to add, because that benefits them. But the secret is to focus on subtracting.”

  Our noteDerek explains why we should resist the urge to constantly add more to our lives.

• Selfless Refusal

  “Saying No isnt selfish, it's selfless. You save time and decision making for the other party, and might even earn their respect.”

  Our noteJuli reframes the act of saying no as a benefit to the other person.

• Power of subtraction

  “Subtracting reminds me that what I need to change is to eliminate from my life, not add to it.”

  Our noteDerek reflects on the core message of his essay about choosing to eliminate rather than add.

• Singular priority

  “I read somewhere that word "priority" used to be singular (Latin origin), meaning THE most important thing.”

  Our noteDerek discusses the linguistic origin of priority to emphasize focus.

• Free content sharing

  “Anything I put on my site is free for copying and sharing. See the huge link at the end of the article.”

  Our noteDerek explains his open policy regarding the content on his website.

• Subtracting to add

  “Subtracting is a way of life for me! You can't effectively add anything into your life without subtracting from it!”

  Our noteStephen Warley discusses the necessity of creating space before making big life changes.

• Cost of clutter

  “I believe there is a cost-benefit equation where stuff "less than half" costs more than it is worth, it terms of space and mental health.”

  Our noteSean Crawford analyzes the mental and physical cost of keeping things one might not need.

• Quality over frequency

  “We trust and follow you due to how much thought and care you put into your posts, its really powerful to not post unless there's an important message to share.”

  Our noteA reader explains why they value Derek's selective and thoughtful approach to publishing content.

• Neutral self talk

  “Tolle wrote that your ego is talking anytime you begin a sentence with "I am..." or "I am not..." Instead of "I am great at this"/"I am terrible at this" Tolle prefers to stay neutral(not easy).”

  Our noteDerek discusses Eckhart Tolle's perspective on how language reflects the ego.

• Explorer to leader handoff

  “Explorers occasionally find a great place that would make a better home for many people. So that makes a job for a leader.”

  Our noteDerek explains the relationship between the discovery made by an explorer and the organization provided by a leader.

• Risks of explorer leadership

  “Their impulsive nature and tendency to prioritize their own goals over the well-being of their team can lead to dangerous situations and poor communication within the team.”

  Our noteThe author discusses why the traits of an explorer can be detrimental to leading a team.

• Transitioning to execution

  “The leader must get the group to agree to stop exploring and just get on with things such as, say, managing logistics.”

  Our noteThe necessity of shifting from brainstorming to practical management in a group setting.

• Recording objective facts

  “Imagine the job of a police clerk, filing an incident report by listening to all the emotionally charged accusations to record the few, unbiased, observable events.”

  Our noteHe suggests a method for separating emotional language from what actually happened.

• Overcoming personal prejudice

  “But when I notice I'm prejudiced against something, it makes me curious. So I made it a 3-day layover, to see Dubai for myself.”

  Our noteDerek explains why he decided to visit a place he previously disliked.

• Long term vision

  “Sheikh Rashid was thinking long-term, had a vision of Dubai's huge potential, and invested everything into its development in the 70s, even against his advisors' advice.”

  Our noteDerek reflects on the entrepreneurial leadership that built modern Dubai.

• Success and failure

  “For something to succeed, everything needs to go right. For something to fail, only one thing needs to go wrong.”

  Our noteDerek explains the fragile nature of success compared to the ease of failure.

• Life as compass

  “Use it as your compass and optimize your life around it.”

  Our noteAdvising readers to use their primary 'why' as a guide for all decisions.

• Long-term customer relationships

  “Instead of thinking of customers as leading to a sale, think of each sale as leading to a life-long relationship with a customer.”

  Our noteHe emphasizes building relationships over transactional selling.

• Digital decluttering habits

  “Every year, I erase my computer's hard drive and re-install my operating system from scratch. Every week, I erase my phone's log of texts and calls.”

  Our noteDerek describes his routine for maintaining an uncluttered digital environment.

• Contextual personality traits

  “But when we go to a different place, the relative comparisons collapse. Traits like speed, ambition, independence, bravery, and humor - they're all relative.”

  Our noteHe discusses how moving to a new culture changes how our traits are perceived.