The Grand Pursuit
2008-10-16
Great phrase from this interview with rags-to-riches investor George Soros:
Q. Have your billions made you happy?
A. I'm reasonably happy, but the money's not the point. It's an indication that I've succeeded in the grand adventure of understanding reality.
Ah... I love the way he puts that.
For him it's investing. For others it's songwriting. For me it's creating businesses that help musicians.
It all feels like a grand pursuit to understand the world, doesn't it?
- Songwriting feels like a grand pursuit of expressing the sounds and thoughts in your head within music's restrictions. Also, understanding the secret combination that makes the difference between an average song and an unforgettable classic.
- Programming feels like a grand pursuit of using a limited language to make the clearest, foolproof, flexible, and efficient execution of a task.
- Entrepreneurship (“businessing”?) feels like a grand pursuit of helping other people achieve their goals.
When I posted my book list a few days ago, I got a lot of criticism for being too obsessed with non-fiction. Yes, I'm a learning addict. The owner of the world's longest attention span. It actually took some guts to post my book list publicly, admitting I've enjoyed nerdy books on investing and accounting. Still obsessed with the grand adventure of understanding reality. In the last 8 days I read (and finished):
But that's one of the best things in life, right? Do whatever excites you. Always learning and growing.
So, those are mine, but what's YOUR grand pursuit? I'm sincerely curious to hear others' stories. Please leave a reply in the comments at sivers.org/grand-pursuit.
