Hey friend,
Today you’re going to learn to do something that’s incredibly important in the long-term.
There isn’t much to explain, but there’s much to do.
What I’m about to tell you is what I believe to be an elite mental habit that you need to establish if you want to get really, really successful and keep hustling when other people get content and complacent — and get lazy.
What I’m about to tell you is also a great mental trick to boost motivation.
So what am I talking about?
I’m talking about. . .
Learning how to compare yourself to the greatest men in history
And if you study a lot of (extremely) successful people you’ll notice that all of them are doing this.
Alexander the Great compared himself to his father, then with demi-gods, then with gods.
Napoleon compared himself to Alexander the Great.
Ted Turner compared himself to Alexander, Napoleon, and Erwin Rommel.
Why do they do it?
Because it’s a cool thing to do?
No.
Ok, maybe a little, it is a cool thing to do.
But that’s not why they do it. They do it because it’s very hard to keep yourself motivated once you reach beyond a certain level of success (status, money, freedom, happiness, health, etc.).
I read an excellent book recently, the book is called Fools Die, by author Mario Puzo. In that book there’s a dialogue between Gronevelt, a casino owner, and his right-hand man Cully Cross. They’re talking about bribing people and controlling politicians:
Gronevelt: “He’ll be the police chief in Vegas for 10 more years.”
Cully: “What do you mean? Why just 10 years?”
Gronevelt: “Because after that he’ll be too rich to work.”
. . . And that’s how it is.
It’s exceedingly rare for a man to keep working, and to accomplish something truly great, once he’s already relatively rich or successful.
This might seem to you as a luxury problem, but I assure you, it’s a very real problem. I’m sure you’ve heard stories of rich and successful people who committed suicide. Why did they do it?
Because they, who were highly ambitious people, set their expectations too low and accomplished them too early in life — leaving them bored and depressed. Maybe they focused on money — and got it.
Most people focus on money. Few people focus on greatness.
But here’s the thing. Money doesn’t make you happy — working on great things does.
Leaving behind a legacy of greatness does.
Know Thy Brain
A fundamental fact about the human brain is that it automatically compares things. Nothing is seen without relation to another thing. The brain focuses on an object and uses it as a reference point for comparison. This is a very powerful heuristic — and you should consciously use it to your advantage.
This way that your brain compares one thing to another has many real life implications, a few examples being:
- Why we think a product is better/cheaper/cooler than it really is when it gets placed next to another product that brings out this aspect. This trick is often used in sales and retailing. It’s called anchoring.
- Why hot girls have ugly-ass friends (it makes the hot girl look even hotter in comparison).
- Why we easily mistake the size and distance of objects.
- Dunbar’s Number. We have a finite number of personalities (ca 150) that we consciously or unconsciously compare ourselves to in relation to different aspects of our life.
And the implications of Dunbar’s number are extremely powerful.
It’s not an exaggeration to say that the people you keep in your “150 Dunbar’s slots” are going to decide the course of your life, especially if you’re young.
What does this mean to you?
It means that the earlier you start consciously comparing yourself to great people, the more it adds up cumulatively in the long-term. The earlier you start practicing this skill, the quicker you’ll become unreactive to the folly of the masses. How so?
Because it will rewire your brain to stop comparing yourself to the average person. You’ll stop competing with mediocre losers and instead aspire to be like the great historical men you study — and it will happen automatically.
Here’s what you’ll do:
You are going to purposely place the role models that inspire you the most in your 150 mental “Dunbar’s slots”. And you are going to think of them daily, until they feel like real people.
This will benefit you a ton. Because, it will raise the standard that you consider acceptable as far as your own behavior goes. Soon, this will place you far above average people, who only compare themselves to their closest buddies.
Do this:
- Find great historical men that you look up to. If it’s a living person that’s fine too, but there’s usually less biographical information about people currently living. Plus, great historical men are often cooler.
- Find as much, and as accurate, information as possible on these people. Read biographies. You want to reach the point where your brain starts thinking that they are “real” and “alive”. That’s when they’ve successfully become part of your “Dunbar’s slots”.
- Keep up this process for years. Keep doing the repetitions.
Does that sound like too much trouble?
It’s not.
It’s actually pretty fun once you start and you’ll soon do it automatically.
And how do you know that they are part of your Dunbar’s Number?
–Here’s an indicator: When you are able to answer the question, “What would X do in this situation?”, then you’re well on your way (what would Frederick the Great in this situation?).
How will this help you?
—You will become less likely to compare yourself with your closest peers or acquaintances. Instead, you’ll tend to compare yourself more with the great historical men. And in doing so you will be motivated to achieve great things and put in effort when others become content–and get lazy.
This is not an immediate process. It takes time and much mental effort. But it does produce results — and it is within your power to do.
In practice, this means that you’re less likely to fall under the spell of bad judgment and waste time doing, thinking, or talking about petty things.
When you see other people waste time discussing the Olympics, messing up their sleep schedules by partying too hard, and losing discipline, you will remain firm like a rock. For in your head echoes the question:
What would Caesar do here?
What would Hannibal do here?
What would Napoleon do here?
The earlier in life you start doing this, and the more you practice it, the more you stand to gain. In my experience, very few people do this at all. I don’t think I know of more than a few people who do this, except myself.
Compare Yourself With the Greatest Men in History
Here’s a list to get you started:
- Julius Caesar
- Napoleon Bonaparte
- Henry Ford
- Winston Churchill
- Nikola Tesla
- Thomas Edison
- Thomas Jefferson
- Benjamin Franklin
- Calvin Coolidge
- John F Kennedy
- Josef Stalin
- Adolf Hitler
- Hannibal Barca
- Genghis Khan
- Alexander the Great
- John D Rockefeller
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
- Henry David Thoreau
- Albert Einstein
- Marcus Aurelius
- Gnaeus Pompeius
- Seneca the Younger
- Cato the Younger
- Marcus Cicero
- Aristotle
- Socrates
- Plato
- Leonardo Da Vinci
- Francis Bacon
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Start by reading their Wikipedia and Wikiquote pages — and save the best information in your commonplace!
By doing that you’ll get a good overview and gain investment from your brain. . .
. . . this will make it more interesting and easy to continue your study of these men. And it will motivate you to read their biographies, and historical books to learn more about the era and the context in which they lived.
Photo credit: Evgeny Legedin
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I’m very surprised no one has mentioned:
+ Ramesses
+ Alfred Nobel
+ John D Rockefeller (!)
+ Cornelius Vanderbilt
+ Heinrich Himmler
All great examples, Joseph!
Thanks.
Ludvig,
This is definitely a great post! Being able to compare yourself to great men in history will surely set you on your way to success if you keep an open mind. I believe that continuing to do so sets your mind on a higher level all around and allowing you to really unleash the power of your own mind. This is one of the very few sites I actually find very, very useful. I really enjoy how you talk about the human brain and the way the mind functions. It’s fascinating and such a powerful tool, the more you understand about it, the easier it can become to control it and manifest what you really want into reality. Keep up the FANTASTIC work! Cheers!
Yeah I agree. Even more interesting comments though.
Thanks a lot guys, I really appreciate it!
Big thanks for including Hitler. He was by far one of the most inspiring, charismatic & accomplished people who ever walked the earth. Please keep posting – your site is historic
Haha, Richard. Of course!
Thanks for this post, Ludvig. It’s incredible that I’ve always believed this to be true but never really been all that intentional about it. I find I prefer reading books by or about people who are dead, it just seems to me like their wisdoms are less fad like, they stand the test of time. But I’ve never devised a plan around maximising what can be learned from their accomplishments and the qualities they modelled. Doing so is gonna be a priority from here on out I think. I’m focused on identifying and developing weaknesses right now. Great post.
Thanks bro.
“I prefer reading books by or about people who are dead, it just seems to me like their wisdoms are less fad like, they stand the test of time”
— That might be a good principle. I don’t see myself spending more than maybe 10-20 % of my time reading any books that aren’t at least 10-50 years old.
Say Ludvig ( or anyone else who’d like to answer), in the article you say “inspire to greatness”…
What,more specifically, do you mean by greatness?
Ofc, It’s individual. I’m not trying to prove you wrong or anything, just interested in getting your take on it.
I’m curious to hear what you think.
Hey Tony,
Greatness = feeling great and accomplishing big things. As you say, totally arbitrary.
Whenever you’re feeling great you should strive to focus on it for as long possible to preserve it for as long as you can, from a neurological standpoint. Because it enforces more repetitions and makes it more likely that you’ll feel that same way again.
If you feel that way by comparing yourself to the greatest men in history, you should.
I think it’s very misogynistic to make an offhand comment about how “hot” women have “ugly” friends. Thanks dude. I like to know my worth is judged on my attractiveness and that any friends I have that are better looking are just using me and any friends who aren’t, well I’m using them.
Also, I think this is a lazy post. You shouldn’t compare yourself to other people. This is how insecurities start. There are lot’s of people who you should look up to who aren’t famous. No one is 100% admirable – Gandhi did some shit things too.
Pop psychology, eh.
“You shouldn’t compare yourself to other people.”
“There are lot’s of people who you should look up to…”
“No one is 100% admirable…”
Maybe there is some alternate universe where these statements are logically consistent. I bet it is also a universe where women do not judge themselves, and each other, on physical attractiveness. Tell me, in this alternate universe, do unattractive women still resent the fact that men are attracted to attractive women?
“Maybe there is some alternate universe where these statements are logically consistent.” ==> Lol, I just realised that.
“I like to know my worth is judged on my attractiveness and that any friends I have that are better looking are just using me and any friends who aren’t, well I’m using them.” ==> The reality is, we are using everyone all the time whether we’re conscious of it or not. And that’s OK, it doesn’t make us bad people. Why do you hang out with fun people more than others? Because they give you good vibes etc right? So are you using them?
About the “hot” and “ugly” friends. Don’t read what you see literally, I don’t think any of us here would be using each other for that purpose. I read it as a joke, don’t take life so seriously. :) Though what he says about ugly people making others look more good-looking than they really are remains a fact. You just have to accept that.
“You shouldn’t compare yourself to other people. This is how insecurities start.” ==> A lot of people talk about not “comparing” with others but don’t really know what they are saying. If you want to make a good argument, you need to elaborate on why insecurities start as a result. If something means a lot to me, I always “compare” with the best people I know in the field, and I’ve never felt “insecure” of myself.
“There are lot’s of people who you should look up to who aren’t famous.” ==> I agree.
“No one is 100% admirable.” ==> True that. But the things you can learn from most of your average friends are limited.
Hey Laura,
I didn’t mean it in a misogynistic way. It’s just win-win evolutionary psychology:
–The hot girl gets to look even hotter by comparison. The ugly girl gets access to the social circle of the hot girl, which she probably wouldn’t have access to otherwise. This does two things:
1. It’s a synergistic relationship, both people get value from it.
2. It would increase the chance for them both to spread their genes.
It’s unlikely that either party would consciously think about it.
Oh boy! No women to look up to? :)
Only if they’re on top.
I just write from my own perspective. Some great women have been mentioned in the comments if you want to scroll through.
Thanks for reading Shelley.
Interesting post here! One of my mentors and a person I highly look up to is John Maxwell who is a leadership author and expert. His content and life have greatly influenced and impacted my own life.
Thanks for reading Dan!
Great post, and smart move. I do have a fascination to great minds, but never thought about applying this strategy. I do notice that listening lectures for hours about inspiring people that change my life on a daily basis (by listening again and again what they have to say) that they become “real” somehow as their words have a big impact. I’d add mine, less known next to these great men, but a real brain: Terence Mckenna.
thanks for this one Ludvig
Thanks for reading aZr,
Is there any of his books, or any video of him you’d recommend in particular?
This one is one of my favorite:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRoL2BHdEp4
Let me know what you think of it :)
aZr,
I currently don’t have 2h 36min at my disposal, but I listened to 15 min and I will — definitely — listen/read more of Terence McKenna eventually. He is an original thinker, and I like how well-read he is, in a historical sense — in particular about drugs. I really appreciate you sharing this with me.
Well yes, most of the lectures average from 30 minutes to 10 hours! But you can grab shorter extracts for sure!
If 45% if the readership of this blog is female, how come no one has taken up my “Ten great women who made it on their own merits” challenge? If it makes it easier on y’all, I’ll accept them one at a time from ten different women (and/or men, I ain’t doin’ the Crocodile Dundee test) as necessary.
I’ve no idea, Abgrund.
I only looked at my Google Analytics stats. There’s a disproportional amount of men commenting.
Hey Ludvig. Although he is still very much alive, I find Arnold Schwarzenegger to be the among the greatest men to have ever lived. True, he hasn’t changed the world but he proves that if you want to be successful at anything, no matter how ridiculous, then it’s possible.
WWAD – What would Arnie do?
I’m actually writing an article about him as soon as I finish reading his ‘Total Recall’ book. Inspiring stuff if you haven’t read it.
Hey Jamie!
I’ve read that book. It’s great. I look forward to reading your article.
I cant help but think, what about fictional characters?
I think that Clint Eastwood is one of my Dunbar Number’s. Though the cowboy version of him is fictional, I would still see him as a bad ass guy.
Markus,
Nothing wrong with fictional character so long as they inspire you to do ambitious things. Clint Eastwood is awesome.
What would Jesus do? I like the concept of this. I have a few more modern heroes: Woody Guthrie and Edward R. Murrow.
That’s cool, Dan. I hadn’t heard of them.
Edward (according to wikipedia, born Egbert) R. Murrow was interesting to read about.
Even though this man is still living, I would have to say Stephen Hawking should be added to the list. Whenever I think I’m having a bad day, I remember that he has been paralyzed since he was in graduate school, and yet he is, some might say, one of the greatest contributors to our current understanding of the universe. He has made countless discoveries, written books, and inspires others to look for answers. He sets an example for how one should live their life. You have to live and do what you were meant to do, regardless of what obstacles are thrown in your way. He also reminds me to question EVERYTHING.
Two great examples, Rick!
Voice recognition technology has helped Stephen Hawkins a lot. If he was born 30 years earlier he might not have had the same impact.
As far as voice recognition, another impressive guy (not on the same level, but still) is Jon Morrow — a professional blogger. He’s also an inspiration.
Ludvig, another great article! Where do you find the inspiration?
I know women are not the topic of interest here, but in terms of “people who have ruled empires and won over large territories” there was Empress Wu Zetian, China’s only empress who was able to expand China’s territories beyond what it had ever been before (but in all honesty I do not know much more than that).
Hey Max,
No special inspiration. Just externalizing some of my internal dialogue.
Interesting contribution. Never heard of her before. But I’m not very knowledgeable about China. I’ve read Brian Power’s (cool pseudonym) book “The Puppet Emperor”. But that’s about it.
Just historical men? Door goodness sakes. Is this a site just for men?
I literally laughed when I saw your message again in my inbox. Read some of the above comments about mentioning historical men only.
Why yes, “patty,” yes, it is. There is a secret scrotum test that is administered to everyone shortly after his first post. Turn your head and cough, “patty”.
Patty,
This is not a site “just for men”. According to my Google Analytics account 45 % of readers are female and 55 % are male. (surprisingly many females. Must be my good looks).
You may add historical women if you feel like it.
Agreed.
I think anyone who wants to be someone should read biographies of great men. Look for the secret of how the person rose in power. When you dive into enough lives of great men, you’ll see a pattern — the secret for greatness.
Then go live it out.
Indeed. Wouldn’t call it a secret though ;)
If you’re going to compare yourself to others, then why not compare yourself to some of the most legendary guys in the history of mankind.
My pick is Marcus Aurelius. What a legend. I have his book “Meditations” lying on my bookshelf and this article gave me the motivation to start reading it!
Thanks Ludvig!
Can’t believe I left out Marcus Aurelius…
I’ve read & listened to Meditations well over 15 times. Seriously.
In a weird way this post reminds me of a book “The 48 Laws of Power”. If you’ve never read it, it’s about historical figures and how they either used or misused certain tactics to gain power in their period of time. I always took a point of the book was to get you thinking about what these people did and how you could incorporate their behavior into your own lives.
And to be honest, isn’t this why we study history? We do it to learn about other people and what they did right so we can emulate them? That’s what I always got out of it.
Anyway, I love your list of people to compare yourself to. I would add Bruce Lee and Norman Borlaug to your list too.
Steve,
I read that book a long time ago when I was like 16. But I was too young to fully comprehend it, and I didn’t think it was particularly fun to read. I’ve skimmed through it again in later years and like it. I’ve got a friend who likes to go around quoting that book. He’s a cool guy.
“And to be honest, isn’t this why we study history? We do it to learn about other people and what they did right so we can emulate them? That’s what I always got out of it.”
— That’s a big part of it for me as well.
Thanks for the great comment.
Ludvig,
Love the list and love the ideas. IN some ways this seems like an outgrowth of being like the 5 people you spend the most time with.
Thinking about these historical greats and thinking about what YOU FEEL makes them great is a wonderful practice.
Just to be contrarian, I decided to add some great historical women to your list.
Boudica of the Celts (Badass woman who took on the might of Rome after being raped and whipped -and almost won!)
Joan of Arc
Amelia Earhart
Elizabeth I
and in honor of the Olympics being in Russia –
Catherine the Great
Hey SJ!
Great thoughts, mate!
“Thinking about these historical greats and thinking about what YOU FEEL makes them great is a wonderful practice.”
— Great way of putting it.
Thanks for the comment & contributions.
Earhart is somewhat famous, but for what was really a (failed) publicity stunt, and above all for being a woman in a man’s game. Who today remembers Shackleton or Byrd, let alone Nungesser? Marie Curie won a Nobel prize, but how many Nobel prize winners can you name off the top of your head, and were they really so great? Henry Kissinger, Walter Freeman, Barrack Obama? Yeah, right.
Other great women were born monarchs, like Good Queen Bess or Cleopatra. One must admit that this conveys a certain advantage so far as opportunities to be perceived as “great”. Jeanne d’Arc was a rare exception, probably insane, and was callously manipulated by a mediocre (male) monarch. Other women attained fame only through their husbands (e.g. E. Roosevelt, H. Clinton), and some by making themselves enemies of men (and therefore still defined by men), e.g. G. Steinem. Some women are famous for being stupid whores (e.g. B. Spears) but I don’t call this greatness.
I dare anyone here to name ten women who have /earned/ greatness for themselves, as opposed to being born monarchs, or riding the coattails of successful husbands/fathers, or being famous as stupid whores.
Yeah. Barack Obama and Henry Kissinger truly deserved the Nobel Peace Prize…
From what I gather, Cleopatra seems to have been incredibly goal-oriented. Even though her seducing Caesar didn’t happen the way described by mainstream history (the carpet approach), she definitely was very strategic.