3 Insights
“I can’t imagine a man really enjoying a book and reading it only once.” — C. S. Lewis
“The question you should be asking isn’t, What do I want? or What are my goals? but What would excite me?” — Tim Ferriss
“The mystery of human existence lies not in just staying alive, but in finding something to live for.” — Fyodor Dostoevsky
What I Learned this Week

Nikunj Kothari’s reflection on parenthood captures the power of unconditional love. It’s a love that doesn’t simply exist, but evolves, reshaping the foundation of a parent’s priorities.
Before having children, many of us operate within a framework of conditional love, where relationships are often transactional and defined by mutual choices.
But with a child, love becomes something ingrained. The love a parent feels for their child is primal, unaffected by the “complexities” of other matters.

The Medieval Knight & The Crusades
In his famous book Skin in the Game, Nassim Taleb talks about how medieval societies were structured. Medieval knights were among the highest-status individuals in medieval society; but they did not simply receive privileges! They were expected to take part in high-risk ventures. One of the most significant of these was the Crusades, a series of military campaigns aimed at reclaiming the Holy Land from the Muslims, while protecting pilgrims who wished to warship there.
What Taleb wants to convey is that knights didn’t just give orders from afar or have others risk their lives for them. They were expected to lead by example, fight on the front lines, and often face the same risks as their soldiers. Their “skin in the game” came in the form of personal exposure to death or injury. If a knight died in battle, his wealth and lands were often passed down to his heirs. If he survived, he could return with more glory, fame, and reward. If the knight failed, he could be killed just like any other soldier.

The knighthood system established direct alignment between status and risk. The knight wasn’t simply a distant figure who imposed laws or commands but someone who lived with the same dangers as the people he led.
This stands in stark contrast to modern society. Heads of state, warlords, despots, and even cartel leaders can declare war —but do they have a presence on the front lines? How often do you see leaders out on the front lines risking their own safety?
Reflections
Is there any aspect of your life where you receive advantages or rewards without proportionally bearing the associated risks or consequences? How can you lead from the front?
The Real Con 109