My guide to ultimate intelligence.

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Self-awareness doesn't get nearly enough credit. We spend so much time trying to improve our circumstances—our grades, our careers, our relationships—without ever stopping to improve our understanding of ourselves. One of the greatest pieces of advice I’ve ever received is this: once you understand yourself, everything else in the world makes sense. This area is drastically underexplored, so today we're going to dive into it.

Question Everything (Especially Your Own Beliefs)

I grew up in a Christian, conservative household. My views were narrower than a donkey's asshole. (Weird analogy, I know. Moving on.)

But at some point, I got curious. I started asking why I believed what I believed and, more importantly, whether those beliefs were actually mine or just handed to me. So I went looking. I read, I listened, I had uncomfortable conversations. Guess what? It made me a smarter and more well-rounded person.

While having these conversations, one thing became very clear. Most people confuse opinions for facts. Your opinion on something isn't the same as the truth about it. The moment you can separate those two things, your thinking sharpens dramatically. So ask yourself the hard questions. Challenge your defaults. The beliefs that survive scrutiny are the ones worth keeping.

Empathy Is a Skill, And the World Is Losing It

There's something almost radical about empathy right now, because it feels like nobody's doing it. Whether it's social media, the news cycle, or just the pace of modern life, we've collectively lost the ability to step inside someone else's mind, and that's absolutely pathetic. Empathy isn't just some nice quality to have. It's a form of intelligence and a crucial part of it.

The good news is… it's not that hard (at least it shouldn’t be). Set your ego aside for one second—just one—and suddenly you can see how someone else got to where they are. The world is full of different thoughts, cultures, and experiences. If you're not at least trying to understand them, you're actively choosing a smaller version of the world. I don't know about you, but I'd rather have the bigger one.

Slow Down. Notice More.

This one is the hardest, and I'll tell you exactly why: adrenaline. Our nervous systems are constantly fired up. We're rushing, scrolling, reacting. And when you're in that state, you miss everything. You miss the shift in someone's tone. You miss the body language that contradicts what they're saying. You miss the thing happening right in front of you because you're three steps ahead in your own head.

I love studying human behavior, so observation comes naturally to me, but even I have to consciously slow down. In conversations especially, most people are either rehearsing what they're going to say next or anxiously wondering what the other person thinks of them. Neither of those is being present. And without being present, you can't observe anything.

So here's what to practice: focus on the other person, not yourself. Breathe. Let your nervous system settle. The world gets a lot more interesting when you're actually paying attention to it.

Be Curious. Doubt the Default.

Self-awareness isn't some destination. It's a habit that must continually be practiced. It's asking “why” more than you accept “because.” It's catching yourself on autopilot and choosing to be deliberate instead.

Question your beliefs. Practice empathy. Slow down and notice. Do those three things consistently, and you'll understand yourself—and the world around you—better than most people ever will.

I only scratched the surface on these topics. Trust me, there’s a whole lot more to it. However, for the sake of time, I just mentioned what I think is most important. I look forward to going into more detail in future articles.

PS - Corporate jargon is worse than you think!

Until next week,

—Wyatt