For nearly two decades as a startup founder, I observed how new hires approached their training. They seemed to follow one of two approaches.
One group was interested in the exact recipe they had to follow to succeed in their role. When a client says X, you respond with Y. To complete this task, first do A, then B, then C. This group was interested in learning a method.
A much smaller group was interested in the more general question of why we had this approach and not another. Why did each situation call for this kind of action? They were interested in the principles that informed the method.
I’ve come to believe these perspectives apply to most areas of life. We can approach every problem by focusing either on methods or principles.
💡 A principle is the underlying theory or philosophy that is the foundation of your knowledge or strategy. It is a general idea that applies to many different contexts.
💡 Methods are the specific examples of the principle in action. They are how we apply the principles in various real-world situations.
With a few effective principles, it’s possible to master a wide range of problems. Those who focus only on methods get stuck once the situation changes. That’s why a new hire who learns the principle of building client relationships is better off than one who learns to follow a script. According to Harrington Emerson:
As to methods, there may be a million and then some, but principles are few. The man who grasps principles can successfully select his own methods. The man1 who tries methods, ignoring principles, is sure to have trouble.
Mastering principles over methods is a powerful way of approaching your strategy for life. Instead of getting lost in the details, they provide a framework for making decisions even when faced with a problem you’ve never encountered before.
For the last few years, I’ve attempted to become more deliberate about the principles that guide my approach to life and work. Two ideas, in particular, have been prominent in this quest.
The first is rational defiance, the subject of my book and this newsletter. I define the principle this way:
💡 Rational defiance: an approach to life that involves challenging and rejecting the status quo based on reason and critical thinking. It is not about being consistently rebellious but rather about questioning the status quo when it is illogical, unjust, or harmful.
I believe this kind of defiance of the status quo is a rare and valuable skill. It is in contrast to our baseline strategy, which is an unconscious acceptance of the status quo.
The second principle I’ve grown to appreciate is essentialism.
💡 Essentialism: A systematic approach to determining what’s truly important and eliminating everything else so that we can focus on making the greatest impact possible.
The value of this principle is also easy to recognize. Many feel stretched to their limits, overworked but unproductive, and constantly multitasking with little to show for it. Essentialism is an antidote; by focusing only on what’s essential, we can achieve what really matters.
On their own, these two principles are effective strategies for many of life’s problems. Resisting conformity enables personal growth, authenticity, and a more significant impact on the world than simply following the status quo of past decisions and social expectations. Becoming an essentialist ensures that our time and effort are spent on what we truly value and what gets us closer to our goals instead of running around in circles.
However, I’ve been slower to recognize the link between these concepts. In many ways, effective defiance requires being an essentialist. Here are three ways that focusing on less makes you more resistant to mindless conformity.
1. Limit your priorities
Rational defiance is a rejection of the status quo in pursuit of a meaningful outcome. But if you’re not clear on your priorities, you’ll accept whatever goals the world offers you. Without a vision for your career, you’ll settle for one that society finds acceptable. Without an ambition to improve your well-being, it’s easy to consistently work overtime and sacrifice other parts of your life.
Essentialism requires you to determine not just what’s important, but rather what’s essential. It requires a ruthless pruning of your priorities. It’s hard, and most of us don’t cut enough away to bring this clarity. William Zinsser shares his approach for writers who struggle to simplify what they have to say:
If you give me an eight-page article and I tell you to cut it to four pages, you’ll howl and say it can’t be done. Then you’ll go home and do it, and it will be much better. After that comes the hard part: cutting it to three.
This applies as much to priorities as it does to writing. Warren Buffet famously promotes a 5/25 rule for goal setting. List 25 important goals, identify the top 5, and then work only on these 5. Whatever system you use, prioritizing your ambitions is essential.
Because having clear goals helps you know what you’re defying toward. It’s easy to say no to that pointless meeting when you’re working on an important work goal. Or to skip the night out when you’re clear on your fitness goals.
It’s easier to resist the pressure of conformity when you’re clear on your essential priorities.
2. Limit your choices
There’s a famous paradox in decision-making: the more choices we have, the more likely we are to settle for the status quo. This happens because we become overwhelmed when evaluating too many options. So, instead of trying, we avoid the effort and stick to what’s familiar.
An essentialist mindset overcomes this by limiting options to increase the quality of our decisions. By focusing only on a limited number of alternatives for every decision, we avoid analysis paralysis and can see the benefit of deviating from the status quo.
This applies to any situation where we have many possible options. Essentialists stretch their comfort zones deliberately instead of avoiding choices.
At work, instead of getting overwhelmed with every available project, an essentialist takes on new tasks that align with their long-term career goals.
Instead of over-analyzing every new diet trend or fitness regimen, they focus on a few simple, sustainable, healthy habits that move them in the right direction.
Instead of trying every self-help technique or productivity hack, an essentialist practices a few key strategies that significantly impact their personal growth.
By focusing on fewer choices, we escape the inertia that accompanies choice overload.
3. Increase your bandwidth
An essentialist approach to life results in more time and bandwidth for important pursuits. Setting a focused number of priorities and limiting decision complexity enables this freedom. But it’s just the start.
Rational defiance requires following through on your nonconformist plans. When we’re overloaded with non-essential tasks, we have no capacity to reach the finish line. You need bandwidth to break the mold.
An unconventional path requires this extra time and energy. Defiance is rarely easy, but it’s the only way to align our effort and vision.
To live life on your terms is a game of subtraction. By removing what’s not essential, we create space for a more purposeful and authentic life.
The gendered pronoun, common when Emerson was writing, has become outdated. However, the idea he expresses stands the test of time, and certainly not just for men.