Why Guerrilla? And Why Wisdom?

Why guerrilla?

The guerrilla symbolizes the eternal fight for independence.

We all say we want freedom and autonomy. But in a complex and competitive world, wanting alone doesn’t get us very far. More often, we get what we’re willing to fight for.

I’ve long been fascinated with the minds of mavericks, rebels, outcasts, free-thinkers, trailblazers, upstarts, innovators, and artists – especially when they’ve overcome adversity to realize a unique and valuable mission in the world.

What they share is the guerrilla mindset.

Like the guerrilla, they push against the status quo with courage and creativity. They’re often feisty and stubborn, messy and improvised. Facing a resource disadvantage to establishment forces, they turn to unconventional tactics, new ideas and the power of surprise, driven by an iron will to overcome.

But to be heroic, the guerrilla’s quest must be about more than just change. It has to tie into a greater project that will ultimately improve life. Courage and creativity may be the guerrilla’s weapons, but purpose is its fuel.

Conformity and dependence will always be rewarded by those who want to control others.  

The guerrilla ethos responds with the will to fight for a better life on our terms. Even if we have to muck through the mud to get there.

Why wisdom?

The information age is also an age of information overflow.

Information itself is never bad: it’s that we haven’t evolved to handle this much of it. Our attentional bandwidth is limited – barely enough to listen to more than two people speak at the same time[1]. Researchers have shown that too much information also increases allostatic load [2] – the kind of chronic, low-grade stress that leads to so many health challenges.

Adding to this is our hardwired bias for negativity: we’re predisposed to notice more negative information relative to positive – almost nine times as much, according to studies conducted at Berkeley[3].

The waves of stress and negativity brought to us by the overflow are the price we pay for our amazing access to information. An all-consuming, divisive culture war, and endless streams of trivial content thrive as a result.

At a human level, this all creates a stronger need for knowledge that’s practically useful in helping people flourish and live better lives. Thankfully, we’re also in a golden age for this kind of knowledge. That’s what I’m dedicated to hunting down, curating and spreading, in the most efficient and engaging ways possible.

The goal of Guerrilla Wisdom and of my podcast isn’t to pour more salt into the ocean. It’s to contribute, in some small but tangible way, to a much-needed wisdom revolution.

I’ll be doing this via thematic conversations with entrepreneurs, innovators and thought leaders, as well as through articles and idea capsules.

If you’re interested in joining these explorations, please sign up below!

Warmly,

Fred


[1] Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience (1990), p.28-30.

[2] Dr. Daniel Levitin, The Neuroscience Behind Why We Feel Stressed, and What to Do About It: https://thriveglobal.com/stories/neuroscience-behind-why-we-feel-stressed-what-to-do-about-it-wellness-wisdom/

[3] Kotler, Steven, The Art of Impossible: A Peak Performance Primer (2021), p.79.

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Technology lawyer, author, host of the Fred Pinto Podcast