--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Naval’s Laws The below is Naval’s…" description: "\"“Naval’s Laws The below is Naval’s response to the question “Are there any quotes you live by or think of often?” These are gold. Take the time necessa..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b42/timothy-ferriss-973_buddhism_naval-s-laws-the-below-is-naval-s-respon_1633383.jpg" --- # Naval’s Laws The below is Naval’s response to the question… ![“Naval’s Laws The below is Naval’s response to the question “Are there any quotes you live by or think of often?” These are gold. Take the time necessary to digest them. “These aren’t all quotes from others. Many are maxims that I’ve carved for myself.” Be present above all else. Desire is…” quote by Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b42/timothy-ferriss-973_buddhism_naval-s-laws-the-below-is-naval-s-respon_1633383.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b42/timothy-ferriss-973_buddhism_naval-s-laws-the-below-is-naval-s-respon_1633383.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b42/timothy-ferriss-973_buddhism_naval-s-laws-the-below-is-naval-s-respon_1633383.jpg) > ““Naval’s Laws The below is Naval’s response to the question “Are there any quotes you live by or think of often?” These are gold. Take the time necessary to digest them. “These aren’t all quotes from others. Many are maxims that I’ve carved for myself.” Be present above all else. Desire is suffering (Buddha). Anger is a hot coal that you hold in your hand while waiting to throw it at someone else (Buddhist saying). If you can’t see yourself working with someone for life, don’t work with them for a day. Reading (learning) is the ultimate meta-skill and can be traded for anything else. All the real benefits in life come from compound interest. Earn with your mind, not your time. 99% of all effort is wasted. Total honesty at all times. It’s almost always possible to be honest and positive. Praise specifically, criticize generally (Warren Buffett). Truth is that which has predictive power. Watch every thought. (Always ask, “Why am I having this thought?”) All greatness comes from suffering. Love is given, not received. Enlightenment is the space between your thoughts (Eckhart Tolle). Mathematics is the language of nature. Every moment has to be complete in and of itself. A Few of Naval’s Tweets that are Too Good to Leave Out “What you choose to work on, and who you choose to work with, are far more important than how hard you work.” “Free education is abundant, all over the Internet. It’s the desire to learn that’s scarce.” “If you eat, invest, and think according to what the ‘news’ advocates, you’ll end up nutritionally, financially, and morally bankrupt.” “We waste our time with short-term thinking and busywork. Warren Buffett spends a year deciding and a day acting. That act lasts decades.” “The guns aren’t new. The violence isn’t new. The connected cameras are new, and that changes everything.” “You get paid for being right first, and to be first, you can’t wait for consensus.” “My one repeated learning in life: ‘There are no adults.’ Everyone’s making it up as they go along. Figure it out yourself, and do it.” “A busy mind accelerates the passage of subjective time.”” [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Naval’s maxims stress presence, suffering, honesty, learning, and the power of compound effort while urging purposeful work and relationships. **In simple terms:** Focus on presence, learning, honesty, and compound growth; choose work and partners wisely. Key Takeaway Prioritize meaningful work and relationships. Themes mindfulness productivity learning relationships Mood inspirational pragmatic Type philosophical self‑help When to use this quote - career planning - personal development - relationship building - financial planning Key Concepts compound interest honesty presence Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance honesty with diplomacy? - What does “suffering” mean in personal growth? A Different Perspective These maxims may oversimplify complex life situations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Buddhism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buddhism/) [Busy Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/busy-mind/) [Compound interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compound-interest/) [Desire to learn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire-to-learn/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eckhart-tolle-2/) [Every moment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-moment/) [Free education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-education/) [Laws Naval](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laws-naval-503797/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Live Think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/live-think/) [Naval Laws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/naval-laws-503798/) [Naval Tweets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/naval-tweets-503796/) [Quotes Maxims](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quotes-maxims-503795/) [Term Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/term-thinking/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [“The worst fear of the race yes, the world suddenly transformed into a senseless nightmare, horrible dissolution of things. Nothing compares, even oblivion is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-ligotti/the-worst-fear-of-the-race-yes-the-world-suddenly-transformed-into-a/) [Thomas Ligotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-ligotti/) > [“Empty mind is the devil's workshop...and busy mind kills creativity...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akansh-malik/empty-mind-is-the-devil-s-workshop-and-busy-mind-kills-creativity/) [Akansh Malik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akansh-malik/) > [“August stopped rolling the apple, closed the book, forced himself to sit still, even though a still body was a busy mind- something to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-schwab/august-stopped-rolling-the-apple-closed-the-book-forced-himself-to/) [Victoria Schwab](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-schwab/) > [RHETORIC The art of making life less believable; the calculated use of language, not to alarm but to do full harm to our busy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-marcus/rhetoric-the-art-of-making-life-less-believable-the-calculated-use-of/) [Ben Marcus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-marcus/) > [“objective. This objective is to silence the busy mind, free it from stress, and prepare it for reflection and contemplation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anong-sasithorn/objective-this-objective-is-to-silence-the-busy-mind-free-it-from/) [Anong Sasithorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anong-sasithorn/) > [“But sometimes i have to ask myself this question. its true that to us his imaginings are nothing but the inventions of a busy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sadamu-yamashita/but-sometimes-i-have-to-ask-myself-this-question-its-true-that-to-us/) [Sadamu Yamashita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sadamu-yamashita/) > [I know that I have a good career and I'm really busy, but there's always that part of my mind that's like, 'You're not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-norton/i-know-that-i-have-a-good-career-and-i-m-really-busy-but-there-s/) [Jim Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-norton/) > [I'm basically useless in interviews because I don't remember anything. But I find it very peaceful, actually, because I have a sort of busy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaby-hoffmann/i-m-basically-useless-in-interviews-because-i-don-t-remember-anything/) [Gaby Hoffmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaby-hoffmann/) > [As you think, so you become…Our busy minds are forever jumping to conclusions, manufacturing and interpreting signs that aren't there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/as-you-think-so-you-become-our-busy-minds-are-forever-jumping-to/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [People think that because of my act that I must have a really busy mind and I must be driven. I really am not.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-vine/people-think-that-because-of-my-act-that-i-must-have-a-really-busy/) [Tim Vine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-vine/) > [“Queen of my tub, I merrily sing, While the white foam rises high, And sturdily wash, and rinse, and wring, And fasten the clothes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/queen-of-my-tub-i-merrily-sing-while-the-white-foam-rises-high-and/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [“Even if I’m setting myself up for failure, I think it’s worth trying to be a mother who delights in who her children are,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-waldman/even-if-i-m-setting-myself-up-for-failure-i-think-it-s-worth-trying/) [Ayelet Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-waldman/) > [Busy your mind with the concepts of harmony, health, peace, and good will, and wonders will happen in your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-murphy/busy-your-mind-with-the-concepts-of-harmony-health-peace-and-good/) [Joseph Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-murphy/) > [“This objective is to silence the busy mind, free it from stress, and prepare it for reflection and contemplation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anong-sasithorn/this-objective-is-to-silence-the-busy-mind-free-it-from-stress-and/) [Anong Sasithorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anong-sasithorn/) > [Man little knows what calamities are beyond his patience to bear till he tries them; as in ascending the heights of ambition, which look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/man-little-knows-what-calamities-are-beyond-his-patience-to-bear-till/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) ## More by Timothy Ferriss > [“First of all, if we’re serious all the time, we’ll wear out before we get the truly serious stuff done. Second, if this book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/first-of-all-if-we-re-serious-all-the-time-we-ll-wear-out-before-we/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [“What is the book (or books) you’ve given most as a gift, and why? Or what are one to three books that have greatly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/what-is-the-book-or-books-you-ve-given-most-as-a-gift-and-why-or-what/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [“What advice would you give to a smart, driven college student about to enter the “real world”? What advice should they ignore? Nobody really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/what-advice-would-you-give-to-a-smart-driven-college-student-about-to/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [“Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can’t see from the center. Big, undreamed-of things—the people on the edge see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/out-on-the-edge-you-see-all-kinds-of-things-you-can-t-see-from-the/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [“information without emotion isn’t retained.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/information-without-emotion-isn-t-retained/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [“Pure hell forces action, but anything less can be endured with enough clever rationalization.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/pure-hell-forces-action-but-anything-less-can-be-endured-with-enough/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [“What advice would you give to a smart, driven college student about to enter the “real world”? Most of the game is about persistence.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/what-advice-would-you-give-to-a-smart-driven-college-student-about-to-2/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [“Don’t aim at success. The more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/don-t-aim-at-success-the-more-you-aim-at-it-and-make-it-a-target-the/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [“conscious thinking is largely asking and answering questions in your own head. If you want confusion and heartache, ask vague questions. If you want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/conscious-thinking-is-largely-asking-and-answering-questions-in-your/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [“What bullshit excuses do you have for not going after whatever it is that you want? Please,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/what-bullshit-excuses-do-you-have-for-not-going-after-whatever-it-is/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [“The fishing is best where the fewest go,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/the-fishing-is-best-where-the-fewest-go/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [“Using people to leverage a refined process multiplies production; using people as a solution to a poor process multiplies problems.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/using-people-to-leverage-a-refined-process-multiplies-production/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [“Being financially rich and having the ability to live like a millionaire are fundamentally two very different things.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/being-financially-rich-and-having-the-ability-to-live-like-a/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [“What are the top-three activities that I use to fill time to feel as though I’ve been productive? These are usually used to postpone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/what-are-the-top-three-activities-that-i-use-to-fill-time-to-feel-as/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) > [“The factory of the future will have only two employees, a man and a dog. The man will be there to feed the dog.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/the-factory-of-the-future-will-have-only-two-employees-a-man-and-a/) [Timothy Ferriss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) [Explore all 310 Timothy Ferriss quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/) ## More Buddhism quotes > [There are places that are very draining. There are places where there is another dimensional crossover but to a dimension that is not powerful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/there-are-places-that-are-very-draining-there-are-places-where-there/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Enlightenment is lightening up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-myers/enlightenment-is-lightening-up/) [Mike Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-myers/) > [The very best players, when they are practicing, put everything they've got into it. But then they leave it for a while. And it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tenzin-palmo/the-very-best-players-when-they-are-practicing-put-everything-they-ve/) [Tenzin Palmo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tenzin-palmo/) > [Everyone will admire you when you do well. What a horrible thing to do to someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/everyone-will-admire-you-when-you-do-well-what-a-horrible-thing-to-do/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Nirvana is a word that means enlightenment, being beyond the illusion of birth and death, the illusion of pain, the illusion of love, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/nirvana-is-a-word-that-means-enlightenment-being-beyond-the-illusion/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [I think the most miraculous thing is learning. I get out of the way and let the students learn. Then you get to watch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/i-think-the-most-miraculous-thing-is-learning-i-get-out-of-the-way/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“Exactly. I think the original tantric Buddhists took notice of was some very wise old people who never studied in their youth, but took…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-niemczura/exactly-i-think-the-original-tantric-buddhists-took-notice-of-was/) [Joe Niemczura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-niemczura/) > [A human being can only absorb a small amount of the mystical kundalini, you can be exposed again and again to it, but it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/a-human-being-can-only-absorb-a-small-amount-of-the-mystical/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [One of the things I regret about not putting in that book or I think it's there but I didn't really elaborate on it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-warner/one-of-the-things-i-regret-about-not-putting-in-that-book-or-i-think/) [Brad Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-warner/) > [My mom and my aunties are really devout Christians. My mom married a Muslim when I was 12, so I got teachings from both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tech-n9ne/my-mom-and-my-aunties-are-really-devout-christians-my-mom-married-a/) [Tech N9ne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tech-n9ne/) > [Balance is the ability to be happy in the midst of the most chaotic or even boring or transient circumstance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/balance-is-the-ability-to-be-happy-in-the-midst-of-the-most-chaotic/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“The extraction of discrete parts of Chöd teachings from their broader philosophical contexts is symptomatic of how Chöd has been incorporated into and transmitted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-sorensen/the-extraction-of-discrete-parts-of-ch-d-teachings-from-their-broader/) [Michelle Sorensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-sorensen/) > [Buddhism advises you not to implant feelings that you don’t really have or avoid feelings that you do have. If you are miserable you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/buddhism-advises-you-not-to-implant-feelings-that-you-don-t-really/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“That's all there is, enlightenment on the end of a cock. It doesn't get any more Zen than that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaden-wilkes/that-s-all-there-is-enlightenment-on-the-end-of-a-cock-it-doesn-t-get/) [Jaden Wilkes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaden-wilkes/) > [Aging is like enlightenment at gunpoint. Before I had cancer, I lived my life for my art. After I had cancer, I lived my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-halprin/aging-is-like-enlightenment-at-gunpoint-before-i-had-cancer-i-lived/) [Anna Halprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-halprin/) [Browse all 6,100 Buddhism quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buddhism/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Naval’s Laws The below is Naval’s response to the question “Are there any quotes you live by or think of often?” These are gold. Take the time necessary to digest them. “These aren’t all quotes from others. Many are maxims that I’ve carved for myself.” Be present above all else. Desire is suffering (Buddha). Anger is a hot coal that you hold in your hand while waiting to throw it at someone else (Buddhist saying). If you can’t see yourself working with someone for life, don’t work with them for a day. Reading (learning) is the ultimate meta-skill and can be traded for anything else. All the real benefits in life come from compound interest. Earn with your mind, not your time. 99% of all effort is wasted. Total honesty at all times. It’s almost always possible to be honest and positive. Praise specifically, criticize generally (Warren Buffett). Truth is that which has predictive power. Watch every thought. (Always ask, “Why am I having this thought?”) All greatness comes from suffering. Love is given, not received. Enlightenment is the space between your thoughts (Eckhart Tolle). Mathematics is the language of nature. Every moment has to be complete in and of itself. A Few of Naval’s Tweets that are Too Good to Leave Out “What you choose to work on, and who you choose to work with, are far more important than how hard you work.” “Free education is abundant, all over the Internet. It’s the desire to learn that’s scarce.” “If you eat, invest, and think according to what the ‘news’ advocates, you’ll end up nutritionally, financially, and morally bankrupt.” “We waste our time with short-term thinking and busywork. Warren Buffett spends a year deciding and a day acting. That act lasts decades.” “The guns aren’t new. The violence isn’t new. The connected cameras are new, and that changes everything.” “You get paid for being right first, and to be first, you can’t wait for consensus.” “My one repeated learning in life: ‘There are no adults.’ Everyone’s making it up as they go along. Figure it out yourself, and do it.” “A busy mind accelerates the passage of subjective time.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Timothy Ferriss" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/naval-s-laws-the-below-is-naval-s-response-to-the-question-are-there/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Buddhism" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/naval-s-laws-the-below-is-naval-s-response-to-the-question-are-there/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b42/timothy-ferriss-973_buddhism_naval-s-laws-the-below-is-naval-s-respon_1633383.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b42/timothy-ferriss-973_buddhism_naval-s-laws-the-below-is-naval-s-respon_1633383.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b42/timothy-ferriss-973_buddhism_naval-s-laws-the-below-is-naval-s-respon_1633383.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Naval’s Laws The below is Naval’s response to the question “Are there any quotes you live by or think of…” — Timothy Ferriss", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Timothy Ferriss", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-ferriss/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Naval’s Laws The below is Naval’s...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/naval-s-laws-the-below-is-naval-s-response-to-the-question-are-there/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-ferriss/naval-s-laws-the-below-is-naval-s-response-to-the-question-are-there/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```