Everything from Money to The Meaning of Life: Wisdom from “The Almanack of Naval Ravikant” (Book Summary)

I’ve learned a few things, and some principles. I try to lay them out in a timeless manner, where you can figure it out for yourself. Because at the end of the day, I can’t quite teach anything. I can only inspire you and maybe give you a few hooks so you can remember.

— Naval Ravikant

Money vs Wealth:

“Money is not going to solve all of your problems, but it’s going to solve all of your money problems.”

• “Money is how we transfer wealth. Money is social credits. It is the ability to have credits and debits of other people’s time.”
• “My definition of wealth is much more businesses and assets that can earn while you sleep.”
• “Money buys you freedom in the material world. It’s not going to make you happy, it’s not going to solve your health problems, it’s not going to make your family great, it’s not going to make you fit, it’s not going to make you calm. But it will solve a lot of external problems.”
• “Making money is not a thing you do—it’s a skill you learn.”

Despising Wealth:

“If you secretly despise wealth, it will elude you.”

• “Being anti-wealth will prevent you from becoming wealthy, because you will not have the right mindset for it, you won’t have the right spirit, and you won’t be dealing with people on the right level.”
• “Money is not the root of all evil; there’s nothing evil about it. But the lust for money is bad.”
• “Lusting for money is bad for us because it is a bottomless pit. It will always occupy your mind. If you love money, and you make it, there’s never enough. There is never enough because the desire is turned on and doesn’t turn off at some number.”
• “You make money to solve your money and material problems. I think the best way to stay away from this constant love of money is to not upgrade your lifestyle as you make money.”

Building Wealth:

“You don’t get rich by spending your time to save money. You get rich by saving your time to make money.“

• “The (how to get rich without getting lucky) tweetstorm tries to be information-dense, very concise, high-impact, and timeless. It has all the information and principles, so if you absorb these and you work hard over ten years, you’ll get what you want.”
• “Everybody who really makes money at some point owns a piece of a product, a business, or some IP.”