If you don’t think highly of yourself, why would anyone else? Some people think their self-esteem and self-confidence are trash because others don’t treat them well, but consider the problem with this thinking. First, it’s called self-esteem. It comes from you! It’s in the name. If you let how the world treats you dictate how you should feel about yourself, you’re in for a rough ride in this thing called life. People are mean, nasty, and ruthless, and often, it has nothing to do with you or...
27 days ago • 4 min read
The cool thing about boxing—compared to other sports and even other combat sports—is that there's only one way out of a boxing match. Assuming you or your opponent aren't disqualified, you have to take a lot of damage. It's the most significant scoring criteria in a fight. If the match doesn't end in a knockout—you took so much damage that you were unable to continue—then the winner of the fight is typically the one who caused the most damage to his opponent. And—even if you win, you're going...
about 1 month ago • 4 min read
Let's start this newsletter with a brief summary of my past. I started amateur boxing at 22. By 26, I had won a state and national amateur boxing championship, earned a sponsorship worth $100k a year, and was ranked 4th in the United States in the 201+ weight class. I turned professional three weeks before my 29th birthday. By 30, I was signed to Jay-Z's Roc Nation Sports. At 31, I suffered my first professional loss by an embarrassing first-round knockout. I took a year off to finish my...
about 2 months ago • 12 min read
This is a short newsletter about some of the happenings around the book, along with great free resources for fathers. Excerpts, research, and community For this book, I can confidently say that I've written over 250k words and compiled A LOT of research around family dynamics, social interactions, game theory, learning science, addiction, and physical training. The book in its (nearly) final form will contain none of this research and essays. It will be much more of a memoir telling my story...
3 months ago • 3 min read
No matter how much of a free thinker you believe yourself to be, the people around you heavily influence you—even if you aren't aware of this influence. Humans don't exist in a vacuum. Unless you live "off the grid," in which case you wouldn't even be reading this, this also applies to you. Social influence is a powerful, often invisible force that shapes our behaviors, decisions, and perceptions in countless ways, even though we tend to underestimate its impact on ourselves. Each member of...
5 months ago • 8 min read
This past week, I submitted my first manuscript, "Hard Lessons From The Hurt Business." This is a tremendous occasion because now I get feedback directly from the person who will sign off on my book. I celebrated by having tacos and reflecting on the challenges of writing this book over the past year. I've already talked about those challenges, but for people new to the newsletter, the abridged version is "new baby and moving." I made it happen, and most importantly, I made it happen without...
5 months ago • 8 min read
Hello. I’m Ed Latimore, and this is the Stoic Street Smarts newsletter. Keep reading to learn how to manage risk, develop relationships, and face reality. Quick summary of today's newsletter: The "Big Stick Policy" and game theory's "Prisoner's Dilemma" offer valuable insights into strategic decision-making and cooperation in interpersonal relationships. The best defense is a willingness to be offensive Snitches get the worst of both worlds Cooperation beats competition in almost every domain...
6 months ago • 9 min read
Watch today's newsletter. Or, just like, leave a comment and share with someone who'd benefit from this message. December 23rd, 2023 marked ten years of sobriety for me. I haven't felt the urge to drink in quite a long time. I can sit in a bar with the smell of booze and feel nothing at its strongest pull. But most of the time, I feel a combination of mild disgust and gratitude. Me before getting sober I wrote a book to help if you're struggling with drinking. Learn more here. The disgust...
7 months ago • 3 min read
Today's newsletter at a glance The 70% rule states that if you have 70% of what you need to succeed, execute the plan. Preparation is important, but at some point, you must take action to avoid missed opportunities. The remaining 30% is where adaptation, improvisation, and creativity come into play. Find your personal 70% level of readiness by asking yourself key questions about worry, focus, and preparedness. Before getting into today's newsletter, I have some program updates and questions....
7 months ago • 7 min read