Consulting the Archives...
Generating fresh insights specifically for this topic.
This may take a moment.
Generating fresh insights specifically for this topic.
This may take a moment.
Naval Ravikant is a voracious reader and a lifelong learner who believes that 'free education is abundant, all over the Internet. It's the desire to learn that's scarce. ' He advocates for mastering the basics—microeconomics, game theory, psychology, persuasion, ethics, mathematics, and computers—because these foundational mental models apply to everything. He encourages following your genuine intellectual curiosity rather than what's fashionable, famously advising to 'read what you love until you love to read. ' For Naval, the ability to learn quickly and adapt is the single most important skill in the modern economy.
"Wisdom is knowing the long-term consequences of your actions."
"The best jobs are the ones where you are a learning machine."
"The ability to learn faster than your competitors may be the only sustainable competitive advantage."
"I read strictly for knowledge. I don't read for social approval."
"Specific knowledge is the stuff that you don't even know you're learning because you're just doing it."
"Microeconomics and game theory are fundamental. If you understand those, you can understand how the world works."
"The best teachers are on the Internet. The best books are on the Internet. The best peers are on the Internet."
"Specific knowledge is found by pursuing your genuine curiosity and passion rather than whatever is hot right now."
"If you want to be a clear thinker, you cannot pay attention to politics. It will destroy your ability to think."
"The tools for learning are abundant. It’s the desire to learn that is scarce."
"Read the original scientific books in a field. Read the original texts in a field. Don't read the interpretations."
"Reading is the ultimate meta-skill and can be traded for anything else."
"Study logic and math, because once you’ve mastered them, you won’t fear any book."
"The confidence to say 'I don't know' is the beginning of wisdom."
"The foundation of learning is reading. I don’t know a smart person who doesn’t read and read all the time."
"Specific knowledge cannot be taught, but it can be learned."
"The more you know, the more you can create from."
"Mathematics is the language of nature. If you don't know math, you're walking through life with one eye closed."
"The best way to build a mental model is to learn the foundational basics of every field."
"The smartest people I know are always breaking things down to first principles."
"Working for someone else is just a way to learn how to work for yourself."
"Understanding is important, memorization is not. I have a very poor memory, but I have good comprehension."
"Real learning is a solitary activity."
"Specific knowledge is found by following your genuine intellectual curiosity."
"If you understand the basics, the fancy stuff takes care of itself."
"If you can't focus, you can't learn. If you can't learn, you can't adapt."
"Think clearly. Understand the basics. If you're memorizing advanced concepts without understanding the basics, you're building a tower of cards."
"I don't want to be a specialist. I want to be a generalist. I want to know the basics of everything."
"Study microeconomics, game theory, psychology, persuasion, ethics, mathematics, and computers."
"The most important skill for getting rich is becoming a perpetual learner."
"Play is the best way to learn."
"A lot of people think they are learning when they are actually just procrastinating."
"Judgment is the decisive skill. You can be the hardest working person in the world, but if you're digging in the wrong direction, it doesn't matter."
"Most of life is a search for who and what you need the most."
"Read what you love until you love to read."
Seeing how Naval Ravikant approaches Learning helps you apply the idea with more precision.
Pick one quote to guide a decision today, then return for deeper perspective.
Search More
Jump to another topic, author, or pillar without leaving the archive.
"Use this collection whenever you need Naval Ravikant's lens on Learning."