Lessons From Claude Shannon's Life

Claude Shannon was more than one of the most prominent mathematicians in American history. He was also one of the most brilliant minds to live on the planet, with an intellect on par with Einstein and Newton.

Jimmi Soni spent years studying Shannon and has written extensively on the man.

One of Soni’s articles covers lessons from Shannon’s life that teach us how to better our own lives.

Here are my favorite takeaways from said article…

• Shannon was deliberate with how he spent his time. Rather than immersing himself in trivial small talk, he made his conversations full of stimulating and fascinating ideas. He didn’t waste time having conversations he didn’t want to have.
• “Don’t just find a mentor—allow yourself to be mentored.” Most people want mentorship or guidance. But finding a mentor is only step one. After, you need the humility to take advice to heart. Even—or perhaps specially—when the advice makes you uncomfortable.
• "Time is the soil in which great ideas grow.” Shannon wasn’t afraid to let go of projects. If something stopped exciting him, he would move on. That’s a man with no sunk costs. But what fascinates me is that he would often return to ideas years later when inspiration once again struck. Sometimes, ideas have to marinate before they become great.
• This Soni quote says enough. No need for me to explain. “Shannon was never one to get caught up in jockeying for status, play office politics, or try to win over every critic. The pleasure of problem-solving was worth more to him than all of that, and so when it came to choosing his relatively small number of friends, Shannon deliberately chose those who took pleasure in the same thing and who helped bring out the best in him.”
• “[Shannon] saw his financial success as an opportunity, not to live lavishly, but to spend more time on the gadgeteering projects he loved.” This is something we can all take notes from. The best reason to make more money is so you have the freedom to spend more time doing what you love.