Every so often I come across a book that has absolutely nothing to do with intelligence but should be required reading for every analyst, whatever their role or persuasion. The gem at the top of my Christmas reading list was Baltasar Gracián’s The Pocket Oracle and Art of Prudence.
Written over 350 years ago by a Spanish Jesuit, The Pocket Oracle offers some 300 aphorisms on how to conduct oneself in the world. Gracian’s advice is particularly relevant to those who must navigate a world of conflicting interests, opinions and evidence with integrity.
The book had me nodding and scribbling margin notes throughout. I offer one of my favourite aphorisms below (taken from the Penguin Classics translation by Jeremy Robbins):
Think ahead: today for tomorrow, and even for many days after that. The greatest foresight is to have abundant time for it. For the far-sighted, nothing is unexpected; there are no tight spots for those who are prepared. Don’t save your reason for when difficulties arise, use it well before that. Anticipate critical times with mature reflection. The pillow is a silent Sibyl and sleeping on things is better than lying awake under their weight. Some act first and think later, which is to search for excuses rather than consequences. Others think neither before nor after. The whole of life should be a process of deliberation to choose the right course. Reflection and foresight provide the perfect means of living in anticipation.
Not bad eh?
One other reading tip from the Christmas break is David Brook’s The Social Animal. Here, Brooks offers a excellent introduction to how the unconscious shapes our lives, our work and the decisions we make. If nothing else, the passages on the role of bias in the workplace are required reading for anyone whose found themselves wondering why the smartest guys in the room are sometimes the dumbest. Required reading.
I’ll leave it there for now. A happy new year to you all!
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