Ben Wilson

The book Make Something Wonderful has a great quote from Steve Jobs about something very similar. An interviewer asks him, what do you think your weaknesses are when it comes to management? And Steve responds, Okay. So first of all, let's just take a moment to recognize how great this is. An interviewer asks Steve Jobs what his greatest weaknesses are. And he says, you know, I don't know.

Strengths and weaknesses are two sides of the same coin, but here are my strengths. So I think you should try this in your next interview. When someone asks you your biggest weakness says, well, you know, actually strengths and weaknesses are two sides of the same coin. So here's why I'm great even more. But I think he's making the exact same point as Rochefoucault.

Strengths and weaknesses are two sides of the same coin, but here are my strengths. So I think you should try this in your next interview. When someone asks you your biggest weakness says, well, you know, actually strengths and weaknesses are two sides of the same coin. So here's why I'm great even more. But I think he's making the exact same point as Rochefoucault.

Your strengths and your weaknesses are two sides of the same coin. Your virtues are really just your vices in disguise. And I think this has two major implications. One, you need to be careful about addressing your weaknesses because you just might be risking the same thing that makes you great. If you eliminate this vice where the flip side is your great virtue...

Your strengths and your weaknesses are two sides of the same coin. Your virtues are really just your vices in disguise. And I think this has two major implications. One, you need to be careful about addressing your weaknesses because you just might be risking the same thing that makes you great. If you eliminate this vice where the flip side is your great virtue...

then that might not be a worthwhile trade-off to eliminate that vice. Now, of course, that doesn't mean you never address your weaknesses, but you do need to be very careful when you're doing so. You know, Napoleon had this swashbuckling cavalryman, Murat, but he had a great line about him. Napoleon says, every army needs one Murat, but if it has two, one of them will need to be shot.

then that might not be a worthwhile trade-off to eliminate that vice. Now, of course, that doesn't mean you never address your weaknesses, but you do need to be very careful when you're doing so. You know, Napoleon had this swashbuckling cavalryman, Murat, but he had a great line about him. Napoleon says, every army needs one Murat, but if it has two, one of them will need to be shot.

Okay, so in other words, every army needs one crazy guy who will just charge into the enemy and attack no matter what. And this will inspire other men, but he's also somewhat chaotic. And if you have two of those guys, then that's too much chaos and you have to execute one of them. So obviously you can see that there, for this guy Murat, his strength and his weakness are the same thing.

Okay, so in other words, every army needs one crazy guy who will just charge into the enemy and attack no matter what. And this will inspire other men, but he's also somewhat chaotic. And if you have two of those guys, then that's too much chaos and you have to execute one of them. So obviously you can see that there, for this guy Murat, his strength and his weakness are the same thing.

And so if you try to tell him, hey, rein it in, calm down, try being a little more obedient and level-headed, then what would be the point of having a Murat in your army? His virtue is his vice disguised. The other big implication is that finding your weaknesses can help you find your strengths. Let your shadow guide you.

And so if you try to tell him, hey, rein it in, calm down, try being a little more obedient and level-headed, then what would be the point of having a Murat in your army? His virtue is his vice disguised. The other big implication is that finding your weaknesses can help you find your strengths. Let your shadow guide you.

So many people are afraid of their vices, their foibles, the bad elements of their nature. But maybe, just maybe, you can let that guide you to success. For example, if you're ever with me at a dinner party,

So many people are afraid of their vices, their foibles, the bad elements of their nature. But maybe, just maybe, you can let that guide you to success. For example, if you're ever with me at a dinner party,

and uh and we get on the wrong topic like i might corner you and go on for 20 30 minutes okay that's a vice of mine but of course it's also what i do professionally and so like if i eliminated that from my nature would i be as good of a podcaster probably not

and uh and we get on the wrong topic like i might corner you and go on for 20 30 minutes okay that's a vice of mine but of course it's also what i do professionally and so like if i eliminated that from my nature would i be as good of a podcaster probably not

So it's a counterintuitive thought, but what if you could find your greatest strength in your life, your biggest differentiator, by seeking out your biggest flaw and asking yourself, okay, what is the other side of the coin from this weakness? On that same note, he says, we do not despise all who have vices, but we do despise all who have not virtues. Okay, and I think that's very true.

So it's a counterintuitive thought, but what if you could find your greatest strength in your life, your biggest differentiator, by seeking out your biggest flaw and asking yourself, okay, what is the other side of the coin from this weakness? On that same note, he says, we do not despise all who have vices, but we do despise all who have not virtues. Okay, and I think that's very true.

Ultimately, whether you have some vices is irrelevant. Everyone does. You will never become great by minimizing your vices down to nothing, right? Finding all your weaknesses and your foibles and just focusing on that until you're a completely polished stone and you have no weaknesses. That's not how it works.

Ultimately, whether you have some vices is irrelevant. Everyone does. You will never become great by minimizing your vices down to nothing, right? Finding all your weaknesses and your foibles and just focusing on that until you're a completely polished stone and you have no weaknesses. That's not how it works.

Rochefoucauld tells us you become great by having virtues, by having talents, skills, things you are great at. Okay. So I think that's an important point that it's not the lack of vices that that makes a person interesting and worthwhile. It is having great virtues. Just one more quote from Rochefoucauld that illustrates the same point.