It takes a dumb MF to win in this world.
You think I’m joking—I’m dead serious.
High IQ makes you more analytical. Being analytical means you see everything that could go wrong. Your threat detection system is overactive—and it paralyzes you.
Dumb MFs don’t have that problem.
They have a stronger bias for action. And as a result—they win more.
“What’s the worst that could happen?”
They don’t overthink.
They have an idea—and test it.
Do you know how much of a cheat code that is?
You can deliberate on a single idea for 30 days. But in that same time, someone else could’ve tested five different solutions and found one that works.
The fallacy is thinking that thinking is a way to create new information.
“It’s not the right time yet.”
Why?
I’ll tell you why—FEAR.
You’re subconsciously afraid, and you cope by convincing yourself it’s a 150 IQ strategic decision.
You’re stuck.
And while you spin your wheels, the DUMB MFs are out there getting everything they want.
Now don’t read this and start wondering where your IQ lands. This isn’t specifically directed at you, and it’s not a personal attack.
Focus on what matters:
DO YOU HAVE A BIAS FOR ACTION?
Do you test your ideas as soon as they hit your brain? Do you try things, knowing they might fail but that’s okay? Do you risk rejection and embarrassment for a chance to win?
Or do you listen to the “rational” voice that whispers, “not yet... it’s too dangerous”? Do you cower in the shadow of your own dreams? Do you always default to the safe path?
You already know the answer.
And the best thing you can do right now is admit the painful truth:
“I’ve been afraid.”
Maybe not all the time, but you haven’t been attacking life like you know you could.
And that admission just put you ahead of 99% of people.
Your honesty is your advantage now.
The truth has set you free.
So now what? Can you actually change? Or will you always be the guy whose best ideas rot in the back of his mind like forgotten milk?
The good (or bad) news:
It’s a choice.
Now that you’re operating from truth—now that you know you’ve been running from your own boldest ideas—you’re free to do something different.
That something is:
The Will to Act.
There’s a scene in Batman Begins where Bruce Wayne is training with Ra’s al Ghul.
Ra’s says:
"Your parents' death was not your fault. It was your father's. Because he was weak. And you know what happens to the weak."
"You traveled the world... to understand the criminal mind. But the criminal is not complicated. What you really fear is inside yourself. You fear your own power. You fear your anger... the drive to do great — or terrible — things."
"You have the strength. You have the will. But you lack the will to act."
For years, Bruce thought he was studying the enemy.
Ra’s shatters the illusion with one line:
“The criminal is not complicated.”
Let that hit.
To avoid a single, painful truth, Bruce abandoned his billionaire life and spent years in the criminal underworld—even went to prison.
It was all a distraction.
All a way to avoid confronting the fear inside himself.
We do the same thing.
Let’s say two guys both want a girlfriend:
Guy 1 embarks on a 3-year mission. Gets shredded. Buys a new wardrobe. Reads every self-help book on Amazon.
Guy 2 walks up to 100 girls and talks to them.
Who gets the girlfriend?
Obviously Guy 2.
But if you gave most young men those two options, they’d choose #1 every time.
Why?
Because it’s RISK-FREE.
They’ll take:
EXTREME EFFORT / LOW RISK
over
LOW EFFORT / HIGH RISK
...every time.
It’s irrational—especially when you realize the “risk” isn’t even real.
You talk to a girl. She rejects you. So what?
Nothing happens outside of your own head.
The world keeps spinning. No one cares. No one’s watching.
But the chimp brain catastrophizes.
And to protect your ego, it paralyses you with fear.
This same exact situation plays out in every arena of life—relationships, work, business, competition, sport.
We avoid the high risk move that would lead to the exact outcome we desire in favour of a lower risk, infinitely longer and more complex path to the same outcome.
In the movie, Bruce finally shatters the illusion and embraces the truth. Only then can he become Batman.
Only then does he acquire the one thing he’s been missing:
The Will to Act.
How Do I Acquire The Will to Act?
The Will to Act isn’t just about “taking action”. Not all action is created equal. And like we’ve just discussed—a lot of action is a pernicious form of avoidance of the simple but scary thing you really need to do.
The Will to Act is about…
Taking the high risk, low effort path.
Testing your ideas, as soon as you have them.
Embracing rejection & failure as necessary signals.
Avoiding “busy work” and cutting straight to what counts.
Ruthlessly prioritising that which moves your life forwards the most.
The Will to Act is a cheat code and superpower.
It’s also the key that unlocks the ENERGY and VITALITY you may have felt you’ve been missing.
Why?
Because ACTION creates ENERGY.
Think of it like a river. Movement is cleansing. Forward progression gives life. Inaction and stagnation cause decay and rot.
This is especially true when your inaction is a product of your FEAR, because subconsciously you know your prison is locked from the inside. You are your own jailer.
So how do you develop The Will to Act?
How do you become the person who’s filled with the vitality of forward progression? How do you become the person who gets the thing they want, in the most direct way possible?
In my experience, there are 4 components required:
1. Ruthless Self-Honesty
The biggest obstacle to The Will to Act is the belief that you’re already the person who takes risk, runs headfirst into fear, tests ideas immediately, and embraces failure/rejection.
So until you’re ready to be honest with yourself, nothing else matters.
Self deception is the root of all self sabotage. If you can’t face the truth about who you are and what you do, you will remain stuck until some external event causes enough pain that you’re forced to wake up.
If you want to be honest with yourself but you feel like there’s some invisible barrier getting in the way, here’s my advice:Remove all your crutches i.e. everything you rely on for comfort.
Nicotine. Caffeine. Video Games. P*rn. Social media. YouTube. Weed.
Anything you use to “self soothe”—get rid of it immediately.
Depending on what your current addictions are and how deep you’re in them, there will be a 2-3 week period of withdrawals (painful). But once you’re through, you will see the world through new eyes.
Without the escape of drugs & entertainment, you’ll be forced to confront reality.
I call this, “Rawdogging Life”.
It’s one of the fastest ways to change, but it comes at a price.
There’s a reason you’re drawn to escapism and cheap stimulation. You have to ask yourself; am I ready to find out that reason?
2. The Mother of Invention
A.k.a. Necessity.
One of my favourite quotes of all time:
“You have no idea how powerful you are until you need to be powerful”
The fastest way to develop The Will to Act is to put yourself into a position where you won’t survive without it.
Move to a new city with $200 to your name.
Quit your job to start the business (burn the boats).
Move out of your parents’ house with no backup plan.
Enter a competition. Pay the fee. Show up.
Force yourself into situations where you have to perform, and you will perform.
If you’re in a stable position in life and don’t want to torch it all to the ground for the sake of manufacturing necessity, that’s okay.
There are other—albeit weaker—ways to generate necessity:
Join a social circle of people who all have a) the lifestyle, achievements, or resources you want, or b) The Will to Act (social pressure is a form of necessity)
Create “High Stakes Accountability” (put money on the line, tell people what you’re gonna do, etc)
Time scarcity reframe (pretend you only have 6 months to live, create challenges to accomplish X ambitious goal by the end of the week and actually give your best at hitting it)
External commitments (book the venue, hire the coach, buy the ticket)
These can still work, but they’ll never be quite as effective because you know they’re fake.
It’s kinda like how modern intermittent fasting is meant to simulate how our ancestors would go hungry if they didn’t make a kill.
Yes, it’s technically the same thing.
But it’ll never quite bring the same benefits because you know there’s steak and eggs in the fridge.
4. Develop Courage
The Will to Act is largely about courage.
Courage isn’t the absence of fear. It’s choosing to act in spite of fear.
It’s doing what must be done even when the outcome is uncertain, the risk is real, and the voice in your head is screaming at you “GTFO of here you’re gonna die!!!”.
It’s not bravado. And it’s not blind recklessness.
It’s clarity of purpose strong enough to override the instinct for safety.
But here’s the secret:
Your instinct for safety is based on fear. And your fear is based on FICTION, not facts.
Think about it… if you’ve never done something before (approached a girl, launched a business, posted online), your nervous system doesn’t assess real danger. It defaults to imagined catastrophe. Not because it’s accurate—but because it has no data. So your body reacts like the threat is mortal.
Your heart races. Muscles tighten. You FREEZE.
But this isn’t real danger. It’s unfamiliarity.
So the solution therefore is to CREATE FAMILIARITY.
Start small. Say “good morning” to one stranger. Post a video but on a private account with no followers. Map out your business plan and ask one person about it. Do SOMETHING in the direction of courage.
Now your nervous system is a little more familiar with the experience, so you can take it a step further. And further. And further. Until the thing that used to terrify you is a normal part of your daily life.
CHALLENGE: DO THIS NOW. Right now, while you’re here, fired up and ready to act. Don’t wait. Take one step in the direction of courage and feel the energy rise within you.
4. Weaponise Identity
The Will to Act can be a fleeting feeling that washes over you every now and then, spurring you to make occasional leaps in progress.
Or it can be your daily experience—a fire inside you that never goes out, driving you to heights you never thought possible.The difference is IDENTITY.
Identity is the story you believe about who you are.
It’s the invisible operating system that drives what you do, what you avoid, what risks you take, and what limits you unconsciously accept.
Identity answers the unspoken questions you carry everywhere:
“What kind of person am I?”
“What’s possible for someone like me?”
“What do people like me do when things get hard?”
The biggest obstacle to you taking bold action, running towards risk, testing your ideas in the real world, and facing rejection is the following belief:
“I am not the kind of person who does those things”
You don’t think you’re that person.
Maybe it’s because you haven’t been that person in the past.
But here’s the thing:
You are under no obligation to remain consistent with your past behaviour. at any time, you can unlock your self imposed shackles and become who you choose to be.
Read that 2x.
You can become whoever the f*ck you want to become.
And that realisation is the first step to changing your identity. The next step is ACTION. You must begin taking steps in the direction of the person you wish to become.
They can be small at first, under 2 conditions:
They gradually get bigger, riskier, bolder, more courageous.
You never go backwards, you commit to building the new identity with constant forwards progression.
Remember: Identity is the story you believe about who you are.
Changing that story requires EVIDENCE + TIME.
The more evidence you give yourself that you are the person you want to become, the faster it’ll take hold and become your default mode.
Winning In The Age of AI
AI has taken the intellectual burden of winning. Being smart still helps, but it’s not the advantage it used to be.
If you want to win in this world, there’s one thing you need above all else:
Balls.
A.k.a. The ability to take bold action in spite of fear.
That’s what The Will to Act is all about.
It’s not a prescription for everyone. There’s a threshold of desire, below which you won’t muster the courage to start taking steps.
But for those who’re sick of living out the same 6 months over & over again.
Who have great ambitions and feel nauseous at the idea of not achieving them.
Who want to feel more ALIVE than the current path offers.
It’s an essential next step in the journey.
– JW