Hi,

A friend recently told me that many years ago, wartime generals would burn their boats in order to prevent their soldiers from retreating. This left them with two options: fight and win, or die. The lesson being that if you only have two options, what you need to achieve becomes very clear.

I looked into this more, and it's hard to attribute this boat burning business to one person. It appears to have started with Sun Tzu and The Art of War (544 BC), went mainstream with Hernán Cortés and his conquest of the Aztec empire (1519), and was inevitably monetized by motivational guru Tony Robbins -- "If you want to take the f**king island, burn your f**king boats!"

I'm not sure if it's Covid-fueled introspection and reinvention, or if it's just a natural part of midlife, but it seems like a lot of people are ready to burn some boats. As the world opens up, and we all come out of our shelters to reengage, things are going to be very different. Which is exciting. And a bit scary.

Thanks for reading,

Jamie

Seen / Heard / Felt

Christian Eriksen goes into cardiac arrest and collapses during a game. Medics used a defibrillator to bring him back from almost certain death. Eriksen is 29 years old, in perfect health, and has never tested positive for any adverse heart conditions.

It’s hard to watch, but it’s a stark reminder that any one of us can disappear at any time. Especially beautiful is the giant crowd of Finns and Danes chanting his name. 

Jamie Kripke
jamie@jamiekripke.com
jamiekripke.com
415 215 9044