Just as a diversion, I wanted to apply the teachings of Miyamoto Musashi to our space and ecosystem. There is much to be said of the endless repetition of inspirational or pseudo-philosophical quotes (of this, I must bow to Zhu Su, who remains the undisputed master of this art form). However, without delving into the toxic realms of the grindset and the sigma mentality (complete with images of Peaky Blinders and Wolf of Wall Street), I think there is a great value in reading the classic texts of personal growth and philosophy. We must remember that Musashi is not merely a swordsman, but a master painter and calligrapher -- that knowledge is passed down for its inherent ability to be applied to many disciplines. In this way, while one can generally read a text and comprehend it, it is also beneficial to apply a directed focus while reading -- which is to say, visualizing and contextualizing the information.

In my previous life, I spent a decade in a craft, eighteen months of it in a difficult apprenticeship. It was not until I recontextualized my practice that it made sense -- and then grew as I applied seemingly disparate lessons to it. We are not generals, but we may all derive some value from The Art of War. I am not a martial artist, but the writings of Ueshiba Morihei have dictated mindfulness and spatial awareness in my daily life. We may not lord over a city-state, but The Prince teaches us the marks of rulership.

These are not my in-depth scholarly thoughts, nor is it picking apart translation choices from Japanese. Nor is this some absolute guide representing my trading ability or my supposed knowledge. I am an inveterate larper, with no real notable successes of the magnitude others have crested. I simply like poetry and old philosophy and enjoy the connections from the wisdom and messages of the then to the world of the now. These are just my own thoughts about a long-dead samurai’s book of war, intended to sound smart on the Internet, for the praise of other anime pfp nerds.

From our title quote, Mushashi implores us to understand that there is no fixed path to the height of mastery (or enlightenment, or absolute prowess, or success, or or or or). There are of course manifold paths – do not become so focused on one (either because others have used it before or because you believe it to be singular) that you ignore your many routes. Practically, it means you don’t have to trade or leverage or farm. You don’t have to chart or understand clouds or be able to trade quantitatively. There are many ways, there are many paths to success. Do not be deterred. We’re all going to make it, just not along the same path. Besides, isn’t it more satisfying to reach the top of the mountain under the strength of your own legs?

“from one thing, know ten thousand things” / “Perceive that which cannot be seen with the eye.”

This is not merely a quote of grasping inherent meaning in one action that transposes to many actions – i.e. that calligraphy and swordplay are analogous – but speaks to the power of knowledge in deduction and prediction. From one significant moment, we must be able to infer a dozen other truths or probabilities. Many times we see this in retrospect – a tweet that triggered a thought in us, that would later indicate a myriad of things. From each moment, we should endeavor to think of all of the knowledge that this implies. This is old hat for financial markets – you can look at Bobby Axelrod in “Billions”, for a dramatized version of this, as he considers the implications of an earthquake in markets three steps removed – and is a skill that few will develop. At the lowest level, from one thing try and see an outline of the probability matrix.

“There is a time and a place for use of weapons” /“You should not have any special fondness for a particular weapon, or anything else, for that matter. Too much is the same as not enough. Without imitating anyone else, you should have as much weaponry as suits you.”

While Musashi’s subsequent information in this quote is deeply practical – when to use a sword, when to use a spear – the essence is universal. We have many tools at our disposal, we must be trained in their use and considerate of the timing of their deployment. Strategies for different market conditions, specific leverage plays, et cetera. We must find the best moment to use the weapons we have to achieve the greatest effect.

We must also take care not to become too attached to a particular weapon – a strategy, a thesis, even a token – and should take care not to be weighed down by them; both in the sense of constricting our capital and therefore our options, and of attempting to copy too much and losing our own way.

“Respect Buddha and the gods without counting on their help”

Without lionizing, let us think of Buddha and the gods as the major figures in our space – be they devs, influencer-traders, SBF or Zhu Su. We can respect their ability and knowledge, we can enjoy the effect they have on the space (media recognition, bringing more money into our world, creating content) – but it is the height of complacency to imagine that any of them will save you when you need it. They will not bail out your trade, they will not necessarily pump your bags – we have even seen recent conversations about the game theoristic notions behind these parties primarily playing for themselves. Do not rely on the mercy of those who are playing on the level above you, nor their benevolence. You are their exit liquidity at worst and a remora at best.

“Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world”

I have always drawn two meanings here. Firstly, that one must not spend too much time filled with a deep, painful analysis of the self – which leads to a recursive loop of solipsism. Instead, we must turn our gaze outward, to draw deep lessons and knowledge from the larger world. The second meaning is a quirk of the English translation – that is what we should think lightly (non-seriously, humorously) of ourselves. That we are not that brilliant or significant or serious, but rather human beings who might be capable of great thoughts and simultaneous shit-posting.  Great examples of this exist within our community – Cobie – who do not take themselves too seriously, are willing to play the jester (and who else is the great truth teller?), while deploying real critical thought and curiosity.

So do not be afraid to be un-serious with yourself, make light of your circumstances and failings, and devote that energy instead to relentless analysis and inspection of the world and space around you. Drown yourself in the information of the world – return to yourself humbled

“When your opponent is hurrying recklessly, you must act contrarily and keep calm. You must not be influenced by the opponent.”

Not to characterize other traders/investors/crypto people as your opponent, but direct lesson should inform our mindset (indeed, serving as a sort of historical analogue to “be greedy when others are fearful”). When the frenzy is happening, try and stay aloof and calm – look for the things others haven’t perceived. You should never let your mindset be overly effected by another’s. 

“Do not regret what you have done”

I will end this first part with advice I have sorely needed in the past. Do not beat yourself up over a bad trade or an idea gone wrong. Unless the consequences were dire and you truly lost everything, we can be comforted by the fact that we are at least walking away with a lesson learned and experience gained. Do not be held back by the fear and regret of past mistakes – use them as a spear in your next conflict.