Overview
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Three core principles: Help people, take care of the world, and make good new things. The first two are duties; the third is how to live to one's full potential.
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Why making matters: The best proof of good thinking is creating something new. Expressing understanding through creation deepens comprehension and biases us toward building rather than mere criticism.
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Newness is essential: Copying others—or even yourself—isn't impressive. Original work, even in initially unprestigious forms, often proves most valuable over time.
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Historical context: Traditional answers about how to live (be wise, brave, honest, temperate, just) addressed how to be, not what to do. Most people historically had no choice about their work.
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Balancing the principles: Even makers focused on new things should ensure their work doesn't harm people or the world. Often, amazing work helps others even when that wasn't the intent.
Takeaways
Paul Graham wrote this essay in March 2025. His central insight is that making good new things—not just having ideas—represents the highest expression of human potential.
The best kind of thinking, or more precisely the best proof that one has thought well, is to make good new things.