A working philosophy consists of two things: an honest account of the ground you stand on, and the few chosen practices by which you live. This section offers both. Start with a short history of philosophy — the thirty centuries of thinking that every modern "insight" quietly re-derives — then take the four credos in whatever order your situation demands.
- Framing: A Short History of Philosophy — the long roots of the four credos, from the pre-Socratics to the Stoics, to Machiavelli and the existentialists.
- Part I: Leadership Philosophy — change and empathy in digital transformation.
- Part II: Minimal Stoic Unix — calm, sovereign computing as a discipline.
- Part III: Machiavelli's Notes — the realism credo: see the world as it is, keep the power to do the work.
- Part IV: Bushidō: The Discipline Credo — the way of the warrior, and the Five Rings of mastery, for the solitary builder.
The four credos at a glance
| Credo | Answers the question | Ancestral root |
|---|---|---|
| Leadership Philosophy | How do I change things without breaking the people? | Confucian ritual, Aristotelian habit, existential honesty |
| Minimal Stoic Unix | How do I stay calm and sovereign in a system I don't control? | Greek Stoicism, Buddhist mindfulness, Daoist wu wei |
| Machiavelli's Notes | How do I see the room clearly enough to survive it? | Machiavelli's realism, skeptical suspicion |
| Bushidō's Discipline | How do I keep my word, train daily, and ship while afraid? | Zen practice, Musashi's Five Rings, the warrior's code |
None of these is a complete answer alone. Realism without discipline becomes cynicism; discipline without realism becomes self-destruction; both without calm become burnout; and calm without a mission becomes withdrawal. The section is deliberately small — four credos and one history — because a working philosophy, like a working tool, is something you can hold in one hand.
For how the four credos connect — especially the missing edges around Machiavelli's realism — see Machiavelli's Neighbours.