On: becoming the most powerful person in the world, embracing nuclear energy and more

Vainqueur Niyotwagira

4 min readJan 10, 2024

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5 paragraphs on a mix of practical frameworks, principles, lessons, captivating stories and more

Today’s Snapshot

What is your logic based on: appropriateness or consequences?
What does it mean to be powerful in the information age?
There is no timestamp on when you can change decide
Who will lead the civilian nuclear energy renaissance?
Comparing yourself vs competing against yourself

1-On 2 types of logic

When most of us are faced with making decisions, we follow a logic of consequence.

Our decisions are based on asking the question: which action will produce the best results?

On the other hand, those who challenge the status quo use the logic of appropriateness.

This is a radically different type of logic.

It’s concerned is answering the question: what does a person like me do in a situation like this?

Rather than looking outside in an attempt to get a predictable outcome, this logic allows you to turn inward to your identity.

You basically make a decisions based on who you are, who you want to be and what you want to be associated with either in the present or the future.

The logic of consequence makes you find reasons to not take risks.

The logic on appropriateness frees you up, as it’s less about a guaranteed outcome, but rather about acting on what your identity is and what you want it to be.

2-On becoming the most powerful person in the world

You don’t need to control armies to become powerful these days, because you are already an army of one.

I think there will always be power in commanding large armies as long as humans exist.

However, in the information age, there is another source of great power that isn’t about commanding armies.

With modern technologies, we have increased the reach of our voices and amplified how much leverage we can use.

With the information tools at our disposal, we can:

-Earn any amount of money you want from anywhere through the internet

-Voice any opinions or grievances you have and mobilize crowds/start a movement

Influence and wealth that can be created through use and ownership of information technologies gives the individual immense power.

Some individuals becoming even more influential and having more leverage than some smaller nations.

On the other end, there are so many distractions vying for our attention, and risk with behavioral changes that come with these same information technologies.

It is therefore very important to also have discipline, self-control and mastering of one’s self.

Without these, you will be swept by a wave of negativity, attention deficit, envy and other adverse effects of these technologies.

But the good news is:

Anyone can develop the power of self-control
Anyone can get on the path to self-mastery

Today, it’s more important than ever to be in control of your own mind and focus.

You need to know what to ignore and what to pay attention to (that’s hard).

Define what’s important and focus on that.

Focus on working on yourself.

Remove distractions, and ignore the noise.

Then you become a powerful army of one in the information age!

3-On a framework to help you grow daily

One of the most empowering and liberating frameworks is the realization that you change by the second and by the minute.

Alan Watts wrote:

“You’re under no obligation to be the same person you were 5 minutes ago.”

It’s true that every single second or minute you get to be alive, you are being exposed to things that change you.

It can be either for good or for bad.

But the empowering aspect of this truth is the realization that there is no timestamp on when you can or can’t change and grow.

You can grow and change at anytime you choose or decide to do so.

4-On embracing nuclear energy

A few months ago, I came across some news article about Microsoft’s intent to explore nuclear reactors to generate energy that will supply their AI and cloud servers.

Nuclear energy has mostly been a no-no in most of the world, mostly for some good reasons (like catastrophes due to nuclear plants meltdown)

At the same time, there are something the past nuclear disaster had in common: operator error.

If it is possible to minimize operator error to being inconsequential, then nuclear energy could be the best thing to happen to human civilization this century (considering the need to address and curb climate change)

5-On comparing vs competing

There is a popular saying that goes: “comparison is the thief of joy.”

But in reality, it is envy that is the thief of joy.

When you Compare yourself against other people, you realize what they have that you don’t have, and think you need to have them.

This leads to feelings of insecurity, envy and at times jealousy.

At times it even leads to competition of who has the most or the best (A.k.a keeping up with the Jones).

On the other hand, when you compare yourself today to who you were yesterday, you don’t lose joy if you have grown.

When you decide to compare yourself against the person you were yesterday, last month, last year, etc…you start a chain of self improvement and actualization.

You start competing against yourself. You want to be better than you. You become empowered.

Learn to compete against yourself instead of comparing yourself to others and envying what they have and you will be happier and more fulfilled.