Naval treats the brain as scarce capital with finite processing power. “You have finite neurons” drives his approach to information consumption and mental compression. This is resource allocation at the cognitive level: a form of game theory applied to consciousness.
This evolutionary constraint shapes his learning strategy. “Your brain has finite information. Finite space”. Too much input creates noise: “You get enough advice, it all cancels to zero”. Like any investment portfolio, the brain needs curation over diversification.
Naval warns against burning equity on low-quality input. Professional critics and business journalists create cognitive damage: “You’re literally becoming dumber by reading them. You’re burning neurons”. This isn’t metaphor. He sees neural resources as depreciating assets when misallocated.
As a kid, Naval tried to maximize throughput: “How many thoughts can I think at once?” He “overclocked” his mental processor, proud that his “brain was always running”. This was desire disguised as optimization. Now he calls constant mental activity “a disease. It’s actually the road to misery”.
The solution is algorithmic efficiency. Naval uses compressed wisdom as pointers to deeper first principles. He treats finite neurons like precious memory addresses, storing only what compounds with experience. This creates mental leverage: maximum insight from minimum cognitive load.
He now practices neural conservation through stillness. “Nobody really works 80 to 120 hours a week at high output, with mental clarity. Your brain breaks down”. Mental rest becomes essential maintenance for judgment. This is freedom through cognitive discipline: protecting your most valuable specific knowledge hardware.