Search men’s governing principles, and consider the wise, what they shun and what they cleave to.

To understand anyone, look at what they consistently avoid and what they consistently go towards. That pattern is their real position, and it is usually more honest than anything they would tell you about themselves. The people worth learning from are identifiable the same way: watch what they refuse, which is often more instructive than what they take on.

Pick someone whose life you actually respect and study their declines rather than their achievements. What do they not do, not attend, not argue about. Then remove one thing from your week that they would not have allowed into theirs.