there was once a wise martian who hovered stealthily outside earth's atmosphere, peering in. the martian could not get closer to earth without revealing its existence, but it wanted to examine the chimpanzee creatures that seemed to roam the planet and cause some amount of chaos. these creatures were most peculiar in their behavior. this martian was old and had been examining worlds and the creatures upon, within, and around them for millions of years.

the martian decided that, of all the creatures on earth, the primates were the most interesting. they were some of the few remaining curious creatures. most similar beasts, those that could consider their considerations, had already destroyed themselves. it wanted a closer look and decided to extract 613 of the most evolved primates.

in andromeda, the martian had constructed a large terrarium, about a seventh the size of the milky way. contained in the terrarium was a perfect replication, albeit smaller, of the conditions of earth. it was most excited to observe how the creatures interacted with one another.

the martian said very little of its observations over the next thousand years. the only utterance that emerged from its lips was, “is there really much more than sex and war?”

the martian elaborated slightly in a journal. it claimed that all the interactions between humans seemed to ultimately stem from animal motivations, primarily sex and war. most of these primates could not control those urges and acted in accordance with them.

there was a subset of these primates who seemed to also be motivated by something beyond their animal desires. this odd subset seemed to possess the unique ability to govern the primordial urges. the martian wrote that the degree to which a primate emulated this subset determined its sophistication.

the sophisticated primates appeared most motivated by escaping the chaos and achieving some form of inner calm. these sophisticated primates never escaped their animal desires but pursued goals that transcended them. the martian found it comical how primates often spoke of meaning, not knowing they existed merely for its entertainment. regardless of this lack of knowledge, some primates still managed to achieve their goal of being at peace. in some important ways, the martian was jealous of these primates. it had observed civilizations for millions of years and understood more than any of them, yet peace continued to elude it.

the martian noted that this civilization would likely end similarly to the rest. there was not a large enough number of truly sophisticated primates to counteract the impending destruction. still, the martian had yet to find creatures who were so curious or who could occasionally surpass their animal desires.

the martian then began constructing a new terrarium, in which it would isolate the most sophisticated primates to observe what would come of it.

there comes a point in life when you have to put on your big boy pants. there comes a point in your life when you will gain leverage that you can use to make yourself prosper or despair. leverage amplifies.

having little leverage is sometimes a gift. having little leverage affords an individual the ability to share creative ideas, learn novel concepts, and invest in risky opportunities without much upside or downside. consider the result of a mega-influencer sharing a creative, new idea on the internet compared with a small individual who has 12 followers on x sharing the exact same idea—the only difference is that the influencer has more leverage. leverage is chased.

one commonality among ambitious people is that they vigorously pursue increased leverage, almost purely for the sake of increasing their leverage. whether that is money, influence, or labor, they pursue leverage. occasionally, you can find an ambitious person who also happens to be competent. these folks tend to achieve their goal of gaining leverage. it leaves them in a peculiar predicament. leverage is power.

with great power comes great responsibility—the spider-man ethic. these ambitious, competent people often find themselves in a situation where they have gained immense leverage. they built a social media platform, they raised money for a startup, or they are operating an investment fund. at this point, they must grow up. they must put on their big boy pants. they may no longer act as if they are a child or liberal arts undergrad. they must be incredibly careful and observant of their actions. they now have the ability to create an amazing life for themselves and the people around them. the spider-man ethic.

leverage amplifies, leverage is chased, and leverage is power. sufficient leverage used well can change or ruin the world. when you, the reader, reach a point in your life when you have notably increased leverage—employees, money, or followers—you must put on your big boy pants. it is an incredibly obvious but often neglected fact.