This episode features Boyd Varty, a South African wildlife tracker, who applies the philosophy of tracking to life and investing. He argues modern society traps us with false goals like wealth and status, offering only 'Coke or Pepsi' choices. True value comes from inner exploration and living authentically, like a tracker who adapts to clues rather than sticking to a fixed plan. No specific stocks or funds are mentioned.
This episode of Invest Like the Best features South African tracking expert Boyd Varty, who explores how the "art of tracking" extends from wilderness hunting strategies into life and investing. The core argument is that tracking emphasizes process over outcome and warns against the dangers of achie
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Guest Boyd Varty is a wildlife tracking expert from South Africa, raised in the wilderness, with four generations of his family dedicated to tracking and conservation. The core theme of this episode is applying the philosophy and principles of the ancient art of "tracking" to personal growth, life decisions, and investment thinking. The most impactful judgment in the entire episode is: Varty believes that the greatest predicament of modern people is not a lack of goals, but being held hostage by "false goals" (such as wealth and status) instilled by culture. True value lies in discovering and living out one's essence through "tracking"-style inner exploration, rather than pursuing external achievements.
Boyd Varty argues that "tracking" is not just a skill for finding animals, but a life philosophy, whose core is "living in the present and continuously responding to the unknown."
Varty defines tracking as a process of "continuously and creatively responding." He describes it: "Tracking is a constantly changing, fluid process. You enter the narrative, must stay focused on the next track, while sensing the animal's intention. It is a continuous commitment to the unknown." This means a tracker cannot rigidly stick to a plan but must adjust strategies based on emerging clues (tracks, bird calls, wind direction). This is diametrically opposed to the modern mindset of pursuing "certainty" and "plans."
Varty extends this philosophy to personal growth. He believes that once you decide not to live by society's pre-written "script," you must become a "tracker." You need to "start noticing inner guidance, be willing to enter the unknown, be willing to be in a process, feel more subtle signals, and let feeling, rather than the mind and ideals, be the guide." This requires people to have the "discipline of uncertainty," because "uncertainty is the discipline of vitality."
Varty points out that modern consumerist society, by offering false choices like "Coke or Pepsi," distorts people's perception of "value," leading them to chase external goals and lose themselves.
Varty argues that in a consumerist society, personal value is reduced to "what you can consume" or "what you contribute to the system." This causes people to pursue wealth and status to climb the social ladder, while ignoring their true inner desires. He quotes writer Daniel Quinn: "Not more, but more of what you truly want." The real challenge is first to identify which are "things you are told you want" and which are "things you truly want."
He further elaborates using Joseph Campbell's perspective: "There is the life you are told to live, and there is the path of following your bliss. If you follow your bliss, your life may not be respected, but it will be your life." This means choosing inner guidance requires immense courage, as it involves giving up defining yourself through external comparisons. Varty emphasizes that this awakening is the first step in building an "inner village," i.e., "becoming the first villager of your village," first establishing a connection with yourself.
Varty distinguishes between two kinds of confidence: one derived from an environment of abundance, and another, deeper inner confidence built by overcoming adversity and uncertainty.
Varty uses a fisherman analogy to explain: a fisherman on a river with a stable, abundant catch has fragile confidence because it depends on external conditions. Another fisherman on a river with scarce and unstable catches must, to survive, invent new techniques and closely observe fish habits. The confidence honed through scarcity and challenge is truly inner and unshakable.
This "inner confidence" is reflected in Varty's tracking experiences. He mentions that great trackers like Alex and Reneas do not self-criticize when they lose a trail but see it as a motivation. "They love the challenge, love losing the trail and then trying to figure out where it might have gone. They don't see losing the trail as failure, but as a motivating state, and this motivation is not critical but full of joy." This confidence stems from trust in one's own abilities and an embrace of the unknown process.
This section does not involve any investable companies or financial instruments.
1. "Tracking" is a life philosophy, not a skill. (Boyd Varty) Its core is "continuously and creatively responding to the unknown," requiring people to set aside preset goals and adjust actions based on emerging clues (inner feelings, external environment), which is highly similar to dealing with market uncertainty in investing.
2. The biggest trap modern people face is the false choice of "Coke or Pepsi." (Boyd Varty) Social culture only offers a limited, predefined set of "success" paths (e.g., wealth, status), making people mistakenly believe they are making autonomous choices, while in reality, it limits the possibility of exploring one's true self and value.
3. True confidence comes from overcoming uncertainty, not from an environment of abundance. (Boyd Varty) The "fisherman" analogy illustrates that confidence honed through scarcity and challenge is inner and unshakable, while confidence dependent on external conditions is fragile.
4. "Becoming the first villager of your village" is the first step to building connections. (Boyd Varty) Before seeking community and support externally, one must first establish a connection with oneself, identify and accept the authentic self. This is the foundation of all relationships.
5. Things that make you lose track of time are often the path to your essence. (Boyd Varty) When a person is completely immersed in an activity, entering a "flow" state, it is often a strong signal that they are approaching their core talent and passion.
6. The core of the "Ubuntu" spirit is "I am because you are." (Boyd Varty) This African value emphasizes that personal worth and integrity are realized in relationships with others. Varty extends this to connections with all living beings and the natural world, seeing it as a remedy for modern "hyper-individualism" and isolation.
7. Life is intelligent; it provides "tracks." (Boyd Varty) When you are focused and present enough, life itself offers guidance and signals. The key is whether you have the "tracker's" awareness to discover and interpret these clues, thereby "leading from the emerging future."