A homeless person with the highest agency in the world would approach their situation with extreme adaptability, resourcefulness, and a relentless drive to improve their position. Here’s a high-agency blueprint for going from homelessness to the Forbes top 10:
Phase 1: Escape Survival Mode (Days to Months)
- Secure Basic Needs • Find shelter: Use libraries, 24/7 stores, or homeless shelters to stay safe. • Get food: Leverage food banks, restaurants that give away leftovers, and high-calorie cheap food. • Clean up: Public restrooms, gyms with free trials, or shelters with showers.
- Get a Phone & Internet Access • Public libraries or shelters often have internet access. • Find free government phones or cheap prepaid options.
- Make Quick Money (First Capital Accumulation) • Odd jobs: Craigslist gigs, labor work, manual jobs. • Street hustling: Reselling items, flipping free stuff from Facebook Marketplace, or even panhandling strategically. • Side hustles: Washing cars, walking dogs, carrying luggage at airports.
Phase 2: Rapid Income Growth (Months to 1-2 Years)
- Build a High-Value Skillset • Identify in-demand skills: Sales, copywriting, coding, video editing, social media marketing. • Learn aggressively: Free YouTube tutorials, library books, free online courses.
- Get a Commission-Based Job • Sales (e.g., door-to-door, telemarketing, real estate). • Car dealerships, insurance sales, or any job where income is performance-based.
- Network Like a Maniac • Find mentors, wealthy people, and high-agency individuals. • Go to networking events, meetups, and even nice hotels to meet business travelers. • Get into environments where ambitious, successful people gather.
Phase 3: Scale & Build Wealth (2-5 Years)
- Start a Business • Leverage skills learned in Phase 2 (e.g., digital marketing agency, flipping, consulting). • Bootstrap—use earned capital, reinvest aggressively, and avoid wasteful spending.
- Exploit High-Leverage Opportunities • Find trends before they blow up (crypto, AI, e-commerce, biotech, etc.). • Build a personal brand to attract opportunities.
Phase 4: Billionaire Trajectory (5+ Years)
- Enter Elite Circles & Scale a High-Impact Business • Focus on a scalable business model (tech startups, venture capital, global markets). • Get investors, partners, and high-level mentors.
- Influence, Power & Forbes Top 10 • Own or control major assets (tech companies, real estate, media). • Expand into politics, philanthropy, or other high-influence fields. • Build an empire that generates billions.
Core Mindsets for a Homeless High-Agency Individual: • Extreme Ownership – No excuses, only solutions. • Relentless Learning – Every spare second goes to improving skills. • Social Mastery – Influence and access are everything. • Risk Tolerance – Betting big on opportunities others ignore.
A homeless person with extreme agency would treat their situation like a high-stakes challenge, exploiting every resource and connection possible. They wouldn’t just aim to survive—they’d treat every move as a step toward wealth and power.
A high-agency person would approach reading as a means to an end, not as an escape or a way to feel productive without action. Here’s how they would do it:
- Read With a Purpose • They wouldn’t read just to read—they’d read to solve a problem, gain an edge, or execute better. • Before picking up a book, they’d ask: • What skill or insight do I need right now? • Will this book help me take action?
- Prioritize High-Impact Books • They wouldn’t waste time on generic self-help books or overly theoretical works. Instead, they’d focus on books that: • Teach hard skills (sales, negotiation, psychology, business, investing). • Provide mental models for decision-making. • Offer insider knowledge from high achievers.
- Ruthlessly Extract Key Lessons • They wouldn’t read cover to cover—they’d skim, scan, and extract the most valuable insights fast. • If a book doesn’t deliver value quickly, they’d drop it and move on. • They’d use active reading: • Highlight key ideas. • Summarize key takeaways. • Think of ways to apply what they learn immediately.
- Implement Immediately • 80% action, 20% reading—for every hour spent reading, they’d spend 4+ hours applying. • If they read about sales, they’d go sell something. • If they read about negotiation, they’d start negotiating in real life.
- Use Books as a Tool, Not a Crutch • They wouldn’t use reading as an excuse for inaction. If they find themselves reading too much but doing nothing, they’d stop reading and start executing. • They’d see reading as fuel for action, not a substitute for it.
- Build a Selective Reading Habit • Instead of reading randomly, they’d keep a “Just-in-Time” Reading List—books directly relevant to their next challenge or current goal. • They’d re-read only the most impactful books instead of chasing new ones constantly.
The High-Agency Reading Formula:
- Find the books that solve your most pressing problems.
- Extract the best ideas as fast as possible.
- Apply what you learn immediately.
- Stop reading when you’re not taking action.
For them, reading isn’t an end—it’s a weapon for action and execution.
A person with the highest agency on the planet would use nonverbal language as a weapon—a tool to command respect, attract influence, and project power effortlessly. Every movement, posture, and expression would be deliberate, calibrated for maximum effect.
- Posture: Supreme Confidence & Control • Straight but relaxed spine – Never slouched, never stiff. • Open, expansive stance – No crossed arms, no shrinking in. • Slow, deliberate movements – Never rushed, always controlled. • Balanced weight distribution – Standing firm, never shifting nervously.
→ Signals: Authority, presence, control.
- Eye Contact: The Unshakable Gaze • Direct but not aggressive – Looking through, not at. • Holds eye contact longer than others – Makes people feel seen, understood, or challenged. • Breaks eye contact slowly, not abruptly – Never submissive, always intentional.
→ Signals: Power, dominance, deep presence.
- Facial Expressions: Controlled & Impactful • Default expression: Relaxed, slight smirk or neutral face – Always under control. • Smiles when he chooses, not just to please – Smiling isn’t default; it’s intentional. • Microexpressions used strategically – Subtle eyebrow raises, slow nods, and controlled smirks create intrigue.
→ Signals: Emotional control, charisma, mystery.
- Hand & Arm Movements: Precise & Intentional • Uses slow, measured gestures – No fidgeting, flailing, or unnecessary movements. • Speaks with hands, but sparingly – Gestures reinforce points, not distract. • Palms open and facing slightly up – Conveys honesty and control. • When listening, hands are still or steepled – No nervous tapping, scratching, or hiding hands.
→ Signals: Composure, authority, credibility.
- Proxemics (Space & Territory): Taking Up Space with Power • Never rushes to move aside for others – Moves with purpose, not submission. • Sits in a relaxed, expansive position – One arm on the back of the chair, feet planted wide but not sloppy. • Doesn’t fidget or shrink in crowded spaces – Owns his space effortlessly.
→ Signals: High status, dominance, certainty.
- Walking: The Leader’s Stride • Unhurried but purposeful steps – Walks like he owns the ground. • Straight posture with relaxed arms – No swinging wildly or shuffling. • Moves through a room without hesitation – Knows where he’s going, always.
→ Signals: Direction, confidence, magnetism.
- Vocal Nonverbals: The Voice of Authority • Slow, deliberate speech – Never rushed, always measured. • Pauses for effect – Commands attention by letting words sink in. • Deep, controlled breathing – No shaky or shallow breaths. • Resonant, grounded voice – Projects confidence effortlessly.
→ Signals: Influence, persuasion, presence.
How This Looks in Action:
A high-agency person walks into a room and owns it without saying a word. People feel his presence before he even speaks. His posture, gaze, and movements command respect. He never fidgets, never rushes, never looks unsure—every motion is deliberate, controlled, and powerful.
→ Outcome? He instantly radiates high status, influence, and control over any environment.
A person with high agency—someone who takes ownership of their actions, thoughts, and emotions—would approach the spotlight effect (the tendency to overestimate how much others notice or judge us) with a proactive and rational mindset. Here’s how they would likely handle it:
1. Recognizing the Cognitive Bias
They’d start by acknowledging that the spotlight effect is a natural bias. Knowing it’s a common psychological phenomenon helps to detach emotionally from the fear of judgment.
“Most people are too focused on themselves to notice my mistakes. Even if they do, they likely forget quickly.”
2. Reframing the Situation
Instead of thinking, “Everyone noticed my mistake,” they’d reframe it as, “Even if someone noticed, it’s not as significant to them as it feels to me.” High-agency individuals focus on the facts, not assumptions.
3. Focusing on What They Can Control
They’d prioritize controlling their response rather than worrying about others’ perceptions. If they made an error, they’d ask:
• “Can I correct it?”
• “What can I learn from this?”
This shift from fear to action reduces anxiety and promotes growth.
4. Building Confidence Through Exposure
Rather than avoiding situations that trigger the spotlight effect, they’d gradually expose themselves to them. The more they experience being “seen,”
8. Minimizing Overthinking
A person with high agency recognizes when they’re trapped in a loop of overthinking. They’d actively disrupt that cycle by asking themselves:
• “Is this thought useful?”
• “What evidence do I have that this is true?”
• “Will this matter in a week, a month, or a year?”
This rational questioning helps them regain perspective and avoid wasting energy on exaggerated fears.
9. Accepting That Some Judgment is Inevitable
They understand that while they can’t control how others think, they can control how much weight they give to those opinions. Instead of striving to avoid all judgment (which is impossible), they focus on being authentic and doing what aligns with their values.
“If someone is judging me, that says more about them than it does about me.”
10. Developing an Internal Locus of Validation
High-agency individuals don’t rely on external validation to feel secure. They work on developing inner confidence, measuring themselves against their own standards rather than worrying about external approval.
“I care more about growing and learning than about appearing flawless.”
11. Learning to Laugh at Themselves
Humor is a powerful way to diffuse self-consciousness. High-agency people know how to not take themselves too seriously. If they trip, misspeak, or make an awkward comment, they’re the first to laugh about it—disarming judgment from others in the process.
12. Visualizing Success
Before entering situations where they feel the spotlight effect, they visualize positive outcomes. This mental preparation helps them feel more confident and less self-focused, reducing the intensity of the bias.