If a friend came from the future and begged you to buy Bitcoin, knowing and assuring you that it would grow 3x its value within the next twelve months, what would you do? I reckon that even the most cautious of us would put a few bucks down.
What I don’t understand, though, is why more people don’t treat themselves like the stock market.
There are skills and traits that we can learn today that will have immense value in our future.
None more so than wisdom. Unfortunately, wisdom can be a bit tricky to obtain, but we can all leverage a component of wisdom that is already built into us: wit.
Nicaraguan wisdom teaches us that wit works. In times of fluctuation, wit works by promoting adaptability, allowing us to thrive in times of change —times like today.
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How Wit Works: Nicaraguan Wisdom of the Water
Home to seven officially recognized Indigenous ethnic groups, Nicaraguan wisdom often comes from lessons learned and values solidified throughout its extensive pre-Columbian and colonial history. However, another catalyst of Nicaraguan wisdom is the land, and specifically today, what lies beneath the surface.
Lake Nicaragua harbors at least 16 species of cichlids, a fairly expansive family of smaller freshwater fish. Among them are 1) the Arrow Cichlid —black, slick, and water-dynamic, and 2) the Midas Cichlid (think those Goldfish in Petsmart that no one adopts because they look overweight with an unchecked brain tumor).
Both are from the same family and both inhabit the same lake, but their personas and daily lives are more akin to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde than to siblings who struggle to find commonalities.
Arrows dart around, flaunting their patented aggressiveness, devouring smaller fish when they get the chance. They are the cichlid kings of the open waters.
Meanwhile, Midas bumble around munching on plant material, detritus, and the occasional small organism.
Which is more fit for survival? Well, in short, it depends.
While I would certainly classify the Arrow as more intimidating, what would happen if there was a shortage of smaller fish in the open waters? For instance, what if there was a disease among the fish they prey upon? This would lead to a definite food shortage among the Arrows.
The same can’t be said for the Midas. If they can’t find any smaller organisms to feast upon, they’ll be fully satisfied with the decomposing material floating downstream, and if not, they’ll at the very least be able to find some plant material to fill their bellies.
All’s not bad for the Arrows though. In a context where prey fish are abundant, they will be feasting on far greater quantities of food than the Midas will —meaning that they will go on to have more kids and a higher proportion of cichlids in the lake will be Arrows, rather than Midas.
In times of stability, Arrows will thrive. In times of change, the more adaptive Midas will thrive.
How Wit Works: Nicaraguan Wisdom of the Land
On land a similar thing happened to a species far more familiar to us than cichlids: us.
In 1522, Spanish conquistadores appeared for the first time in what is now Nicaragua. With them, they brought centuries of oppression and destruction.
The first Nicaraguans to take a hit (other than, of course, the many thousands that were slaughtered by disease and Spanish entitlement) were the Arrows, the warriors of Nicaragua. Far outmatched, the Nicaraguan warriors, who were accustomed to ruling the tribes, were swiftly defeated by the changing environment.
Those that did not resist were also defeated. But today, that land is called “Nicaragua” and not “Spain”. Why? Nicaraguans adapted.
Nicaraguan wisdom and wit was sharpened during the colonial ages as a tactic of resistance and resilience to Spanish authority. Years later, it’s safe to say that Nicaraguan wisdom and wit worked.
Wit Works in Changing Times
Most of us today are not facing foreign conquistadores. Nevertheless, it’s indisputable that times are changing —and rapidly.
Humans spent many thousands of years living a relatively similar life before fire was harnessed, and they spent many more thousand years until agriculture altered the way civilizations were formed.
Compared to other species, though, these changes happened fast. And that’s not all. A couple hundred years ago saw the beginning of the industrial revolution, where novel inventions swept across at an unprecedented rate.
Unprecedented, that is, until today’s age. For instance, our phones are more powerful than the technology used to put man on moon, and with the invention of AI, we show no sign of slowing down anytime soon.
But where there is growth, there are growing pains.
Wit Works, According to Animal Behavior
The study of animal behavior is often just the analysis of two competing life strategies. Let’s take the cichlids and their eating habits for example. The Arrows do better when their prey population is stable, because they are the best hunters. However, Midas will outperform in suboptimal or changing conditions, as they are able to eat an array of foods.
In this case, Arrows would be referred to as “specialists”, because they specialize in hunting a certain type of prey. The Midas, on the other hand, would be referred to as “generalists”, thanks to the wider variety of diet they are capable of exhibiting.
The Generalist vs Specialist is not specific to just eating habits; habitat use, reproductive strategies, and social systems are among the most well-documented divergences of strategies among animals.
But we often forget: we are animals too.
The Evolution of Wit Working with Humans
Wit works for humans because it is a form of, specifically inventive, intelligence that focuses on adaptability, encompassing the likes of quick sharpness of thought, ingratiating humor, and effective communication. As history’s top problem solvers, wit worked to help human beings navigate life’s dangers by providing a tool that allowed for the proliferation of thriving social dynamics, as well as serving as an invaluable tool for sapien adaptability. As a manifestation of intelligence and adaptability, the evolution of wit closely mirrors the generalist strategies exhibited in animal behavior.
The human adherence to wit and adaptability has long paid dividends for our species. In our early days, wit worked to ensure that humans survived climate change; the Ice Age necessitated a great deal of problem solving that resulted in a high degree of human migration. As we migrated to new lands, new challenges arose, thus reinforcing the development of wit.
Likewise, an insatiable desire to invent new and improved tools set us apart from other hominids. This allowed for the diversification of diets, further urging our species towards generalist status.
More than simply permitting for our survival and the outcompeting of others, wit worked to facilitate the social bonds and capabilities that would lead to human domination across the world. Wit worked to allow for human beings to process and navigate a multitude of relationships, far more than other ape species.
More importantly, wit worked to transform our communication. It gave birth to our sense of humor (or lack of), as well as the lively cultural traditions and storytelling —as told by El Güegüense (also known as Macho Ratón), the hero of Nicaraguan wisdom and values.
Moving beyond the species level, adaptability has ensured the survival of many groups of humans. History books, folktales, and family stories alike are rich with accounts of underdogs prevailing thanks to their witty behaviors and tendencies to adapt when others could not. In fact, it could be reasonably argued that every culture in the modern world exists today because it has adapted at one point or another.
Nicaragua, perhaps, understands this better than anybody else. Their survival, like many others, has hinged on their ability to outwit their foes. Further, their witty approach to life has evolved beyond a simple survival necessity.
In Nicaragua today, wit works as an omnipresent cultural value, characterizing everyday speech and modern ideals. It even serves as a pillar of resistance and resilience against present day oppression and authority. Wit works for Nicaraguans because it allows them to display discontent with the current regime, while avoiding culpability (more on that here).
In a sense, wit works incredibly well in today’s Nicaragua, just because of how well it has worked in the past. It is truly tried and true for Nicaraguans, as it has been for humanity throughout history.
Wit works, too, in our individual lives. When we confront challenges that are unwinnable by using a head-on strategy, wit is usually the answer. Wit works to permit outside-of-the-box thinking and solutions.
This outside-of-the-box thinking will be more important than ever in the coming future. For instance, let’s take just one example: population. At the time of writing, there are more than 8.3 billion of us, with another 2 billion projected to join us within my lifetime. This means that it will be harder and harder for our individual selves to become specialists. There will always be someone smarter, hungrier, and kinder than we.
Those that will thrive, however, will be those that apply other strategies. Wit and its associates (humor, problem solving, etc…) are the keys to unlocking a better future for ourselves, more so now than ever before.
In other words, I urge you, if you wish to succeed in this life, to become a generalist (or, if you must, to become the very first specialist in a field or idea that was created by a generalist).
Wit works because the world is increasingly in need of a generalist approach to life. It is an integral step to building wisdom, helping us to connect and adapt in a time of constant change.
Human beings have long used wit to succeed in life, but how may we do so today?
Cultivating Wit: 5 Lessons from Nicaragua’s Depths
Wit isn’t just some dusty artifact from our evolutionary past or a cultural highlight tucked away in history books. It’s alive, active, and thriving —especially in Nicaragua, where the land, the water, and the people all seem to hum with it. If you want to understand how wit works in life, you can’t do much better than learning from Nicaragua itself.
Let’s dive into this (and, yes, into the lake, too).
1. Flow like a Midas Cichlid
Lake Nicaragua’s cichlids have a lot to teach us if we’re willing to notice. The Midas cichlid, for example, doesn’t cling to one food source; it eats plants, detritus, tiny organisms —basically, whatever’s available. It survives by keeping its eyes open and adjusting to what the lake provides.
And here’s where we can take a page from its book. Start looking closer at your own “lake.” What’s changing? What’s staying the same? How can you pivot to make the most of it? Observation is the foundation of wit —without it, you’re just guessing.
2. Channel Your Inner El Güegüense
Nicaragua’s folk hero, El Güegüense, is the very definition of wit in action. Instead of meeting colonial powers with brute force, he outmaneuvered them with satire, charm, and cleverness. He found ways to get what he wanted without painting a target on his back.
Sometimes life throws us situations that feel as rigid as colonial rules, but wit reminds us there’s always another way. Maybe it’s a bit of humor that shifts the dynamic, or maybe it’s finding a workaround no one else considered. Either way, wit doesn’t just win battles —it changes the game entirely.
3. Make Humor your Sword and Shield
In Nicaragua, humor is more than entertainment —it’s survival. It’s how people cope with hardship, resist oppression, and connect with each other in the face of challenges. It’s a way of saying, “We’re still here,” without needing to shout it.
Humor isn’t about ignoring problems —it’s about reframing them. Try to find something absurd in your everyday annoyances. Turn a frustrating moment into a story worth retelling. Wit works as a tool to lighten your load, build rapport, and even sneak a little truth past the guards.
4. Adapt to the Current
Look at the Arrow and Midas cichlids. The Arrow is flashy and dominant in stable conditions, but when the lake’s ecosystem shifts, it struggles to keep up. The Midas, on the other hand, thrives in flux, using its flexibility to outlast tougher times.
The takeaway here? Don’t pigeonhole yourself. Sure, being a specialist might look great when everything’s predictable, but we’ve not been given a predictable life. Adapting, experimenting, and staying open to new strategies will serve you better when the current changes —because it has.
5. Root Ourselves in Stories and Traditions
Nicaraguans know the value of storytelling. Whether it’s the tales of El Güegüense or the oral histories of its Indigenous groups, these stories remind us that wit isn’t just about solving problems—it’s also about preserving what matters most.
Think about the stories that have shaped you. What lessons can you draw from them? Or better yet, start creating your own story, one where wit becomes the key to navigating your challenges and building something meaningful.
Why It Matters
Wit is more than quick thinking or a sharp joke. It’s a way of engaging with the world —a willingness to observe, adapt, and find creative solutions. In Nicaragua, wit has been a lifeline through centuries of challenges, from colonial oppression to modern struggles. It’s a cultural cornerstone, a survival strategy, and a way of thriving that transcends circumstances.
For you, it can be the same. Whether you’re dealing with a personal hurdle, navigating an unpredictable world, or just looking to bring more spark to your everyday life, wit is the tool that works.
So take a lesson from Nicaragua —watch the cichlids, channel El Güegüense, and embrace wit as a survival tool. Wit doesn’t just help you get by; it gives you the edge to thrive.
Conclusion: Wit Works —So Invest Wisely
Back to the stock market: if you knew a small investment would triple your returns, you’d jump on it, right? Why not apply that same thinking to yourself?
Wit is like the stock market’s sleeper hit —a little investment now pays off big in the long run. It’s what makes the generalist Midas cichlid adaptable enough to outlast the flashy Arrow, and it’s what helped Nicaraguans outsmart colonizers with charm and creativity. Wit works because it doesn’t rely on stability —it thrives in unpredictability.
Isn’t unpredictability the only thing we can predict these days? The world’s not slowing down, and neither are the challenges coming our way. That’s why wit is essential. It’s not just about clever comebacks or quick fixes. It’s about seeing angles others miss, turning obstacles into opportunities, and finding humor when the universe throws a curveball.
So here’s my pitch: start treating wit like the ultimate life hack. Flow like a Midas cichlid. Think like El Güegüense. Pivot, adapt, and keep your sense of humor intact. Over time, those little moments of quick thinking and creative problem-solving will stack up, just like compound interest.
Wit doesn’t just help you survive —it’s what allows you to thrive. In a world full of unpredictable currents, investing in your wit might just be the smartest move you’ll ever make.
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