The efficient cause is the thing or person responsible for producing the effect.For example: baker = cake.Or: entrepreneur = successful business.Narrowing down desirable qualities can be used to break this down further.For example: hardworking, educated, and resilient filmmakers = successful movie.

The Efficient Cause

Breaking any effect down into its four causes allows one to understand how it can be achieved.For example: baker+ingredients+recipe+hunger = cake.Or: entrepreneur+in-demand product or service+easily accessible+serve customers = successful business.Or: hardworking, educated and resilient filmmakers+superhero movie+hero’s journey+journey to a battle where the hero eventually wins = successful movie.Bottom Line: having an understanding of the process required to achieve success can greatly improve your chances of reaching it.

The Four Causes

Causes equal effects, and effects are what we want to achieve.For example: cause = cake.Or: cause = successful business.Or: cause = successful movie.There are four types of causes that can explain any effect:<ul><li>Efficient</li><li>Material</li><li>Formal</li><li>Final</li></ul>You can expand upon anything a great deal with this formula while also being able to analyze and understand the contents.

Cause And Effect Equations

The final cause explains the purpose of the effect or why it happened in the first place.For example: hunger = cake.Or: serve customers = successful business.You can go infinite levels in depth when it comes to breaking down the causes.For example: journey to a battle where the hero eventually wins = successful movie.

The Final Cause

The formal cause is how you are supposed to combine the ingredients to produce the effect.For example: recipe = cake.Or: easily accessible = successful business.More specific details can create more complex equations.For example: hero’s journey = successful movie.

The Formal Cause

The material cause is the list of ingredients required to produce an effect.For example: ingredients = cake.Or: in-demand product or service = successful business.Analyzing past successes that have been known to work can be helpful as well.For example: superhero movie = successful movie.

The Material Cause

Here’s a summary of Freedom of Thought’s video on how analyzing the process required to achieve success can improve your chances of reaching it.

Keep exploring at https://brilliant.org/freedominthought. Get started for free, and hurry—the first 200 people get 20% off an annual premium subscription. WISDOM WEDNESDAY. Every week, you’ll get five powerful quotes from timeless thinkers (combined with some original insight): https://freedominthought.com/newsletter ABOUT THE VIDEO _ In this video, I talk about how to achieve anything by using Aristotle’s theory of four causes. Have you ever achieved something without knowing how you did it? Or have you ever seen someone else achieve something and wondered how they did it? In this video, based on the wisdom of Aristotle, I’m going to give you a step-by-step technique for understanding how to achieve anything. I’ll start with simple examples and build up to more complicated ones. CHAPTERS 00:00 - Intro 00:46 - Cause and Effect Equations 01:20 - The Four Causes 01:39 - The Efficient Cause 01:52 - The Material Cause 02:02 - The Formal Cause 02:15 - The Final Cause 02:33 - Example 1: Effect = Cake 03:00 - Example 2: Effect = Successful Business 04:20 - Example 3: Effect = Successful Movie 07:10 - Infinite Levels of Depth 07:40 - How to Achieve Anything OUR COURSES _ Coming soon. Sign up to my newsletter to be notified when they release. OUR MERCH _ Coming soon. Sign up to my newsletter to be notified when they release. OUR BOOKS _ Follow No One comes out December 2022. Sign up to my newsletter to receive an e-mail when it comes out and read exclusive essays from the book: https://bit.ly/3mu7VGM OUR FAVOURITE TOOLS _ Shortform. The best non-fiction book summaries (unlimited access for 5 days and 20% off an annual subscription when you use my link): https://bit.ly/3bmSXwy Adobe. The software I use to make my videos: Epidemic Sound. Where I get my music: https://bit.ly/3FrStmh RELATED VIDEOS _ Practical Philosophy Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5faAYlGYYoF7rgKH4oo_B81n4wE1n2xP CONNECT WITH US _ Instagram: http://instagram.com/freedomintht Twitter: http://twitter.com/freedomintht CONNECT WITH ME _ Instagram: https://instagram.com/justintht Twitter: https://twitter.com/justintht Personal Youtube: https://bit.ly/32rJ9QB PODCAST _ Freedom in Thought Podcast: https://bit.ly/3mS76YT FURTHER READING _ Metaphysics and Physics by Aristotle NOTES _ (1) Videos are just my opinion, for entertainment and informational purposes. Just some things to think about—not advice. (2) Some of the links in the description are affiliate links which I get a kickback from—at no extra cost to you.

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Keep exploring at https://brilliant.org/freedominthought. Get started for free, and hurry—the first 200 people get 20% off an annual premium subscription.

WISDOM WEDNESDAY. Every week, you’ll get five powerful quotes from timeless thinkers (combined with some original insight): https://freedominthought.com/newsletter

ABOUT THE VIDEO
_
In this video, I talk about how to achieve anything by using Aristotle’s theory of four causes.

Have you ever achieved something without knowing how you did it? Or have you ever seen someone else achieve something and wondered how they did it? In this video, based on the wisdom of Aristotle, I’m going to give you a step-by-step technique for understanding how to achieve anything. I’ll start with simple examples and build up to more complicated ones.

CHAPTERS
00:00 - Intro
00:46 - Cause and Effect Equations
01:20 - The Four Causes
01:39 - The Efficient Cause
01:52 - The Material Cause
02:02 - The Formal Cause
02:15 - The Final Cause
02:33 - Example 1: Effect = Cake
03:00 - Example 2: Effect = Successful Business
04:20 - Example 3: Effect = Successful Movie
07:10 - Infinite Levels of Depth
07:40 - How to Achieve Anything

OUR COURSES
_
Coming soon. Sign up to my newsletter to be notified when they release.

OUR MERCH
_
Coming soon. Sign up to my newsletter to be notified when they release.

OUR BOOKS
_
Follow No One comes out December 2022. Sign up to my newsletter to receive an e-mail when it comes out and read exclusive essays from the book: https://bit.ly/3mu7VGM

OUR FAVOURITE TOOLS
_
Shortform. The best non-fiction book summaries (unlimited access for 5 days and 20% off an annual subscription when you use my link): https://bit.ly/3bmSXwy 

Adobe. The software I use to make my videos: 

Epidemic Sound. Where I get my music: https://bit.ly/3FrStmh

RELATED VIDEOS
_
Practical Philosophy Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5faAYlGYYoF7rgKH4oo_B81n4wE1n2xP

CONNECT WITH US
_
Instagram: http://instagram.com/freedomintht
Twitter: http://twitter.com/freedomintht

CONNECT WITH ME
_
Instagram: https://instagram.com/justintht
Twitter: https://twitter.com/justintht
Personal Youtube: https://bit.ly/32rJ9QB

PODCAST
_
Freedom in Thought Podcast: https://bit.ly/3mS76YT

FURTHER READING
_
Metaphysics and Physics by Aristotle

NOTES
_
(1) Videos are just my opinion, for entertainment and informational purposes. Just some things to think about—not advice.

(2) Some of the links in the description are affiliate links which I get a kickback from—at no extra cost to you.