Sezgin Ismailov

 Human beings are strange creatures. We think one thing, say another, and in the end, we do something completely different. The same phenomenon occurs in how we perceive countries, nations, and professions. We hold certain preconceptions in our heads, utter different words to others, and yet our daily actions sometimes completely contradict our initial beliefs. When we hear "Italy," some people immediately think of the mafia, criminal histories, and organized crime movies. Yet when we talk about Italians, the conversation often shifts to their sports cars, fashion, elegance, and exquisite style. And when we sit down at the table, we happily eat Italian pizza, pasta, and gelato. We may fear the image we have built, admire their culture, and ultimately enjoy what they have created. This psychological phenomenon does not apply solely to the Boot. Let us look at a few other countries and professions where the gap between thoughts, words, and actions is striking. When we hear abou...

  Remember the famous folk tale about the woodcutter who strikes a bear with an axe, leaving a deep physical wound? Later, when the bear asks the woodcutter to hit her with an axe instead to see which hurts more, she utters the timeless truth: "The wound from your axe healed, but the wound from your sharp, cruel word never will."  In our modern, hyper-connected world, we rarely swing physical axes at one another. Instead, we carry digital weapons. Social media comments, passive-aggressive text messages, corporate emails, and casual gossip have become the new axes. We often think words are weightless, but just like in the old tale, physical bruises fade, while verbal scars remain etched in the human heart for a lifetime. The Modern "Axes": How We Wound Without Touching  In daily life, we encounter the "bear and the woodcutter" dynamic in various forms: The Workplace Example: A manager gives constructive feedback, but instead of focusing on the task, they dr...

 "Everyone tries to win at any cost and sometimes forgets that often someone else pays the price."  We live in a world obsessed with winning. Social media, business literature, and modern competitive culture constantly push us to aim for first place. But have we ever stopped to ask ourselves what "at any cost" actually means? When winning becomes the sole objective, our moral accounting becomes distorted. The bill doesn't magically vanish—it simply is handed to someone else. Winning an Argument In friendships and romantic relationships, the ego often drives us to prove we are right, regardless of the consequences. A simple example: During a heated argument, you methodically dismantle your partner's points by using sharp language or bringing up past mistakes. You "win" the argument and prove you were right, but the relationship itself suffers—through eroded trust, hurt feelings, and emotional distance. In Corporate Careers: Ambition at the Team’s E...

Als Menschen sind wir ständig auf der Suche nach Idealen. Wir wünschen uns den perfekten Staat, eine makellose Wirtschaft und die besten Lebensbedingungen – kurz gesagt: eine Utopie. Doch seien wir ehrlich vor dem Spiegel: Es gibt keine perfekte Gesellschaft, und es wird sie nie geben. Egal wie sehr wir versuchen, ein System ohne Risse aufzubauen, die menschliche Natur mischt sich immer ein. Im Zentrum jeder Gemeinschaft – sei es ein ganzes Land, eine Kleinstadt oder ein einfaches Büro – stehen zwei gegensätzliche Kräfte. Zwei Typen von Menschen, die das Rad der Geschichte drehen: die Schöpfer und die Zerstörer . Lassen Sie uns heute ohne unnötigen akademischen Ballast über sie sprechen, anhand von Beispielen aus dem echten Leben. Schöpfer: Die Architekten unseres Alltags Wer sind die Schöpfer? Es sind die Menschen, die morgens mit dem Gedanken aufstehen: „Wie kann ich heute etwas besser machen?“  Sie jammern nicht darüber, wie schlecht alles ist, sondern krempeln die Ärmel hoch u...

As humans, we are constantly chasing ideals. We long for the perfect nation, a flawless economy, and the ultimate living conditions—in short, a utopia. But let’s be honest with ourselves: there is no perfect society, and there never will be.  No matter how hard we try to build a system without flaws, human nature always finds a way to intervene. At the core of every community—whether it is a whole country, a small town, or a simple office—two opposing forces exist. Two types of people who turn the wheel of history: the creators and the destroyers . Who are the creators? They are the people who wake up in the morning thinking, "How can I make something better today?" They don't complain about how bad things are; instead, they roll up their sleeves and start building. In real life, creators are all around us: The local entrepreneur who opens a small family bakery despite bureaucracy and obstacles. He doesn't just sell bread—he provides jobs, creates warmth, and bring...

 We live in a remarkable era. You open your laptop, and voila—artificial intelligence is writing you emails, generating photos, and even giving you financial advice. It seems like magic, right? But as machines get smarter, we often ask ourselves, “What’s left?” Are we becoming too dependent on the “generate” button, forgetting that true success comes from things that no software can buy? The shortcut is not always the best. Imagine you want to write an important letter to a client or a friend. You can have an AI write it in just five seconds. It sounds great; it saves time. But if you send it straight from the machine, you lose the conversation's “soul.” You have missed the opportunity to invest your understanding of the person on the other side, your empathy, and your personal experience. What makes you “rich” in business and in life is not the speed of writing but the human connection you create. AI is a great assistant tool, but it cannot replace the spark of your handwriting....

 THE WEALTH OF THE GREAT KINGDOM is not just a tale of royalty; it is a guide for anyone who aspires to achieve a monumental, world-changing goal. Through the story of young Prince Max and his vision of building schools in foreign kingdoms, the author imparts to us invaluable lessons about how to turn an ambitious dream into a strategic plan. One of the most impressive lessons is right at the beginning of the chapter: "Correct information shortens the distance and time to the target." Max receives a counterintuitive piece of advice when choosing his team: don't just choose supporters. His teacher advises him to invite those who pose the "most uncomfortable questions" and are likely to challenge him. Why? Because, as the book says, "If you can convince them, it will be a basic process to convince everyone." This principle is the formula for success: "The success formula is the result of multiple perspectives." This is a lesson for any modern l...

 If a person could peel off their skin for a second and look at themselves from the side—as if they were watching a movie about themselves—they would quickly see that the situation is not tragic at all.  Quite the opposite.  In our hectic everyday life, we often focus on what we miss or on the stressful situations we face every day. But if we set aside our petty worries, we will quickly see how fortunate we are—despite all the problems and adversities. The basic things we take for granted Think about the following facts that put our lives in an entirely different perspective: If you have food in the fridge, clothes on your back, a roof over your head, and a safe place to sleep, you are already richer than 75% of the planet’s population. If you have some savings in the bank or money in your wallet, without the terrible shadow of quick loans and debt collectors hanging over you, you are often in the top 8% of the most financially stable people in the world. The most valuabl...

  Honestly, sometimes life in modern society feels like the exact same old song with a new tune. We change systems, rotate politicians, listen to promises of a bright future, and in the end, we wind up in the exact same place. Whether we are talking about capitalism, socialism, a democracy with three colorful ballots, or a strict dictatorship, the role of the ordinary person somehow remains all of the above. You are simply the engine that carries the entire machine on its back—or, put another way, the eternal taxpayer who is expected to keep quiet, work, and pay on time. The Illusion of Choice: You Vote, Then You Obey Remember that classic and slightly biting thought by Charles Bukowski? The writer put it completely mercilessly: "The difference between a democracy and a dictatorship is that in a democracy you vote first and take orders later." Sounds cynical, right? But no matter how much we might want to argue with it, in everyday life it often feels precisely like that. You...

This is a journey into the world of values that will have a long-lasting effect. Because of the fast-paced nature of today's world, where technology and social networks consume an ever-increasing portion of our attention, we frequently forget about principles that are truly important to us. It is via the book "Manners in the Great Kingdom" that we are reminded of the significance of being kind, being honest, having friends, and having family. Who is this book for? To the adolescents: In this book, young people will obtain answers to problems that are important to them, such as how to establish mutually beneficial relationships, how to accomplish their objectives, and how to manage the difficulties that life presents. From the perspective of parents, parents will obtain helpful suggestions and ideas on how to bring up their children in a manner that is consistent with traditional values. Each of the stories in the book is like a small mirror that we may gaze into and di...

To make the best decision, my book, "Manners in the Great Kingdom," is a helpful guide, meticulously crafted with my children in mind. You can find it at various bookstores where it's readily available to assist you on your journey to making thoughtful choices.   Making the right decision is often the key to navigating life successfully, and my book offers helpful tips for this process. It empowers readers to make well-informed decisions and, just as importantly, to accept the repercussions that follow. Furthermore, it instills the vital principle of perseverance: never giving up, even when faced with adversity.   Selecting the appropriate option is usually difficult. The sheer volume of choices can be overwhelming, making it difficult to discern the best path forward. However, "Manners in the Great Kingdom" emphasizes the importance of meticulous consideration—weighing all available options before making a decision.   Another significant hurdle lies in acc...

 Have you ever noticed how politicians can’t seem to open their mouths without dusting off old, worn-out buzzwords from the 20th century? In the West, leaders love scaring people with "Chinese communism," " Russian authoritarianism," and warnings that if we aren’t careful, the government will take away everything we own. Meanwhile, Eastern elites frighten their populations with "decadent Western capitalism" and claim that freedom brings nothing but chaos. But if you strip away the ideological propaganda and look at the actual numbers, the picture becomes entirely different—and frankly, a bit ridiculous. Who Is Actually "More Socialist"? Let’s take France as a prime example. In popular culture, France is celebrated as a pillar of Western democracy and liberal capitalism. Yet, if you look at government spending as a percentage of GDP, France spends nearly 57% of everything it produces on its social safety net, pensions, healthcare, and massive bu...

 I have a quote from my book, The Wealth of  the Great Kingdom : "To have control over others is power; to have control over oneself is mastery." In simpler terms, controlling others means mastering their emotions so they acknowledge you as stronger or smarter. However, controlling your emotions is far more challenging. I believe the only true human freedom resides in our thoughts and our ability to choose. Everything else is a dependency created by our environment—a chain we have carried ever since human societies first emerged. This brings me to another quote from the same book: "The only reason a person constantly finds fault in someone or something else is because of their own weakness." Which leads to the central question: Why are we always dissatisfied? We complain about politicians, yet when election day comes, we rarely bother to read their policy platforms. We don't take the time to meet them, ask the questions that matter to us, or evaluate whether the...

  There’s an old saying almost everyone has heard: “It is easy to break, but challenging to make.” We all know it; it sounds like a classic cliché, but as we grow older, we realize just how brutally true it actually is. Tearing something down takes seconds. Assembling it, breathing life into it, and keeping it together—that takes time, nerve, sweat, and persistence.  This principle applies to pretty much everything in life, from a simple coffee mug to our most significant personal goals. Here are three straightforward, real-life examples that illustrate this logic: You spend years building trust with a partner or a close friend. You show up, support them, and listen to their problems at 3 AM. Then comes a single stupid lie, a cheap trick, or five minutes of terrible judgment. BOOM. Everything is ruined.     To break it: Takes 5 minutes and a moment of carelessness.     To fix it: Sometimes a lifetime isn't enough. Anyone who has ever ...

Much has been written on this subject, but I am expressing my opinion. First, you need to know what a stock is and how many types there are. Second, you need to have some idea of accounting. It would be beneficial to have some familiarity with assets and liabilities. Then think about which business has a future to target that niche. Then review the Global 2000 of the big companies. Then look at the Fortune 500 of the largest firms. Then track which countries have growth potential. Assess which goods and services have giant potential. There is a lot of information on publicly traded companies. Read and read again about the company you are interested in. Get to know it. The better you get to know it, the more information you gather. Nothing is certain in this world. Similar to a hotel chain, the emergence of a new leader has the potential to disrupt the market. You are like a snack chain, but there are issues with menu cleanliness and ingredient quality, which the competition exploits. T...

Imagine the following truly absurd, yet illustrative situation: Every morning, as the first gentle rays of the sun pierce the darkness and begin to paint the day, a mysterious bank transfers the solid sum of $86,400 to your account. This transaction is not a mistake; it is not a joke but a real, impressive loan, intended exclusively and only for you. The loan is in American currency, a globally recognized symbol of opportunity and freedom. You can use the money for anything you want once it reaches your account. But, as with any privilege, there is one important, perhaps even crucial, condition: Every evening, without exception, as the shadows lengthen and day begins to give way to night, the bank ruthlessly cancels any portion of the loan that you have not managed to utilize in the previous 24 hours. This implies that any amount you have not withdrawn, wisely spent, or invested for future growth simply vanishes—evaporating into oblivion, irretrievably lost forever. There is no option ...

In the natural world, boundaries are clearly defined. The herbivore lives in a state of constant vigilance—its instinct is geared toward survival and the protection of the herd. The predator lives with the focus and strategy of the hunt—its goal is the energy of another, which it obtains through skillful tracking and ambush tactics that ensure its survival in the ecosystem. What is man's position in this food chain? And why does it seem today that we have created a system more cruel than the wildest laws of the jungle? Biological Heritage vs. Free Will What animals and humans share is the fundamental drive for self-preservation. However, the difference lies in the scale. No wolf kills more than it can consume. No herd of antelopes betrays its kind just to "live without working." Humans are the only beings endowed with the reason to control their instincts, yet we often choose to pervert them, leading to actions that harm both ourselves and the environment. Instead of usin...