This is where I am coming from: years ago, during my studies in clinical psychology, I consciously avoided biological psychology. My focus was cognitive and behavioral. I believed growth was a matter of mindset, strategy, and clarity. But today, in my work promoting human transformation and intelligent leverage, I have come to a critical realization: Not every message works for every mind.
Beneath language, strategy, and tools lies something more fundamental: dopamine expression. I only got into this area very recently. Our drive systems differ. Our response to challenge, pressure, and vision varies. A message that motivates one type may paralyze another. The following review is not simply about comparing two books: Grant Cardone's "The 10X Rule" with Dan Sullivan's and Dr. Benjamin Hardy's "10x Is Easier Than 2x" (click here). I found that this comparison is imminent because both books promote 10 times growth.
In short words, it is about understanding who each book was written for—and why only one truly resonated with me.
The Core Message of Cardone's The 10X Rule
Grant Cardone's book is built on a singular conviction: success is about massive action. If you're not getting results, you're not doing enough. His model includes:
- Setting goals 10 times bigger than you think is reasonable
- Taking 10 times more action than feels comfortable
- Eliminating excuses, hesitations, and moderation
- Reacting to fear by pushing harder, not pausing
- Seeking dominance, not competition
His tone is intense, aggressive, and deliberately one-dimensional. He offers no tactics for refinement—only fuel for raw acceleration.
Misalignment with the Pareto Principle
As someone who builds systems and makes decisions through the Pareto Principle (80/20 thinking), I see results as the product of asymmetric inputs. Most things do not matter. A few things move the entire game.
By that filter, The 10X Rule book feels misaligned to me:
- No filtering mechanism: All action is treated as equal. There's no distinction between high- and low-leverage effort.
- No strategic elimination: There's no guidance on what to cut, delegate, or avoid—only a call to do more of everything.
- No discussion of design: It is fuel without steering.
That said, the book does have a partial overlap with 80/20 philosophy in one area: it challenges under-ambition. It confronts readers who play small and reminds them that exponential results require exponential thinking.
Reframing the Book through Dopamine Typology
With my now deeper understanding of dopamine expression, I can see what I couldn't before.
The 10X Rule book is not wrong.
It is targeted.
Grant Cardone's message speaks directly to people with low dopamine tone:
- Individuals who feel stuck, numb, or overwhelmed
- People who procrastinate and avoid action
- Minds that crave urgency to override inertia
For this dopamine profile, intensity is clarity. Volume is the breakthrough. The 10X Rule provides the jolt needed to break stasis—even if it's not sustainable.
By contrast, I now see that 10x Is Easier Than 2x by Sullivan and Hardy (click here) was likely written for a very different dopamine type—one that matches my own:
- High-performing, high-output individuals
- Already executing at scale, but needing restraint and focus
- Seeking leverage, not effort
- Motivated by clarity, not pressure
This explains why I found 10x Is Easier Than 2x so helpful—and The 10X Rule so misaligned. They serve different nervous systems.
Evaluation
Strengths of The 10X Rule book:
- Highly motivational for the under-stimulated, the passive, or the procrastinating
- Useful as a psychological reset—especially in sales, fitness, or short-term sprints
- Direct and energetic writing that sparks immediate momentum
Limitations:
- Offers no method for identifying what truly matters
- Assumes that more effort = more results, ignoring leverage
- Outdated in an age of automation and AI, where doing more is less valuable than choosing better
Final Recommendation
Do not judge The 10X Rule by its lack of nuance—judge it by its neurological utility.
- If you are low-tone dopamine, stuck in inertia, or afraid to move, this book might be exactly what your system needs.
- If you are high-drive, strategic, and focused on elite results, this book will degrade your edge.
In short:
- Read Cardone to escape passivity.
- Read Sullivan & Hardy to multiply precision.
- Know your dopamine type. Because biology—not belief—determines which tools will move you.
IP Lawyer Tools by Martin Schweiger
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