Random Walk Newsletter, Issue 3#
One Sentence#
The wrong choice often means: rationalizing future aspirations and being emotional about current dissatisfaction.
The right choice should be: being emotional about future aspirations and rational about current dissatisfaction.
Audiobooks & Books#
Letter from Yu
One of the books I'm currently reading is a collection of letters written by Li Ge to the author. There is a passage describing babies that is truly admirable, at least to me. I want to share it with everyone:
She looks at you with no guard, her eyes devoid of good or evil, only trust and dependence. In this world, adults wear thick armor, only babies are not afraid to expose their vulnerabilities. This purity comes not only from beautiful imagery, but also from clean trust and the vitality of the newborn world. Babies, daffodils, when they are put together... I suddenly turned my head, feeling unable to catch up with these words.
"After becoming a parent, I have a deeper understanding of the phrase 'adults wear thick armor, only babies are not afraid to expose their vulnerabilities.' Reflecting on it, we think too much, and most of it is meaningless daydreaming. Meanwhile, children can fully live in the present moment. For example, she just cried because she didn't want to go to kindergarten tomorrow, but after less than 5 minutes, she can immerse herself in a toy and laugh heartily."
Extraordinary Me
It took me about a month to finish this book. The author is Dr. Chen Haixian, a Ph.D. in psychology from Zhejiang University. When I first saw the title, to be honest, I wasn't interested in opening it. However, after reading some books on psychology, this book made it onto my reading list. In the past two years, books on psychology have become increasingly popular, such as "The Courage to Be Disliked," "Mr. Toad Goes to See a Psychologist," "Maybe You Should Talk to Someone," and so on. Perhaps it's because most of us have some psychological confusion, so we seek answers through books. After finishing this book, I found many meaningful passages, such as the benefits of experience and the benefits of expectations. What are the benefits of expectations? For example, when we think of getting up early to go for a run, we imagine discipline, a healthier body, and more energy. But these are all imagined, and we may not have the opportunity to truly experience them. On the other hand, the benefits of experience are concrete, such as the warmth and comfort of sleeping a little longer in bed, the joy of playing games, the sensory stimulation of indulging in food and drink, and so on. These are things we can truly experience. Therefore, the benefits of experience are specific, while the benefits of expectations are abstract. It is not a simple matter for imagination to overcome concrete experiences, which explains why we encounter such great resistance when we want to do certain things.
Noise
The author of this book is the famous Daniel Kahneman, author of "Thinking, Fast and Slow." This book mainly discusses the human decision-making system. The main point of the book is: "Where there is judgment, there is noise." People often make bad decisions or wrong judgments because they overlook the influence of "noise" on decision-making. So, what is noise? Before talking about noise, let's talk about bias. Bias is "predictable irrationality," a kind of cognitive bias, such as being influenced by first impressions, focusing on short-term benefits while ignoring long-term goals, and only remembering theories that align with our own views. Noise, on the other hand, is unpredictable and irregular variation in judgment. For example, if an interviewer is in a bad mood, the person being interviewed may not pass the interview. Or, different doctors give different diagnoses to the same patient. How can we improve the accuracy of decision-making? The author's conclusion is something we are all familiar with, but not necessarily able to do: maintain a positive and open mindset. In other words, don't be stubborn: even though I think this way, I am willing to listen to opposing opinions. In this process, I can constantly revise my thinking and beliefs based on new information.
How to Improve Writing Skills
I forgot where I read this, but here are some tips on how to improve your writing skills:
- Write the first draft as quickly as possible.
- Don't publish the first draft.
- Write from the perspective of the audience, not your own, and provide good background information.
- Write in a conversational tone, as if you are telling a story to someone.
- Enjoy the pleasure of writing.
- Read the content out loud and correct spelling and grammar errors.
- Write every day.
- Occasionally try writing with pen and paper.
- Start now.
- Commit to writing for a year.
Observations & Insights#
Ukraine
I believe everyone has been following the situation in Ukraine. As far as legitimacy is concerned, I don't have a deep understanding, so I can't make a judgment. However, in times of war, it is always the civilians who suffer the most. Yesterday, I saw a news report that 96 out of 100 Ukrainian billionaires have left the country, and the remaining 4 are being held back due to corruption charges and their passports being confiscated. So, let's hope for peace.
Death of a 28-Year-Old ByteDance Employee
Another tragedy has occurred. He was only 28 years old, and his wife was just over two months pregnant. As an internet professional, he must have experienced the hardships of working 996 (9 a.m. to 9 p.m., 6 days a week) and the "big/small week" schedule. I believe his fate is likely related to overtime work. However, ByteDance is known for its long working hours, and he should have been mentally prepared before joining the company. It is said that he had a monthly mortgage of 20,000 yuan (about $3,100), which explains why he chose to work at ByteDance, as they do pay well. Personally, I couldn't accept it. I quit my previous job because of nearly two months of 996. I was determined to leave, not only because of my physical health but also because of my strong psychological resistance. I hope all young people can think carefully and not just focus on money. Health should always come first.
That's all for now. Have a great weekend, everyone!