Random Walk Newsletter, Issue 17#
Observations & Insights#
Adjusting Mindset#
Recently, my neighbor got a few chicks and placed them at the entrance of his house. It has been a while, and I didn't say anything about it before. If there was any impact, I could hear the sound when opening the door, but I couldn't feel it when closing the door. The smell was also fine. They must be changing the bedding regularly. However, when I came back last Sunday, the smell in the hallway was very strong and unpleasant. I went to talk to them about it. No one was home the first time I went, so I waited for about half an hour and went again when I heard some activity in their house. I explained the situation politely, and they said they would take care of it in a while. Well, it's Thursday now, and the chicks are still there. Maybe they don't want to deal with it. However, the smell has disappeared these past few days. I don't know if they cleaned more diligently or not.
Because of this incident, I've been thinking about it from time to time these days. For example, why haven't they taken care of it yet? Do they not want to? Should I go talk to them again? These thoughts have been distracting me and preventing me from focusing. So, in this edition of the Newsletter, I want to discuss my mindset.
I read a book called "The Pleaser Syndrome" before, and the content described in it resonated with me. I guess I have a tendency to please others, although the word "syndrome" is a bit too serious for me. However, I do care a lot about what others think, and even if someone is a bit indifferent towards me, I start to wonder if they don't like me. Here's another example: if I leave a comment on someone's social media post and they reply to many people but not to me, I start to think that they are intentionally avoiding me.
Fortunately, I have recognized this issue and started to adjust myself. For example, through meditation, I try not to be trapped in my own thoughts. Whenever I have these thoughts, I tell myself that they are just thoughts and don't represent anything. Living in the past or the future is not right. Everything is fine at the moment, so I should enjoy it.
Will You Regret?#
A long time ago, I came across a website called https://worldregretsurvey.com. This website collects data on things that people around the world regret. It's quite interesting. If you take a look, you'll find that most regrets are about missing out on someone or not studying hard when young, and so on. So, if you were to answer, do you have any regrets?
Audiobooks & Books#
Understanding a Book#
I previously tried to read "Walden" but unfortunately, I could only manage to read about 10% of it. I just couldn't continue, and it was quite frustrating.
When reading "How to Read a Book," the author also mentioned the issue of not understanding a book. "Not understanding" should never be a fixed state. It's just a temporary situation. You should believe that slowly, you will be able to understand it.
So why do we sometimes find it difficult to understand certain books? The author believes it has to do with the size of a person's "pool of understanding." In simple terms, if you want to understand a programming book, you need to have some basic knowledge of computers. It requires a certain level of expertise. On the other hand, if it's a broad book that covers psychology, economics, management, philosophy, and so on, without a certain level of accumulation, it's easy to get stuck and not understand it.
Therefore, when you don't understand a book, don't rush it. Put it aside and read something you can understand. Maybe in a couple of years, when you read it again, everything will become clear.
That's all for this edition of the Newsletter. If you have any questions, feel free to email me. Thank you for reading.