Random Walk Newsletter, Issue 19#
Observations & Insights#
Effort Uphill, Joy Downhill#
Bored on the weekend, I was browsing YouTube and came across a video called "Overcoming Obstacles." In it, there was an interview with Zhang Zhenyue, who shared a little story. One year, Zhang Zhenyue embarked on a cycling trip around the island. Along the way, he rode through his hometown, where his mother cheered them on and said, "You've been working hard cycling uphill, but remember, enjoy the downhill."
It's a simple and sincere sentence, unintentional but meaningful. These ten words summarize the ups and downs one may encounter in life. No one has a smooth journey all the way. The moment of happiness is not just when you reach the top. Even when going downhill, you can still enjoy and be happy.
This reminds me of a metaphor from Teacher Xiang Biao. Many people live like hummingbirds, constantly flapping their wings to avoid falling. However, it's necessary to occasionally relax.
We often talk about the importance of work-life balance. If you have already worked hard before, then afterwards, please fully enjoy and be at peace with your leisure time. There's no need to feel anxious and restless when you relax a little. Being tense for too long will lead to problems.
Audiobooks & Reading#
Essentialism#
Once again, I realize that we shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Just like people, appearances can be deceiving. I listened to this book while running because I thought it wouldn't provide much value and would simply pass the time.
However, during the listening process, some of the ideas resonated with me. So, I reviewed the manuscript and took some notes. For example, the book mentioned, "Having knowledge without understanding the methods makes it difficult to accomplish things; having methods without understanding the knowledge makes things unsustainable."
The book also emphasizes the importance of choice. The more choices we have, the harder it is to filter out the important ones. This is what psychologists call "decision fatigue": the more decisions we have to make, the lower the quality of those decisions.
Therefore, the first step in making choices is "discernment." Many options are just noise, and we need to learn to identify the truly valuable ones.
To successfully discern, we must also understand "trade-offs," as economist Thomas Sowell once said, "There are no solutions, only trade-offs."
So, essentialism is about mastering the power of choice, discerning the most valuable options, making trade-offs, and persisting.
Lastly, I'd like to share the method provided in the book for making trade-offs. It may be extreme, but it's worth considering: "If the answer is not a definite 'yes,' then it should be a definite 'no'."
Hype Machine#
Here's another book about the impact of the internet on people's lives. It contains interesting data and metaphors. For example, the author compares the network effect to gravity. The more people gather in a network, the greater its quality. And the greater the quality, the stronger the gravity, attracting more people.
When shopping online, people often refer to reviews, and the positive review rate is a crucial indicator. The book mentions a statistic: 92% of consumers read various reviews, but only about 6% actually write reviews. What does this mean? It means that 6% of people influence the thoughts and actions of 92% of people. I have doubts about this 6% statistic, but I believe in the conclusion that a few people's decisions ultimately influence the thoughts and actions of more people.
Regarding the issue of mutual influence, the book also mentions an experiment. A group of people were asked to guess the weight of a cow. The first time, they made independent guesses without any communication, and the average was very close to the actual weight. The second time, they were allowed to communicate and discuss with each other, and the average was far from the actual weight. This reminded me of the book "The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind." The power of a group depends on the independence of each individual, which is the foundation.
In conclusion, the author's viewpoint is: "The greatest attribute of social media is amplifying the influence between people."
That's all for this issue of the Newsletter. If you have any questions, feel free to email me. Thank you for reading.