Mirrors Around Us: The Story of Driving, Being Here and Now, and Navigating Life's Potholes
I've noticed something quite amusing about the digital world: when someone writes about a lesson or an example, they often reference famous people. It's like "5 Things Billionaires Do," "10 Investment Rules from So-and-So," or "A Letter from XYZ to Their Child."
Reflecting on this, I've realized that while I've read many books about the famous, I haven't learned much from them. If we talk about learning from people, I've learned more from those around me, from passive absorption to consciously digesting their experiences. And of course, they are not famous at all.
Here are a few reasons I've pondered:
The Need for Familiarity in the Virtual World: In the online realm, there needs to be a universally known figure. It wouldn't make sense for me to use examples like my uncle, my boss at the goat hotpot restaurant, the bread seller, or the woman who makes rice rolls; it's too ordinary. Not flashy enough to attract and convince, so we opt for the greats for easy appeal.
The Depth of Everyday Wisdom: Writing about everyday subjects in an engaging way requires substantial "inner strength." I rarely see people with such depth. Sometimes, it's because those who do don't talk, and those who talk don't do - people who write about games might not play, and vice versa. Running a bakery, noodle shop, or restaurant for decades implies significant intelligence. I'm still impressed by how the goat hotpot owner manages his staff with just a glance. Or how my relatives ventured into new professions or risky investments and succeeded; there's much to learn that's only visible through direct interaction. Content like "5 Tips" or "10 Rules" just skims the surface, often leading to ineffective advice when followed.
Shared Contexts and Experiences: We share more with those around us. Theories and principles like the "Letter to My Child" are just the tip of the iceberg. The deeper part involves language, culture, genetics, geographical factors, family traits - in essence, shared "time-space" elements.
The Bias Towards Success Stories: We are inclined towards tales of success. This is largely due to greed, focusing our minds on rewards rather than the present. Success dominates our thoughts. Thus, writing about success attracts more readers. However, if we focus on the here and now, clear about reality, and declutter our minds from future fantasies, we see that the road to success is full of traps, potholes, and dangers. Driving through this metaphorical mountain road requires prioritizing not falling off before reaching the destination. Real-life success stories are scarier with bandits, wild animals, and it's extremely easy to get lost.
Learning from Failures: While there are countless lessons from failures, we prefer to hear about the shiny rewards of success, blinding us to life's potholes. Being present might reveal these hazards, and if lucky enough to survive a fall into one, it sharpens our sense of danger. Fear becomes a great tool for recognizing risks and prevents us from speeding just for fun.
Looking at our own life's potholes and seeing them in others around us - sharing similar conditions, similar "vehicles," and weather - we learn from their successes and failures.
"The road is full of hardships for mankind; those who haven't passed through aren't truly human..."
In conclusion, our naivety isn't entirely our fault; part of it stems from an educational system not equipped to deal with real-world complexities. Now, we must self-learn and improve.
P.S.: Lately, I've been passively listening to traditional music and old songs. The morals from these are often more accurate than much of today's content.
Just my thoughts. Don't take it too seriously. I'm as naive and dreamy as the next person. Hehe.
Have a new day, be here and now, and watch the road to avoid accidents. A few seconds can change a lifetime.
Meme: I drive the car of my life with various personas. The driver is easily stressed and triggered, the co-pilot is dull, the back-seat supporter is chill, another is depressed.
And so, life goes, with loves lost, wandering into paths with no return...
