I am a diligent and studious person, and I have been consistent for ten years without interruption.
Although I am ashamed to say that I haven't achieved much, my personal life has still benefited from it.
I want to talk about how I think and why I have such strong self-motivation.
Why should we study?#
Some people excel in primary and secondary school, but stop studying once they enter university. Why is that?
In the eyes of many people:
- Learning is a tool used to compete for better resources (good schools, good majors).
- Learning is a competition, enjoying the pleasure of being better than others.
- Learning is an exchange, sacrificing the time of life for a better future.
- Learning is something that happens inexplicably when one is ignorant, either learning well or not.
These motivations no longer work when entering university and completely disappear after entering society. It seems unnecessary.
Curiosity#
The fundamental motivation for learning is:
I want to know, that is curiosity.
Everyone has curiosity, the key lies in the degree.
Some people are satisfied at the level of nouns. Once they learn the word "AI," they start talking endlessly about shallow impressions and speculations.
Some people go deeper and read, purchase knowledge. However, books and courses are like cleaning agents, only washing the eardrums and eyeballs. What ultimately enters the brain is still shallow impressions and speculations, at most with a little ignorant and fearless confidence.
Some people go even deeper, annotating books, taking notes, and spending a lot of time studying. Is this enough? It is still not enough. This only allows knowledge to enter the brain, but it is still half-baked. As Lu Xun said, "Reading dead books harms oneself and harms others when spoken." Often, it refers to these people.
Going deeper, it is the second level in Wang Guowei's "Three Realms of Learning": "The belt gradually widens and never regrets, for her, I become haggard." At this point, a person has self-drive and self-discipline, that is, "becoming obsessed."
Knowledge conforms to the iceberg theory, with an infinite underwater part. Only by becoming obsessed and becoming a fool can one explore in this endless dark iceberg with enthusiasm.
From this level onwards, a person is no longer shallow.
The ultimate level is the third level in Wang Guowei's "Three Realms of Learning": "Searching for him among the crowd, suddenly looking back, that person is in the dim light."
After more than ten years of self-study, I have begun to appreciate the mystery of this level.
Anything beyond these two levels is self-deception.
Why seek knowledge?#
What is the use of seeking knowledge? Does the reasonableness or unreasonableness of something change because I know it or not?
"What is the use of seeking knowledge?" This is a very utilitarian way of thinking. Utilitarianism makes people short-sighted.
Seeking knowledge makes people powerful.
Cao Xueqin once said, "Understanding the world is all about knowledge, and being knowledgeable about human affairs is writing."
In the process of thoroughly understanding something, a person's thinking, mental capacity, and thoroughness in problem-solving will deepen their understanding and comprehension of the world.
This kind of wisdom cannot be bought or rushed. It can only emerge through putting aside utilitarianism and persisting for years.
Understanding the world#
We all live in the world, but how much do you really know about this world?
Setting aside those artificial creations: celebrities, idols, games, anime... how much do you know about the essence of this world itself? How much do you know about the new things happening in this world?
If you don't know about these things and only focus on popular celebrities, CP, internet celebrities, those artificially created things, what's the difference between you and a blindfolded donkey grinding in a mill?
In this world, while you are studying these illusory and beautiful things, others are studying you. Some study how to make you spend more money under the guise of market research. Some specialize in studying your emotions, designing things that can move you, and depriving you of your attention.
Doesn't that send a chill down your spine?
It's not that scary#
Look at those who chase celebrities, play games, they can still attend prestigious schools and make a lot of money. It's not contradictory, is it? According to what you said, "Understanding the world is all about knowledge, and being knowledgeable about human affairs is writing." People who can understand these non-serious matters are also curious, aren't they?
You're right, I'm not against celebrities, idols, games, anime, etc. I also like games and anime myself, and not just casually, I'm quite obsessed with them. "Understanding the world is all about knowledge, and being knowledgeable about human affairs is writing."
There's nothing wrong with these things themselves.
It's just that since I left home for university and until now, I have been wandering around for 14 years. After I became an adult, my family adopted a hands-off approach, not interfering in anything, leaving everything for me to decide.
I encountered many obstacles, stepped into many pitfalls, deceived many people, and was deceived by many people. Every bit of growth has been accompanied by a great deal of frustration.
Maybe having a good family background would make things a little better, maybe having good family education would make things a little better. Being a little better would make you a little happier and allow you to enjoy a little more.
If things are not so good, you will suffer a little more, enjoy a little less, and face a bit more reality.
Knowing oneself#
I am not against enjoyment; enjoyment is human nature.
What I am against is excessive enjoyment beyond one's personal limit.
What is a personal limit? Let's say you finish work at 9:30 pm and plan to sleep at 11 pm, leaving only 2 hours in between, excluding time for washing up, you may only have two hours.
Using these two hours for enjoyment is perfectly reasonable. If you can take out an hour to study, you become great. If you use both hours to study, you are already a genius.
However, if you keep playing without stopping, playing for three or four hours, that is exceeding the limit. Because you sacrifice your health.
Looking at it from the perspective of having guaranteed health, it would be better to spend 50% of the enjoyment time on studying.
Long-term effects#
It is difficult to persist in learning, especially after starting to work.
This is similar to the fact that there are few wealthy people in society; good things are always scarce.
The difference is that among many difficult things, persisting in learning is relatively simple.
I am lazy and greedy, and easily get distracted. Even while browsing Weibo, I have been studying for ten years. Even so, there has been a quantitative change that has caused a qualitative change.
The benefits brought about by this long-term effect can be said to be like two different people, capable of making a difference.
How good is it?
Just like in movies, a young boy goes up the mountain to apprentice and learn martial arts, then comes down and becomes invincible.
It's also like playing games, obtaining top-tier equipment and leveling up skills, it's definitely exciting.
Learning in reality is even more exciting than this. Look at why Elon Musk is working on Tesla, rockets, and even wants to go to Mars.
Learning is not a chore#
When it comes to learning, many people's first reaction is that it's tiring.
From childhood to adulthood, learning has always been associated with hardship:
- Studying hard
- Hard work leads to success
After many years of being a student, this reaction has become subconscious. Even just hearing the words "reading" or "learning" makes people feel extremely tired.
This means that they are not in touch with reality.
This is also why many people say that they were more mentally active when they were in school:
- Do you need to study to do business?
- Do you need to study to deliver food?
- Do you need to study to play games?
If you feel tired just hearing about studying, you have become ignorant, even if you had good grades before, you were just a sacrifice of education.
Conclusion#
Finally, to summarize in one sentence:
Life is only once. Living aimlessly is a lifetime, living earnestly is also a lifetime. Living well is a lifetime, living poorly is also a lifetime. Actively striving is a lifetime, passively giving up is also a lifetime. It is better to be more positive and not waste this life.