Famous technologist Kevin Kelly posted his Unsolicited Advice for this year on his blog. There are a total of 99 pieces of advice, each one concise, profound, and full of contemplation about life. Additionally, last year on his 68th birthday, he also wrote an article with a total of 68 pieces of advice. So, last year at 68 years old, there were 68 pieces, but this year at 69 years old, it has become 99 pieces? More quantity without increasing the price.
Let's discuss and interpret a few pieces of advice that resonate with me.
Being wise means having more questions than answers.
睿智意味着有更多的问题而非答案。
This sentence seems familiar. I remember Albert Einstein also said something similar, suggesting that asking a question is more important than solving one. There is a widely circulated article on the internet called "How To Ask Questions The Smart Way," which is regarded as an introductory guide to asking questions, especially for programmers. I have also written an article based on my own experience to understand the wisdom of asking questions.
Many questions in life do not have a definite answer. However, if we continue to ask questions around the problem, we are more likely to touch the essence of the matter, and the so-called "answer" will naturally emerge. For example, there was a discussion in the channel about "Why is a skin test necessary before injecting penicillin in China."
Writing down one thing you are grateful for each day is the cheapest possible therapy ever.
每天写下一件你感激的事是最便宜的治疗方法。
This method of reviewing the good things in life has a positive effect on promoting self-acceptance and balancing anxiety. I have been keeping a diary for some time, and during that period, I recorded things I was grateful for each day using this method. For example, a friendly reminder from a colleague or a novel viewpoint discussed during a meal. This kind of record forms positive feedback and makes me feel that something happy is happening every day.
Bad things can happen fast, but almost all good things happen slowly.
坏事可能发生得很快，但几乎所有的好事都会慢慢发生。
There is an old Chinese saying that good things take time. It means that good things often go through many twists and turns, and difficulties imply a longer time to achieve. For example, studying for exams is a long and painful process. Once you persist through it, the qualities cultivated during that period and the final results will not be too bad. However, for those who give up halfway, the decision is easy, and the pain of studying disappears quickly, but most of the results are not satisfactory. Some experiences in middle school have left a deep impression on me regarding this.
In addition, this also applies to opportunism and long-termism. Opportunism brings quick results, and many people are easily attracted by short-term temptations and join the ranks of speculation. Some people make money from it, but most people end up being "accompanying mourners." For example, the "Hehui" incident that started in 1986 in Yueqing County, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China, was a typical speculative and malicious event. Many villagers were not clear about the operation mechanism of this organization, but they knew that the interest on the money they handed in came quickly and was high. They thought there was money to be made, so they joined as members crazily, unaware that the high interest they received required the chairman to continuously develop new members to sustain it. In the end, the "Hehui" collapsed, and many of the members lost all their money.
If your goal does not have a schedule, it is a dream.
如果你的目标没有时间表，那它就是一个梦想。
This sentence is quite motivational, but it is also practical. Without a clear implementation plan and without investing time and effort, a dream remains just an illusion. In addition, when it comes to time, estimating a time frame for things you want to do and forcing yourself to complete them within the specified time is also a good habit. The Pomodoro Technique has some basis for this.
I have never met a person I admired who did not read more books than I did.
我从来没有见过一个我敬佩的人比我读书少。
Charlie Munger has also said similar things. Reading is a high-value investment, and the returns it brings are real-time but mostly long-term and subtle. Reading good books, reading more good books, makes oneself wiser.
Finally, if you want to read more advice from Kevin Kelly, you can visit his blog or check out the translated 99 pieces of advice on the Your TMS Channel.