Don't Forget Why You Started Because You've Gone Too Far
From A to B
I’ve been reading Become a SuperLearner recently, which discusses learning from a teacher’s perspective—a very insightful angle.
One teaching method mentioned is inquiry-based learning.
It also mentions that when we consider a problem, we often ask:
- What is this?
- How does it work?
- Why X, Y, Z?
- What will happen next?
- How to get from A to B?
This is a good problem-solving paradigm, an expansion of “2W1H” (What, Why, How).
Recently, during the 14th session of the NoteMan Camp and with new employees at my company, I noticed that people easily encounter the problem of not clearly defining what getting from A to B means.
For example, many campers aim to earn credits, become note-taking masters, or create beautiful vertical mind maps and knowledge cards. Many campers discuss specific methods of using various tools daily, but very few focus on the logic behind note-taking, why we take notes, and what notes can bring us.
Another example: when software engineers are programming, they easily forget the requirements, especially when they encounter technical bottlenecks and can’t solve a problem. Eventually, time runs out, and the task is not completed.
Upon inquiry, it turns out they’ve been stuck on a specific technical detail for a long time, focusing on a specific technical detail rather than the business problem. Further questioning reveals that a manual solution could resolve the issue in minutes.
If they had a piece of A4 paper and a pen to simply outline the problem and define B, they might have found a new answer.
I sometimes think that while the world is complex, it’s also very simple at times—so simple that you can see the destination at a glance.
However, some people’s paths to the destination are direct, while others are winding, and some may not reach it at all.
“We already walked too far, down to we had forgotten why embarked.” – Kahlil Gibran
I first encountered this quote many years ago through Chai Jing’s Seeing (看见) and then found the book Don’t Forget Why You Started: Chen Meng, We Hear You (不要因为走得太远而忘记为什么出发：陈虻，我们听你讲), which is also excellent.
The busier and more anxious we are, the more we should stop and think about our original intentions.
As for what A is, what B is, and how to quickly get from A to B, this may require thinking and practice based on various life experiences.
But try to stop and think. One day or two, an answer will emerge at some point.