“Yin and Yang”

The ancient saying goes: “The interaction of Yin and Yang is the way of the Dao.”

Sometimes, the relentless pursuit of extremes or the unwavering focus on a single thought serves as a testament to one’s existence and purpose.

When building my personal knowledge system using tools like Flomo, I went through several stages of growth and understanding:

1. Classic Excerpts: Minimal reflections, random keyword tagging without categorization.

2. Deeper Reflections: Fewer excerpts, categorized tags using the [P.A.R.A] method, structured expression.

3. Dualities in Thought: Exploring contrasts such as fact vs. opinion, rational vs. emotional, objective vs. subjective, explicit vs. implicit, self vs. others, individual vs. society, order vs. chaos, and positive vs. negative.

4. Content and Form: Focusing on logical reasoning, tracking philosophical ideas, and dissecting abstract concepts.

5. Beyond the Present: Contemplating the “here” and “there,” pursuing simplicity in the complex, and striving for a serene, exploratory state of mind.

6. Abstraction and Deduction: Delving deeper into abstract principles and deriving connections.

7. … (Ongoing): Continuously refining my thoughts and expanding my understanding.

Even now, my contemplation hasn’t reached the pinnacle of the “Dao” or even brushed the edges of its gate. Every time I read the profound insights of those who lived centuries or millennia ago, I am filled with immense joy, gratitude, and often moved to tears. Their wisdom feels like a blessing.

In “Walking the World: Season 2”, a hypothetical question is posed: “What would happen if deserts disappeared from Earth?”

At first glance, transforming deserts into forests seems like an extraordinary feat. However, deserts play a crucial role in the global climate cycle. If they turned into forests, it might unleash unforeseen ecological disasters.

This sparks deeper questions: Is justice absolute? Are right and wrong truly definitive? Between black and white lies a spectrum of gray. Rational numbers have no end, but do irrational numbers have limits? Why does energy remain conserved? Why does entropy always increase?

The digital world is built upon 0s and 1s. Perhaps reality, too, is simply an endless interplay of Yin and Yang, constantly shifting and evolving.

Maybe the boundary between the real and the virtual is but a single thought. What, then, defines the tipping point where quantity transforms into quality?

Reflections on Balance

In contemplating these questions, we are reminded of the intricate balance that governs our universe. Yin and Yang, opposites yet complementary, serve as a reminder that harmony lies not in extremes but in their dynamic interplay. Let us continue to explore, reflect, and grow, embracing both the light and the shadow.

Logic and Formal Logic

We often talk about “logic,” but what exactly is it?

The word “logic” comes from the Greek word λσγοS (logos), originally meaning thought, reason, law, word, etc. In everyday language, “logic” has three different meanings:

1. It refers to the law of interconnection and development of objective things, and the law of human thinking that reflects this law. For example, “the logic of the Chinese revolution” or “the logic of things.” Here, “logic” refers to the law of objective things. Similarly, “drawing a logical conclusion” or “the article has strong logical coherence.” Here, “logic” refers to the law of thinking.

2. It refers to a specific theory, viewpoint, or way of looking at problems. For example, aggressors often describe their aggression against other countries as “friendship.” We denounce this as “utterly the logic of a robber.” Here, “logic” refers to the aggressors’ distorted theory, viewpoint, or way of looking at problems.

3. It refers to the science that studies the forms and laws of correct thinking, namely formal logic and dialectical logic. It is usually used to refer to formal logic. For example, “learn some grammar and logic” or “middle school students should learn some logic.” Here, “logic” refers to the science of formal logic.

So, what is “formal logic”?

Formal logic studies the forms and laws of thinking. First and foremost, it is a science of thinking. As Engels said, logic is the doctrine of the laws of the thinking process itself.

What is “thinking,” and how do people’s thinking activities proceed?

Mao Zedong, in On Practice (实践论), stated: “In the process of practice, people at first see only the phenomenal side, the separate aspects, and the external relations of things… This belongs to the perceptual stage of cognition. At this stage, ‘people cannot as yet form concepts which are deep or draw logical conclusions.’” However, with “the continuation of social practice, things that give rise to feeling and impression in man’s practice are repeated many times; then a sudden change (a leap) takes place in the brain in the process of cognition, and concepts are formed.”

I was previously vague about the origin of “concepts,” and this passage explains it well.

The thinking process is a general and indirect reflection of the objective world. It has the characteristics of generality and indirectness, and this reflection is achieved through language.

People’s thinking process is a process of using concepts, judgments, and reasoning. Therefore, concepts, judgments, and reasoning become essential basic forms in the thinking process for reflecting objective reality, i.e., the forms of thinking in logic.

Most of the above content comes from Formal Logic (形式逻辑), compiled by the Logic Teaching and Research Office of the Department of Philosophy at East China Normal University. This book has been through five editions. I have read the first edition. The first draft was completed in 1963. The fifth edition has been greatly improved compared to the first.

The main reason I am interested in this book is that I have been thinking about how to correctly understand the world.

Formal logic focuses on the formal laws of thinking and does not focus on the content itself. This is what I have been thinking about: is there a fixed paradigm for the reflection from the objective world to the subjective world? Logic, as I see it now, is the foundation, consisting of only three things: concepts, judgments, and reasoning.

Science may not always be correct, but at least it is a worldview that I currently firmly believe in.

Sometimes I think that Chinese education is too weak in the popularization of logic education. Now that I have determined this path, perhaps one day I will become a propagator of logic.

To some extent, correctly understanding the world is understanding the dialectical relationship between myself and the world, a spiral and iterative path from this shore to the other, a path of interaction between consciousness and matter.

Habits Are Behaviors, Behaviors Are Easier to Change

Labels and Definitions

A couple of days ago, I saw a very good psychology-related short video on Douyin by Cinian Official titled “What Kind of Words Should You Absolutely Not Say to Children.”

Guest Huang Shiming gave this answer: Avoid negative language at the level of identity.

For example, if a client came to me and said, “Hey, teacher, I’m an alcoholic,” seeking psychological counseling, I wouldn’t agree with that self-definition. I’d say, “Hey, are you saying you have a habit of drinking?”

A habit is a behavior, and behaviors are easier to change.

If someone said, “I am a depressed person,” I would say, “Are you saying that you smile a little less than others?”

If my child said to me, “Dad, I’m definitely going to fail.” A statement of identity, “I can’t possibly succeed.”

I would say, “Oh, are you saying that this time you might fail?”

This creates a release (deep breath), opening up a relaxed space, and within this space, new possibilities can emerge.

Of course, they might still fail the exam tomorrow, but we now have an alliance, a shared intention to see how we can do a little better in the future. I become an ally in my child’s eyes, someone who believes in them.

Many times, whether regarding ourselves or others, we easily apply labels of identity, such as, “I am a loser,” or “He is a bad person,” and so on.

This single label of identity can create a burden of invisible pressure for years to come, even becoming suffocating. If one is lucky, they can break free, which is great. However, if they can’t escape it, it could become a vicious cycle.

Life has no boundaries; it doesn’t have so many labels. We shouldn’t define ourselves or others with such finality. The world is not simply black and white, good or bad. Many times, time is the best companion, and a positive mindset can change a lot of things.

Video Source

I Am What I Am: A Firework of a Different Color (On Logic and Concepts)

Logic and Concepts

Formal logic defines a concept as a form of thought that reflects the “specific” attributes (inherent or essential attributes) of things.

Recently, I’ve been exploring the question of whether there are ways for personal growth to truly “leap forward.”

Learning, refining knowledge, organizing notes, building knowledge systems, achieving cognitive awakening—these are all good practices. However, I constantly felt a lack of inner peace. Problems seemed endless, and I remained in a state of perpetual questioning and exploration.

In workplace communication, even when things seemed clearly explained, the results often differed significantly from expectations. Upon review, we’d find discrepancies in how individuals understood the underlying concepts.

One day, while reading, I came across Einstein’s quote: “The most incomprehensible thing about the world is that it is comprehensible.” Having long been perplexed by these issues, hearing the word “comprehensible” deeply resonated with me.

I later realized that one way to understand the world is through logic—through induction and deduction—and that the foundation of logic lies in “concepts.”

From this perspective, understanding the world becomes much simpler: have you truly grasped the underlying “concept”?

The most important aspect of a concept is its “defining characteristic”—the key factor that distinguishes it from other things. This realization makes many problems much easier to understand.

In the internet industry, it’s often said that if your product can’t be explained in a single sentence, it’s not a good product. In business, this relates to “positioning.” In logic, it’s simply a matter of defining a concept—the process of “defining.”

Many people say they struggle with expressing themselves. However, a lack of clear expression stems from a lack of clear thinking. The confusion arises from a lack of logical clarity, which, in turn, often stems from unclear “concepts.”

I now prefer a new way of note-taking using Flomo: recording only “keywords.” This method is fast and efficient. On the one hand, keywords serve as valuable clues for indexing. On the other hand, it forces me to consciously practice two essential logical skills: “deduction” and “abstraction.” I later expand on these keywords, even developing them into short articles.

Deduction is how you expand on a concept, making it easier to understand through definition, examples, and arguments. Abstraction is how you simplify a complex idea, extract commonalities, and express them concisely—a foundation for structured expression.

At last year’s Note Man conference, teacher Ke Zhou specifically mentioned “conceptual thinking.” After researching it, I found that Huawei’s Su Guanzhe also frequently discusses it.

Conceptual thinking is the ability to identify the essential characteristics of internal connections between things that appear to have no obvious connection on the surface.

From this definition, I understand it as a way of thinking that sees the essence through phenomena. However, this explanation still feels incomplete, as many ways of thinking achieve that goal. This isn’t unique to “conceptual thinking.” I’ve asked Ke Zhou some questions on this and will update with answers if I receive them.

Personally, I believe that one way to understand the world is by understanding the concepts of all things. How you understand concepts is how you understand the world.

As Leslie Cheung sang: “I am what I am: a firework of a different color.”

If “I” want to live a brilliant and independent life, I must have my own distinct characteristics—whether it’s personality or value output—a unique aspect that sets me apart. This is how I understand “self.”

“Uncertainty”

People everywhere seek stability, but the world is full of uncertainty.

The outbreak in Shanghai seemed to come suddenly, with the lockdown feeling almost abrupt. Every day brought new infections, and the planned lifting of restrictions on the 5th has been postponed indefinitely as of today, the 8th. Many people have run out of stockpiled food, or never even had any to begin with. Social delivery services like couriers and takeout are struggling to keep up, and the community management in residential areas hasn’t been able to effectively organize resources. The vast city of Shanghai seems to be in chaos.

In this uncertain environment, the most important things are resilience and the ability to be antifragile.

“Some things benefit from shocks; they thrive and grow when exposed to volatility, randomness, disorder, and stressors; and love adventure, risk, and uncertainty. Yet, in spite of the ubiquity of the phenomenon, there is no word for the exact opposite of fragile. Let us call it antifragile. Antifragility is beyond resilience or robustness. The resilient resists shocks and stays the same; the antifragile gets better.”

Firstly, I believe that a crucial component of antifragility is mindset. A positive and optimistic outlook is extremely important. As Nietzsche said, and as mentioned in Antifragile: “That which does not kill us makes us stronger.”

During this fight against the pandemic, many people are complaining and criticizing, saying that this is not working and that is chaotic. But those who take responsibility have already put themselves on the front lines, analyzing and solving problems.

The root cause of failure in the face of most difficulties is the loss of one’s will and the collapse of one’s mindset.

Secondly, I believe it’s important to have a sense of crisis.

For example, some families stockpile a considerable amount of food. This stockpiling isn’t about panic buying; it’s about measured preparation. If it’s said that the lockdown will be lifted on the 5th, what will you do if it isn’t? Stockpiling more necessities is a good idea, just in case. Stock up on essential non-perishables like rice, oil, salt, and eggs.

I firmly believe in planning for the worst-case scenario.

In work, if your team tells you a project will be completed by the 10th, you should have your own expectations. What if it’s not completed by the 10th? Should you allocate buffer time or accelerate progress beforehand?

In these years of the COVID-19 pandemic, many industries and companies have been unable to survive and have closed down, while New Oriental has managed to stay afloat. Yu Minhong prepared for this from day one.

Texas Hold’em poker is actually good practice for this. It’s all about probabilities. Gambling occasionally is fine, but constantly going all-in will only lead to losses.

Uncertainty is actually the norm. Multiple factors influence how things develop; it’s a matter of probabilities. 100% certainty is extremely difficult to achieve. What we need to learn is how to survive and thrive under uncertainty and unpredictability. This is a fundamental skill.

I recommend reading Antifragile to gain a deeper understanding of this ability.

History and Our Predecessors

Why were those great predecessors, philosophers, and scientists so remarkable?

1. Civilization develops in stages. The problems solved by different great figures at each stage are based on the achievements of their predecessors. This is one of the core reasons why humanity needs continuous development and inheritance.

For example, it was the philosophical and rational thinking of predecessors like Socrates and Aristotle that laid the foundation for the entire logical framework, upon which subsequent science is built.

2. I believe that humanity, regardless of the generation, contemplates several fundamental questions:

   a. Who am I? An exploration of self-awareness.
   b. Who are we together? An exploration of social organization and relationships.
   c. What is the universe? An exploration of the world, from astrophysics to microscopic particles—all encompassing.

I believe that thinking methods can be trained and have top-level principles that conform to first principles. Cognition requires accumulation. With different eras—ancient times, the Stone Age, the mechanical age, the electrical age, the information age—the problems discovered or solved are constantly advanced based on the then-current technological productivity.

Individuals placed within the torrent of human development will inevitably produce great figures; they are products of their environment. But why are they considered great while we are not? I still believe it is a combination of the technological dividends of the era and the cognitive awakening of top-level thinking methods. I recently reread Einstein’s The World As I See It and am also trying to contemplate what they were doing in their time and why they thought the way they did.

I particularly like Einstein’s quote: “The world is comprehensible.”

We still have many problems to solve, and many scientists are constantly researching and exploring to understand the essence of this world.

To an ant, the world might appear flat, much like how humans once believed the Earth was flat.

A line is formed by connecting a series of points, and a plane is composed of a series of lines.

What exactly is this “dimension” we often refer to when we talk about “ascending” or “descending dimensions”?

Why can we see everything from a mountaintop? Why do humans easily look down upon the perceived insignificance of insects? Even when we look back at our past selves, we might find our former ignorance laughable.

How important are the results of an exam, the success or failure of a business venture, or the joys and sorrows of life? They are important because they are the individual “lines” of your life experience, the components that make up your three-dimensional self.

“Matter is in motion.”

This is a fundamental law. As we often say, we must learn to view problems dynamically. It’s simple to observe: when you move a point from A to B, you create a line; when you move a line from A to B, you create a plane; and when you move a plane from A to B, you create a three-dimensional object (a solid).

“The motion of matter requires force, and movement against resistance requires energy expenditure.”

Imagine someone who has been complacent suddenly realizing they have a dream. This “realization,” whether driven by external or internal forces, is a kind of “force” that propels them toward that dream.

What is a dream? A dream is a leap in life, a determination and a journey from a lower dimension to a higher dimension.

What is resistance? Resistance is the countless expenditure of energy required to reach a higher dimension, the various experiences in life.

Life should be three-dimensional, so it requires curiosity, continuous exploration, and constant experience.

Life is a form of practice, a process of pursuing a distant shore.

When we understand that we should observe problems dynamically, comprehensively, three-dimensionally, and even from higher dimensions, we might find the answers to many questions.

Facts, Opinions, and Emotions

When we observe, understand, describe, and communicate about the world, what exactly are we understanding and expressing?

Both facts and opinions need to be expressed. Emotions, to some extent, are naturally revealed during the expression process through word choices and body language.

Facts are divided into “things” and “events.” A “thing” is an independent entity, while an “event” is the effect produced by the interaction of a series of things.

An opinion is your description and view of a certain fact.

Here’s an example:

One morning, on your way to work, you saw a fox and took a picture with your phone. You immediately and excitedly shared this experience with a friend.

You message your friend: “I actually saw a fox on my way to work today!”

Your friend might reply: “Really? How could there be a fox in the city?”

You immediately send the picture to confirm the information.

Then, you and your friend engage in a lively discussion about it.

Let’s analyze this description process: what are the facts, what are the opinions, and what are the emotions?

The fox and the picture of the fox are facts.

Based on your description of seeing a fox, your friend’s question, “How could there be a fox in the city?” is an opinion.

Excitement, doubt, and surprise (“actually”) are emotions.

In our descriptive expressions, these are the main components. But are facts reliable? Are described facts reliable? People sometimes easily get caught up in subjective emotional expressions.

For example, if you saw the fox but didn’t take a picture, what would you do when your friend asks you about it? Would your friend believe you?

If it’s a close friend, they would likely trust you unconditionally and might even suggest taking a picture next time. But if you shared this with a stranger, the outcome would be uncertain.

This process actually encompasses “logic” and “critical thinking.” The example is relatively simple, but when facing more complex situations, we should have a clearer understanding of what are facts, what are opinions, and what accompanying emotions are involved.

Implicit Assumptions and Dark Matter

After studying logic for a while, I became very interested in “implicit assumptions.” Later, I realized they’re essentially related to the relationship between “phenomena” and “essence.” Then the question becomes: how do we see the essence through phenomena, and is it always possible to do so?

Let’s first talk about “implicit assumptions.” We often embed too many implicit assumptions in our expressions. These assumptions can stem from individual knowledge accumulation, cognitive level, or even a specific environment.

“Common sense” and “culture” in daily life are actually collections of easily overlooked implicit assumptions.

Here’s an example:

I grew up eating sweet tofu pudding (douhua). When I went to university in the north, I ordered tofu pudding for breakfast one day and was shocked when it arrived—it was savory, with gravy and cilantro.

In the north, tofu pudding is savory. My common sense, however, had always told me it was sweet. I was completely taken aback when I was about to eat it.

Nowadays, in many places, the servers will ask you whether you want it sweet or savory, or I will proactively ask for the sweet version.

This is caused by differences in common sense or culture.

These implicit assumptions are often difficult to identify, leading to deviations in our communication, reasoning, and decision-making.

So, how can we express or understand something comprehensively, accurately, thoroughly, and reliably?

“Understanding” is actually more important, because further communication is only possible after understanding. Often, others are not obligated to explain things thoroughly, or may even intentionally conceal key information.

A commonly used method here is “critical thinking,” or simply “asking questions,” expressing our doubts until we achieve clarity, even rephrasing things in our own words to confirm our understanding.

For example, when we develop products, we pay special attention to the explanation of terminology to ensure everyone has the same understanding. Or, during communication, when someone throws out a concept or question, we confirm unclear points, even restating what they said to ask if that’s what they meant, and so on.

Why did I connect “implicit assumptions” with “dark matter”? Mainly for the sake of analogy.

Dark matter is a theoretically proposed form of invisible matter in the universe. It may constitute the main component of matter in the universe, but it doesn’t belong to any known type of matter that makes up visible celestial bodies.

It is said that dark matter accounts for more than 80% of the universe. Similarly, many things behind the scenes of our lives may be driven by these “dark matter” elements, without us even knowing.

Many times, we should try our best to excavate, critically examine, analyze, and understand the implicit assumptions behind things. These implicit assumptions might be the true essence, while the visible aspects are merely superficial phenomena.

Clues

In the Thirteen Invitations interview with Liu Qing (刘擎), he discussed many things, but one concept that particularly stuck with me was “clue.”

“When you watch my interviews or speeches, I always emphasize that this is just a clue, a bridge leading to broader, deeper, and more important works. I hope to build this bridge; I’m providing you with a guide map.”

Many facts in life, whether it’s information others give you or the results of your own actions, are merely clues to the future.

When you envision yourself “living in the future,” with an ultimate mystery waiting to be uncovered, you might find yourself filled with curiosity and passion for the world.

Life, placed within the vast river of history, is inherently built upon countless connections. Whether it’s determinism or probability, the key is to constantly move towards that ultimate mystery in your heart, peeling back the layers and constantly exploring.