Greed Is Good For You

Greed Is Good

The point is ladies and gentlemen that greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right. Greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of it's forms - greed for life, for money, knowledge - has marked the upward surge of mankind and greed - you mark my words - will not only save Teldar Paper but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA. Thank you.

- Gordon Gekko, Wall Street 1987

The Light of Truth

A striking painting by David.

Creation

Look, this guy is creating.

The Knight in Rusty Armor

This is a book written by Robert Fisher. It seems a normal little self-help book when I first glanced it and read it. But after thinking of it more, I acquire more.

Many of we human beings are like the knight, who is burdened by the rusty armor. The knight began his path of truth, passed the tests in the Castle of Knowlege, Castle of Silence, and Castle of will and daring, and finally reached the summit of truth. The knight grew through the process.

I learnt a lot in this book. I wish you did as well if you have also read it.

Change

Something has been changed. First, my working place has been changed since February. That is to say, there is no blog article written during this period. Second, the issue I pay attention to has been changed. It has been changed from psychology to problem-solving. Third, the attribute of my work has changed from routine to more free. However, the pressure has also increased a lot. I think it's some kind of challenge to myself. Such kind of work is "notorious" (maybe for some people, haha), especially such work in Citibank. Anyway, life should be filled with trial. When there is no trial, there is no opportunity, broader view and growth.

These are the three main aspects that have changed much since my last "state of consciousness". I think I'll still seek to make myself more successful and more rich (in mind).

Don't argue, discuss.

I've read some article recently. The author mentioned that if we want to persuade someone, discuss the matter with him would be more effective than argue with him. The logic behind demonstrate psychology of human beings. Basically we human beings make decisions not only by rationality but emotion. And most of time emotion plays greater role. To discuss not argue shows others our intention to respect his idea and himself. And this cognition makes persuasion more easily. People who always have to persuade others should remember this concept.

Variation

The concept of variation in statistics is basic. Measure of central tendency and measure of dispersion both describes some quantitative data. In statistics, however, these measures only "describe" the characteristics of data but not demonstrate the cause and effect of it. Take variation for example, why is there such dispersion?

In my opinion, central tendency reflects the habits of human or inertia of nature, and variation reflects other causes of different performances of human or phenomenon of nature from the habits or inertia. Change of central tendency means chage of habits or inertia. Some variation leads to such changes due to its strengthened cause and effect operation.

一種過程

有時候會想，人的成長可分為一種過程的四個階段：弱後而唯諾，強勢與唯諾，民主而理性，強勢而理性。

A view of the world

There are many views of the world. View from the deterministic, the relative, etc.. One of them is the probability view. This world may be viewed from the deterministic point, but it is impossible to get the whole factors or principles that describe the cause and effect of this world. From the deterministic view, all we can do and shall do is to find the more "exact" or "real" principles that describe the world better. On doing this, we can still interpret this wolrd from another point of view - probability. We can describes the world better if we get more scenarios that affect events to happen. We can estimate the a priori probability if we find the cause and effect more detailed. The steps are, first, find the scenarios as more and complete to affect the events as we can. Second, estimate the probility. And third, base on the expected value to achieve the maxmimum utility. For example, we can do something better if we understand the concept of conditional probility. Some events happen more frequently under some conditions. If we take control of such conditions, we take more control of the events. Furthermore, if we understand and take control of the conditions of the preceding conditions, or we take control of the other conditions of the events, we take furthermore control of the events. Between the conditions and events, there are always something unknown, waiting to be discovered from the deterministic point of view.