Psychology

Preface: Many people ask me: “Are there really poor people with talent everywhere in this world? Is that true?” My answer is: Yes. Throughout human history, figures like Van Gogh, Tesla, or even some brilliant tech expert near you, have often fallen into the cycle of “High Talent, Low Wealth.” As an observer from another planet, I have found that Earth is not a place where resources are distributed based on “talent.” It is a complex algorithmic system, and most humans are trapped at the bottom because they cannot see the invisible thresholds within the system. ...

Phenomenon 1. Why “Not Raise the Lazy”? — Welfare as “Prison Rations” In normal countries, welfare is the return of rights after citizens pay taxes. But under the logic of “running a prison,” resources are viewed as the property of the Warden (the State): Cost Minimization: The prison’s goal is not to make the inmates comfortable, but to keep them capable of basic labor (surviving and working). Over-issuing welfare (high pensions, high unemployment benefits) is seen as “cost waste” because it cannot directly translate into the strength of the regime. Survival Rights as a Control Mechanism: The “sense of hunger” must be maintained among the populace. When a person must struggle for the next meal or to maintain medical insurance, they have no time to think about freedom, nor the courage to defy the rules. “Starvation if you disobey” is a lower-cost, more normalized management technique than “machine gun fire.” 2. Original Drugs and Medical Downgrade — “Equipment Maintenance” Not “Humanitarian Care” You mentioned pushing out original drugs (expensive imported innovative drugs) from medical insurance and replacing them with cheap domestic generics. In the eyes of the prison operator: ...

Introduction: From “Desolation” to “Taboo” It is Christmas again. Currently, I am trying to imagine myself as an extraterrestrial observer aboard a near-Earth orbital vessel, coldly watching the twinkling lights across this continent through the viewport. Looking back at my 2024 log A Reflection on Christmas 2024, the keywords I recorded were “Desolation” (or “Coldness”) and “Malice.” At that time, merchants were trembling under the chilling effect, while the group referred to as “⏰” was frantically searching for heresy. ...

Preface: A Dangerous Epiphany Recently, I suddenly realized a phenomenon: the “nationalism” we take for granted is astonishingly similar to traditional religious faith. It possesses its own deity (the leader), its own scripture (the ideology/platform), its own saints (the war heroes), and even a complete set of rituals (flag-raising), hymns (the national anthem), and sacred sites (revolutionary relics). What is even more terrifying is that it also possesses its own exclusion of others—the heathen (foreigners) and the heretics (thought criminals). ...

The Core Idea a doctor diagnosing an illness. Behavior is the symptom. It’s what you can see and observe. (e.g., A cough, a fever, or an employee who is always late, a child who refuses to do their homework). Motivation is the underlying disease or condition. It’s the hidden reason why the symptom exists. (e.g., A virus, inflammation, or the employee dreads their job, the child finds the work meaningless and fears failure). Charlie’s quote argues that you can’t just treat the symptom and expect a lasting cure. If you give someone cough medicine (punish the lateness) without treating the virus (addressing the dread of their job), the cough will just come back, or a new symptom will appear. ...

In the age of information overload, we seem to have easier access to the truth than ever before. Yet, an ancient and profound human phenomenon persists: many people do not crave the truth; they actively avoid, dislike, and even punish those who deliver it. They are more inclined to seek emotional comfort and catharsis rather than face the harsh reality. This phenomenon runs throughout history, from the ancient “Sogdian Messenger Problem” to the endless debates in modern society. ...

Theme: The Utilitarian Essence of “Friendship” in Blue Star Society and its Inverse Relationship with Individual Survival Capacity 1. Phenomenon Overview Through continuous observation of the Blue Star societal structure, a significant pattern has emerged: an individual’s physical survival capacity (defined as the ability to independently acquire resources, evade threats, and achieve goals) is inversely correlated with their reliance on the social construct of “friendship.” Low-Capacity Individuals: These individuals possess limited ability when facing survival challenges alone. They exhibit a strong need for “friendship,” compensating for their individual deficiencies by establishing reciprocal alliances (which they term “mutual help”). This alliance takes the form of resource sharing, emotional support, and joint defense, similar to the “grouping” strategy observed in many social species, such as the ant balls formed when ants cross a river. High-Capacity Individuals: As individual capacity increases, the dependence on these reciprocal alliances significantly decreases. They tend to act independently, utilizing their own resources (such as economic means or political power) to directly influence and control other individuals to achieve their goals, rather than seeking an equal “friendship.” Apex Individuals: Individuals situated at the top of the power structure—such as historical “emperors” or modern oligarchs—demonstrate a fundamental distrust of all social relationships. Their strategy is a combination of “utilization” and “prevention,” viewing all other individuals as usable tools, and eliminating them when those tools might threaten their own status (e.g., the frequent historical phenomenon of “purging meritorious officials”). They self-identify as “solitary” or “few,” which linguistically accurately reflects their state of existence. ...

Golden Rules for Solo Developers: Niche Down: Don’t try to build a platform; build a “plugin,” “tool,” or “solution.” Prioritize Automation and SaaS: Pursue subscription-based, self-running Software as a Service (SaaS) to achieve “passive income.” Lean Asset Operation: Stay away from models that require heavy operations, customer service, and physical inventory. AI Empowerment: In today’s 2025, AI is your most powerful “lever” as an individual developer, allowing you to accomplish the work of a past team by yourself. 10 Psychological Codes 1. Money Driven by Male Desire ...

Prologue: A Micro-Sample of a Power Dynamic Let us begin with a common domestic scenario. A wife frequently demands gifts from her husband, tying them to the concept of “love.” When she is unsatisfied, she threatens divorce. Consequently, the husband constantly offers tribute—red envelopes, jewelry, designer bags—exchanging material goods for the mere continuation of their relationship. ...

🤔 The Dress You Missed: Why ‘Regret’ Isn’t the Real Problem You might know this feeling: When you were around 18, you saw this one thing—maybe it was a perfect dress in a shop, or those must-have sneakers everyone was talking about. It felt like everything. But you checked the price, checked your bank account, and had to walk away. You told yourself, “I’ll get it later when I have real money.” ...

Introduction: The Dilemma of the Age and the Root of the Problem We live in a rapidly spinning era, and many people often feel like a “spinning top”—whirling at incredible speed without understanding why they are spinning. Even after collecting various time management techniques, we still feel like time is insufficient and stress levels are off the charts. While pursuing career success, we might find that our relationships with family and friends are growing distant, leaving us feeling empty inside. When we see others living glamorous lives, we can’t help but compare ourselves, leading to anxiety. These universally experienced feelings are like a “pandemic” afflicting modern people. We desperately reach outward, seeking more achievements, better relationships, and greater efficiency, yet we often feel more lost and exhausted. ...

I forgot the stove in the kitchen again today, and burned another pot. It is truly too dangerous; fortunately, it didn’t cause a fire. The time before last, when I burned a pot, I bought a kitchen timer, but clearly, it didn’t solve the problem. I think the root of the issue is habit. So, I have decided to form a new habit: I must set the timer before turning on the gas stove.

You must clearly state who, when, where, why, and what will be done. If you write a note to a subordinate, instructing them to do something, but fail to explain the reason, Brown might fire you because he is very clear that people are most likely to accept an idea only if the reasons for that idea are meticulously laid out. Unfortunately, the tendency to value reasons is so powerful that even if the justification provided by a person is meaningless or inaccurate, it can make their commands and requests easier to comply with. A psychological experiment proved this point. In this experiment, the participant successfully cut in front of the long line waiting for the copier, giving the reason: “I need to copy a few things.” This unfortunate side effect of the tendency to value reasons is actually a conditioned reflex. This conditioned reflex occurs because most people believe that things with reasons are important. Naturally, certain commercial institutions and cult organizations often utilize various catchy justifications to achieve their hidden objectives.

Asymmetry of Pleasure and Pain The pleasure a person gains from $10 is not equal to the pain brought by losing $10. In other words, the damage caused by loss far exceeds the pleasure caused by gain. Furthermore, if a person is about to receive something they desperately desire, but this item is snatched away at the last moment, their reaction will be as if they had owned it for a long time only to have it suddenly taken away. ...

The brain’s tendency to resist change also leads people to prefer keeping certain things as they are: previous conclusions, loyalty, identity, social roles, and so on. If the tendency to avoid doubt, combined with the tendency to reject a decision once it has been made, is allowed to operate, it will cause modern people’s cognition to develop numerous errors. And the actual situation confirms this. We have all dealt with many obstinate people who cling stubbornly to the erroneous ideas they formed in childhood, refusing to let go even when they enter the grave. ...

Humans are easily fooled, whether by meticulously designed human tricks, accidental environmental factors, or highly effective techniques mastered through diligent practice; people can be easily tricked. One reason for this outcome is the micro-effect in human perception. If a stimulus is maintained below a certain level, humans will not notice its presence. Because of this reason, a magician can make the Statue of Liberty disappear after a flourish of movement in the dark. The audience does not know that they are sitting on a slowly rotating platform. This platform rotates very slowly, so no one can notice it. When the curtain on the platform is pulled back where the Statue of Liberty appeared, it looks like it has vanished. ...

If you can remain calm when the people around you all become frantic and accuse you, If you can believe in yourself, even when everyone doubts you—let them doubt, If you endure waiting without growing weary from the wait, or suffer deception without retaliating with lies, or face hatred without striking back with hatred; if you can maintain your composure despite disappointment, and also remain genuine (without excessive flattery)… ...

What you need is not a lot of action, but a lot of patience What you need is not a lot of action, but a lot of patience. You must stick to your principles, and when the opportunity comes, you must seize it with force. There are many situations that are much worse than being swamped in cash and doing nothing. I remember the time when I lacked cash—I certainly don’t want to go back to that. —Charlie Munger ...

Money is what you exchange your life energy for. You sell time to acquire money. Ned selling time for $100 an hour while you sell it for $20 an hour—that doesn’t matter. Ned’s money has nothing to do with you. The only true wealth you possess is your time, every second and minute of your life. You use some of that precious time to exchange for money (cash), but money itself is meaningless; your time is where all meaning and value reside. ...

High expectations come with high anxiety. They expect to prove their excellence again through their grades, but the extreme anxiety within constantly tells them, “You aren’t trying hard enough, you aren’t good enough, you can’t do it.” The energy that should be dedicated to studying is exhausted by this internal battle and tearing, and the grades slide down like a snowball until one day, they lose the courage to even step into school. ...