Reading List

In fact, we believe that the only way to learn systems is to do systems, either working on concrete problems or writing and running programs on real systems.

I find the best instructions for behavior questions in this book.

You don't always have to follow what is expected of you. You can go your own way. I learned this lesson as a child and have used it in adulthood. After I got my dietetics degree and fell pregnant, I couldn't go looking for a job, so I started my private practice. this was frowned upon by my colleagues, as they said I should spend at least five years in a hospital before I start my own practice. I didn't have that option, and I really enjoyed helping people eat better. That would be the reason I could move around the world and start my nutrition practice all over again, again, and again. Moving is hell, but I guess I'm always willing to try something that could be fun or exciting.

If you are doing the same thing ever day of your life, staying in the same job, living in the same place, and you are happy, you can stay that way.

If you are restless or unhappy, and want to make a change, start researching what you can do, where you can live, and what job would be the most satisfying for you. Learning about new places and mixing with new people can broaden your mind and make you happier.

What determines your success isn't, "What do you want to enjoy?" The relevant question is, "What pain do you want to sustain?" The path to happiness is a path full of shitheaps and shame.

See: it's a never-ending upward spiral. And if you think at any point you're allowed to stop climbing, I'm afraid you're missing the point. Because the joy is in the climb itself.

Variable rewards or not, no habit will stay interesting forever. At some pointsm everyone faces the same challenge on the journey of self-improvement: you have to fall in love with the boredom.

..., after years of observation and experience, that the highest-paid personnel in engineering are frequently not those who know the most about engineering... But the person who has technical knowledge plus the ability to express ideas, to assume leadership, and to arouse enthusiasm among people--that person is headed for higher earning power.

Superficial qualities like looks and money matter less for long-term relationship success than people think they do because lust fades and people adapt to their circumstances. The same goes for shared hobbies and similar personalities.

A great long-term partner is loyal, kind, and emotionally stable, a person with whom you can grow, make hard decisions, and fight constructively.

In the end, a relationship is about what happens when the two of you come together. Focus on the side of you this person brings out, because that's who you'll be whenever you're with them... If you ever find that you’re the most talented person in the room, you need to find another room.

Every new idea is just a mashup or a remix of one or more previous ideas.

I think it’s good to have a lot of projects going at once so you can bounce between them. When you get sick of one project, move over to another, and when you’re sick of that one, move back to the project you left. Practice productive procrastination.

If there was a secret formula for becoming known, I would give it to you. But there’s only one not-so-secret formula that I know: Do good work and share it with people.

You need to spend some time in another land, among people that do things differently than you. Travel makes the world look new, and when the world looks new, our brains work harder.

Find the most talented person in the room, and if it’s not you, go stand next to him. Hang out with him. Try to be helpful.

Telling yourself you have all the time in the world, all the money in the world, all the colors in the palette, anything you want—that just kills creativity... Nothing is more paralyzing than the idea of limitless possibilities. The idea that you can do anything is absolutely terrifying. The way to get over creative block is to simply place some constraints on yourself.

There are no rules, of course. Life is an art, not a science. Your mileage may vary. Take what you need and leave the rest. Keep going and take care of yourself. I'll do the same.

Every Day is Ground Hog Day.

上野千鹤子：女孩总是容易当优等生，当老师的宠物。毕竟，不辜负周围人的期望，也是女性的“美德”之一。而优等生会有这样的习惯，习惯察言观色，尽量满足老师和父母的期待。有一些女性学者也是如此。

但我认为，比起不辜负周围人的期待，女孩们更应该坚持自己的问题意识，即使它不能为你带来什么。对于研究者来说，原创性是极为关键的，模仿别人毫无意义。所以首先要做自己真正想做的事情，不管是得是失，我都希望她们能够坚持下去。此外，女性的人生中有许多曲折，即使因恋爱、结婚、搬家、生子、育儿而暂停了学术研究，学问也还是会等着你的。因此，我希望女孩们即使一时中断了研究，也能再次出发，继续下去，因为并没有必要给自己设定年龄界限，学问会一直等待着你。很棒吧？做研究是很有趣的。

Ueno Chizuko: Girls always tend to be seen as top students and teachers' pets. After all, not disappointing the expectations of those around you is considered one of the "virtues" of being a woman. Top students often develop the habit of being attentive to others' words and actions, striving to meet the expectations of their teachers and parents. Some female scholars also fall into this category.

However, I believe that instead of living up to the expectations of others, girls should prioritize their own sense of purpose, even if it doesn't bring them any immediate benefits. For researchers, originality is crucial, and imitation of others is pointless. So, the first thing you should do is pursue what you truly want to do, regardless of success or failure. I hope they can persevere in doing so. Furthermore, a woman's life may have many twists and turns, and even if academic pursuits are temporarily interrupted due to love, marriage, moving, childbirth, and child-rearing, knowledge will still be there waiting for you. Therefore, I hope that even if girls take a break from their studies for a while, they can start again and continue because there's no need to set age limits for themselves; knowledge will always be there waiting for you. Isn't that great? Research is a fascinating endeavor.

A healthy desire for wealth is not greed, it's a desire for life.

Some people are born into families that encourage educations; others are against it. some are born into flourishing economies encouraging of entrepreneurship; others are born into war and destitution. I want you to be successful, and I want you to earn it. But realize that not all success is due to hard work, and not all poverty is due to laziness. Keep this in mind when judging people, including yourself.

Life pushes all of us around. Some give up. Others fight. A few learn the lesson and move on. They welcome life pushing them around. To these few people, it means they need and want to learn something. They learn and move on. Most quit, and a few like you fight.

The world pushes people around not because other people are bullies, but because the individual lacks internal controls and discipline. People who lack internal fortitude often becomes victims of those who have self discipline.

The three most important management skills necessary to start your own business are: 1. Management of cash flow. 2. Management of people. 3. Management of personal time.

Money can buy many things, but nothing more valuable than your freedom.

It's also important to be able to make decisions without complete or perfect information. Things are almost never clear on Wall Street, or when they are, then it's too late to profit from them. The scientific mind that needs to know all the data will be thwarted here.

When E.F. Hutton talks, everybody is supposed to be listening, but that's just the problem. Everybody ought to be trying to fall asleep. When it comes to predicting the market, the important skill here is not listening, it's snoring. The trick is not to learn to trust your gut feelings, but rather to discipline yourself to ignore them. Stand by your stocks as long as the fundamental story of the company hasn't changed.