Transcription
Hello everyone, I am Douglas Meng. Thank you for watching Teacher Chen's program. Hehehehe. Everyone knows I believe in the Law of Attraction and also talk about the Law of Attraction. But in reality, I am a person who believes in self-actualization. What I mean is, we need to do the things we believe in, rather than waiting for luck here. Doing the things you believe in is itself a creative process. Whether thinking can pay off, or whether the Law of Attraction truly exists, is not important. Because no matter what, I will personally bring the things I think of in my mind into this world. I will create the things I believe in, one by one, in this real world. We should not just be a dreamer. Wow, saying these things, Teacher Chen, have you been stimulated or cursed by something? Alas, to match today's book theme, the book I want to talk about today is called "The Logic of the Strong." I've actually wanted to talk about it for a long time but haven't found a suitable time. Because this type of book is more proactive, more aggressive, and a bit different from what I usually talk about, like going with the flow, not competing with others. However, you say whether I will deliberately pursue something, I actually do. It's just that I won't be very persistent. That is to say, logically, if you say go with the flow, you won't chase view counts, you won't chase subscriber counts, you won't set flags, or set goals for yourself. I will. But I am not persistent about the results. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn't happen, it will still happen. So, reading some very proactive, aggressive books is no problem for me. The whole thing is perfect. Or you say, do I pursue wealth, do I want to be rich? Of course, I want to. I pursue it. But am I persistent? I am not persistent. It will definitely come. So, aren't the two things, proactiveness and going with the flow, perfectly combined? These completely opposite things, when combined, are called true. Water and fire don't mix. No, water and glue dissolve. These are true manifestations. Okay, after laying so much groundwork, let's really talk about how to become a strong person. The appendix of this book provides 30 suggestions, asking us to change them one by one, just like the path of least resistance we talked about the day before yesterday. Replacing parts, replacing them one by one, and you will become a strong person. This book's opening statement is "The Logic of the Strong." You haven't become strong because you've always stayed in your comfort zone. The author is Gao Yuan. This writer is quite prolific. He also has several other famous books, one is "The Subconscious," one is "Self-Control," "Aura," "The Power of Change," "When the World Cannot Be Changed, Change Yourself," "Meeting Your Past and Present Lives." This author is interesting. He is very familiar with both Eastern and Western cultures. He is a master of potential development. His works inherit the works of many global motivational masters, more famous ones being Carnegie, Napoleon Hill, James Allen, Tony Robbins. From the theories of this group of masters, he extracts a lot of practical experience, teaching people how to guide their potential, self-awareness, self-improvement, and self-change. After setting aside success studies and "chicken soup" (motivational platitudes), his works are actually quite practical. I will first talk about these 30 suggestions, and then supplement some of the main points of this book so that everyone can quickly understand the content of this book. We might as well categorize ourselves and see how many of these 30 logics of the strong you have achieved. See if you are ready to become a strong person.
The first logic of the strong: Dare to compete fairly, rather than seek protection. We must have the courage to compete with others under the same game rules, defeating opponents with strength, fairness, and sincere persistence. You might think it's just a common thing, but it's not. Because many people, when competing or in competitions, will bend the rules. For example, what we usually call "black tactics," "logical tricks," "messing you up" to create advantages for themselves. Or seeking protection, like nepotism, seeking favors, docking at a good harbor, flattering power or relationships to seek victory. These are actually the mindsets of the weak. We are not people who act tough but are cowards. Winning directly under unfair conditions is not a sign of strength, but the behavior of the weak. I don't look down on second-generation rich people, but if you were given a golden key and still achieved what you have today, that would be a strong person. Therefore, I feel that every self-made person is very respectable. Some second-generation rich people are also very respectable. Yes, some. So, it's not that having money makes you strong. The weak lack the courage to compete fairly. The most typical thought of the weak is that they try to bend the rules to directly obtain benefits that cannot be obtained in a fair competition environment. True strong people can compete fairly with others under equal conditions, abide by the same game rules, and succeed. So, the first step to becoming a strong person is to get rid of the weak mindset of seeking protection and care. The phrase that should be on your lips is: "Come on, let's compete fairly. I'm going to win." Wow, such inspiring words. Let's set aside the "chicken soup" part and think about this logic rationally. It's actually correct. Although I am not a successful person yet, I often ask myself a question: If everything you have now is completely shuffled and you start over, or if you are reincarnated, do you have the confidence to be the same person you are now? Can you achieve the success you have today? It's like when you play games, your saved record is gone, and you have to play again. Do you have the confidence to play at your current level? If you can, then you are ready. Whether reincarnation exists or not, even if you let me reincarnate 20 times, I will become the same person each time. That is, like some friends say, maybe in every life I am those stubborn people. When your mindset and determination reach this point, you are ready to become a strong person. What if my memory is erased? What if my saved files are erased? What if my knowledge is erased? I can bear myself in every life. These are the things needed. This is the logic of the strong.
The second logic: Be able to think independently and creatively, rather than relying on authority or others. This point has always been a core viewpoint on my channel. Whether we are learning psychology, history, law, watching a news report, or even listening to my program today, you must be clear about one thing: all this information is second-hand information. It is only an opinion, not necessarily a fact. So-called independent thinking has many ways of expression, such as the spirit of questioning authority, a new worldview, dialectical analysis of knowledge, not just saying what others say, repeating others' words. We need to understand one thing: strong people have many dimensions. It's not that if a person is strong, they must be wealthy. They are not necessarily very successful in material terms. For a simple example, Tony Ferguson has money, but his strength might be in his fighting skills, his willpower. But generally speaking, strong people can create a relatively rich material foundation because the key lies in their character and their willpower. As long as they put them in the right place, they can create anything. Similarly, athletes like Liu Xiang, or even Alex Fong, are definitely not simple people. These people are all unkillable, people who will make me stronger. Although strong people may not be materially successful in secular society, they are definitely creators. They will definitely have their own complete, independent, and rational expression in the world or in their fields. If they, like us, believe that it's possible to be the best in the world, they will definitely not succeed. We must bravely question everything, every viewpoint, every classic. We must believe in our feelings and experiences, rather than easily becoming slaves to others' thoughts. Teacher Chen says, you can question me. In fact, there is a strange phenomenon in this channel. I am quite sure that what I say is correct, it is truth. But the problem is, if you really take what I say as correct, as truth, then you are violating my original intention, and you will be limited by my framework. So you must surpass my thoughts. You even have to kill me in thought. Why be bound by these frameworks? How can I be a disciple? I will only have hot pot with Buddha.
The third logic of the strong: Have strong willpower, rather than showing your fragility at the slightest touch. This point really hits home. I am actually quite an emotional person. I believe you can tell from this program, hearing the voice that wants to cry. But would you think I am a weak person? Am I crying for sympathy? Uh-huh? No, that's true emotion. But think about it, if I cried and complained in every episode, if I moved myself in every episode, I think you would have changed channels. So, occasional fragility is acceptable, but constant fragility will be despised. In fact, whether I was working in a company before or in my life, I rarely asked others what I should do. These words are actually weak. Your life path, why ask others? If you are lost or sad, you can listen to others, talk about their life journey, listen to some people, how they got out of this low point. But we should not ask the other person, "What should I do now? What should I do now? What should I do now?" The moment you say these words, it shows that you are actually a very powerless person. I am not denying asking for help. Because we cannot be experts in all fields. For example, if you feel you are starting to have some psychological problems, then seeing a doctor is normal. It's not that you can just endure it and it will pass. Asking for help is not the problem, but you yourself must also exert effort. Don't kick the ball to others. Let's not easily ask these questions. Don't ask others what to do. Don't ask others for suggestions. Don't ask others for advice. You should ask yourself, from others' sharing, from the methods you can find yourself, what have you learned? Do you know what to do? Right? Of course, what I'm saying might be too harsh, but this is indeed something we need to think about seriously. Why can you ask, "What should I do?" "What should I do now?" Why don't we ask ourselves? You say, "I really don't know what to do." Have you thought of a way? How can I make myself know what to do? In fact, from the way a person speaks, the way they ask questions, we can tell whether this person tends to be strong or weak. The weak will ask in the forest, "Mr. Tiger, I want to ask you where there are wild boars to eat. I'm so hungry, I haven't eaten for days." "Are you crazy? You are a tiger, why ask me?" I feel I've spoken a bit harshly in this part. If you feel indigestion, add some "渣" (dregs/residue) or skip to the next point.
The fourth logic: Have a strong body, because the body is the foundation for realizing all dreams. We haven't talked about this before. Japanese workplace culture is interesting. There's a saying that in Japan, fat people can't find jobs. Because if we can't even maintain our body shape, how can we be disciplined people? How can we do well in performance? This statement is a bit exaggerated, and not all Japanese companies are like this. However, it is worth thinking about. If we don't maintain our bodies, are often sick, what's the use of a strong mind? If we only have one breath left, we have no chance to realize our ideals.
The fifth logic: Know what is most important and complete it with all your effort and priority. Although I am more opposed to writing To-Do Lists, when we talk about the seven habits of highly effective people, "Begin with the end in mind" and "Put first things first" are principles I have always believed in. Let's ask ourselves: how much time do we spend each day doing the things that are truly important to us? If it's less than 50%, or even none at all, then our time management is definitely problematic. We must reverse this situation. Every day, we must spend at least 50% of our time doing what we consider most important. The current time I am recording is 6:28 PM. Including this episode, I have recorded ten episodes today. Of course, not all of them will be posted here. Sometimes you might feel that my life seems very relaxed, but when I do something, I am often doing that thing. If we are not doing what we consider important, then what are you doing? If you think spending time with family is important, then spend 50% of your time with family. If you think self-improvement is important, then spend 50% of your time on self-improvement. Whether you are slacking off at work, doing it on the bus or subway, or doing it while sleeping, time is like a cleavage. It's not just about squeezing it out; it can become a devil's transformation ball.
The sixth logic: Dare to abandon unnecessary things. Regularly clear your mind. For unnecessary things, either delete them or store them. This applies to both material and mental aspects. It's about decluttering. Even if there are some ideas or academic things that you have researched for ten or twenty years, if they are no longer useful to you, and your life has moved in another direction, why can't you abandon them? Just like what I say on this channel, perhaps except for the content of the last six months, which is more current for me, the rest can be deleted. Sometimes the interesting thing is, when people watch old videos or even search for my videos from a few years ago on podcasts, and they leave comments, I feel, "Oh no, I don't know how to reply." Sometimes I don't think that way anymore, or I feel that what I said before was very poor and I couldn't express my meaning completely, and I don't know how to respond. Many things have actually been deleted by me. I maintain myself in a state of updating and progress, rather than clinging to what I said before, to the viewpoints I expressed before. So, it is correct. We must regularly clear our minds so that we do not become out of sync with the times.
The seventh logic: We must bravely design goals that we normally dare not imagine, and confidently explore the feasibility of achieving these goals. 1 million subscribers, can it be achieved in five years? You might think, "Why you? Your program has no visuals. Your subscriber count is so low. Why you?" Yes, why not me? What am I lacking to reach 1 million subscribers? How can I reach 1 million subscribers? When we design the future, we must adopt this kind of thinking. Using what we are currently thinking and doing as a starting point, we can write down any idea in our minds on a piece of paper or in a notebook. Don't worry about whether these ideas are practical. Write them down boldly. Then, we can expand on the sub-topics and execution strategies of these ideas. A channel with 1 million subscribers might be difficult. I'll open 10 channels, each with 100,000 subscribers, which doesn't seem too difficult. Keep writing like this. But you will find, "Hey, do you have that much energy to manage 10 channels? Do you have that much time to do it?" Yes, maybe I don't have that much time. So, what's the solution to the time problem? Will it be to compress the time for each video a bit? Make 10 videos a day with different content? Can I ask someone to help? Are there any faster ways? Just keep writing like this until you form a goal. Finally, we can explore the feasibility of achieving this goal. Because proving, "Alas, five years, can't do it. The goal of 1 million subscribers is too difficult. Feasibility is almost zero." Okay, then let's settle for the next best thing. 500,000 subscribers, 5 channels, each with 100,000 subscribers. Is that okay? Through these methods, we can discover how much creativity we have. "Alas, what to talk about for five channels?" Let's try to break down some big expectations in this way and assess whether we can actually achieve them.
The eighth logic: Record your thoughts at any time. Any thought has the potential to ferment into a great possibility in the future. Prepare a notebook for yourself, or carry a piece of paper with you, or even use your phone. Capture those special ideas that flash through your mind and record them. Whether it's something you want to do, someone you want to invite to dinner, or something you want to buy immediately, write down these thoughts. Connect these seemingly unrelated events. Take them out and look at them when you have time. Sometimes these various ideas will slowly ferment and may evolve into some great possibility.
The ninth logic: If it's not necessary, don't procrastinate at any time. Because unnecessary procrastination is the patent of the weak. Oh no, this point should be about me. I like to procrastinate. I only slept at 9 AM today. Alas. Okay, I'll say this sentence reluctantly. The author says, the more inwardly weak a person is, the more they like to put work off until the evening, using all-nighters to comfort their powerlessness. Good work habits are to make full use of morning time. Evenings should be for relaxation and rest, because normal sleep is important for health, learning, sensitivity, and work efficiency. Okay, I'll try to listen to her.
The tenth logic: Remember, starting work quickly is more valuable than preparing ample time for work. We often emphasize this point: don't do so many things, don't prepare so many things, don't buy so many things. Just start. Taking the first step will lead you to continue. Many people have a bad habit of thinking about resting a bit when they start. Alas, it's only nine o'clock. Have a cigarette, drink a cup of coffee, browse your phone first. These meaningless things usually weaken our efficiency. We need to adapt to a rhythm of immediately entering fast-paced work. Those meaningless things will make us indulge in harmful comfort. No matter what we do, we only need five minutes to get into the state, and for the next hour, we should put all our energy into doing this thing. Slowly, you will find that what you originally estimated would take four or five hours to complete might be done in two hours.
The eleventh logic: Set a smart goal for yourself from the beginning. This goal should be clear, measurable, achievable, and have a time limit.
The twelfth logic: Swallow a frog. Do the thing you are most unwilling to do. There is a saying that if you start your day by swallowing a raw frog, then nothing you encounter today can be worse than that. We should first do the things we dislike the most and are the most difficult. Then do the rest. We must first experience the strongest discomfort to welcome strong comfort. Do difficult things first, then enjoy the sweetness.
The thirteenth logic: Always understand what you need to do next, rather than just looking ahead. The author tells us not to try to plan every day of the future, especially most of the time in a day. This is also why I have always not advocated for To-Do Lists. Don't plan out what you need to do every day so meticulously. We need to focus on doing what we are doing now and what we need to do next, rather than thinking, "What's the next step?" Because usually, when we start doing some subtle things for the next step, it will lead us to the next step. We just need to focus on the next step. If you only see, "Ah, in the future, I will have a million fans," you will become unrealistic. What's the point of thinking so much? Let's talk about today's video first.
The fourteenth logic: Leave yourself some time to enjoy life. Maintain a balance between comfort and discomfort.
The fifteenth logic: Strong people fight with time, not with goals. Don't constantly worry about whether something can be done. Setting goals is important, but don't constantly look at the goals. Instead, manage your time well, arrange your time, so that your attention can be fully focused on this matter. Weak people look at goals; strong people focus on the efficiency of action. Really, don't just talk, don't draw a big picture there. My usual habit is, I tell you today, and tomorrow this matter is already being done. Act immediately. Donate blood to save people. Should I wait until I'm ninety to donate blood?
The sixteenth logic: Set upper limits for your daily life and differentiate the importance of future goals. This part is also content from the seven habits of highly effective people. We should always do those things that are important but not urgent, such as self-improvement. Don't be someone who rushes at the last minute.
The seventeenth logic: Solve problems in one go. The more priority problems a person has to deal with, the more mediocre they are. We should not expect to solve these problems later. Don't wait until tomorrow. Why is it said that the more priority problems a person has to deal with, the more mediocre their life becomes? Because this person's planning and execution ability is very weak.
The eighteenth logic: Clearly know and be competent in your role. We play many different roles in our lives. We will be a child, a student, a writer, an employee, a father or mother, a husband or wife. We need to understand the responsibilities that each different role needs to bear, and adapt and be competent in this role at this stage. We must play these roles well to be qualified to seek greater success. That is, those who are busy with business and cannot take care of their children, causing their children to rebel, go out to play, and have money is useless. It's clear that this matter is not done well. Successful in career, but a disqualified parent in the role of a parent.
The nineteenth logic: Establish your life mission at a very early age. It must be a goal worth pursuing your entire life. I have always attached great importance to the first essay "My Aspiration" that children write in school. "My Aspiration" is not to write down a profession, but to write down your mission. Be a superhero, be a righteous friend. I have never changed. No matter what I do, it revolves around this. I hope this world becomes better, fairer. I will definitely achieve it. If you have forgotten your "My Aspiration," your life mission, it's okay. Start now, the sooner the better. Write down your life mission. Of course, you don't have to be like me, but you must have your own life mission. Use your two hands to achieve it. Don't rely on others. There are no masters, no saints, only you.
The twentieth logic: Establish good habits at a very early age, especially the way you view and respond to the world. We should examine and establish good habits as much as possible when we are young. The people I dislike the most are those who roll their eyes, those who look at what you wear, how much money you have, how much you can buy. In fact, more than that, I pity them. I don't know what those people have experienced to form such values. There are also some people who, since childhood, feel superior, feel they are righteous. I also find it ridiculous. I cannot deny that I am a proud person myself, but I have never looked down on anyone in my behavior. Many people are dumber than me, but I pity them. Hahahaha. Oh, I'm dying. I just remembered, my wife and I were discussing here whether our daughter is a smart child. Then I said, "Actually, I found that she is not a smart child, or maybe she is smart, but definitely not as smart as me." Hahahaha. Of course, it's just a joke. In reality, I don't think that the depth of your thoughts makes you superior, right? I remember in some episode, I told you that when I was working in a company, one day I took the elevator with a senior executive, or my boss's boss's boss. He seemed polite to others, but in reality, he looked down on the cleaning ladies or the security guards. You could tell from his tone and expression. I think this sense of superiority is his weakness. He cannot tolerate these people. In fact, I want to ask, where does this sense of superiority come from? Is it because of this company? Is it because of this title? Is it because of your family? Is it because of yourself? Even today, I might have millions of followers and billions in my hands, but I am still me. I will still greet a security guard, greet a cleaning lady. They may not be as capable as us, or their thoughts may not be as deep, but that doesn't prevent us from respecting them. What I hate the most are those who are condescending to service workers, people who are humble. No matter how noble your status, when you do that, I truly look down on you from the bottom of my heart. You don't know the hardships of ordinary people. How can you be a successful person? A true king does not kill with a sword, but wins people over with virtue. How we view the world affects our self-positioning. How we respond to the world also determines our ultimate results. Our relationship with the outside world also shapes our mindset. My dream is to be a hero, a superhero. How can I bully those who are weaker than me? Your values determine who you are.
The twenty-first logic: Imagine your future every day. Think about the goals you have already achieved and the help they have brought to your life. Every day, let's think about what our current life is like. Is it the appearance we hope for? What help have the goals we have already achieved brought to our current life? What groundwork have they laid for our future life? If we have worked hard for a long time but have seen no results and no hope, what should we do next? Sometimes we should reconsider our goals. Sometimes we need to persevere. So, we should regularly analyze and evaluate where we are in the current process. Let's compare what we have actually executed and done with our ideals and thoughts. Then we can judge whether we are a pragmatic idealist or a daydreaming fantasist.
The twenty-second logic: Regularly pay attention to the things we haven't done and adjust their priorities. If you often say, "I need to do this and that," but you never do it, we should regularly check if you still need to do it. If you really don't want to do it anymore, then stop talking about it. Delete it from your life and stop thinking about it. If you want to do it, do it immediately.
The twenty-third logic: Everyone has manners. Strong people know how to refuse. Weak people don't know how to refuse. I deeply understand this point. Learning to say "no" to any negative requests that disturb you, interrupt you, or affect your current and future efficiency, and refusing requests that are not beneficial to yourself, is a very important skill. The less you like to refuse, the less you dare to refuse, the weaker you will become. Refusal is not about making you heartless, but about making wise choices. Don't be a people-pleaser. We are all human beings, we are all colleagues, why should we try to please? Your time is precious, and my time is also precious.
The twenty-fourth logic: Arrange your time well. Use 1% of your time to create 100% efficiency. First, we need to plan how much time we can spend on entertainment and relaxation each day, which is 1% of our time. Then, fill in the most important work we need to do at the moment when we have this entertainment time. For example, after I finish recording this episode, I can watch dramas. Watch dramas for an hour. Then, after watching dramas, I have to continue working and record another channel's program. After recording, I can play games. Plan the time for playing and entertainment in a controlled manner. At the same time, turn it into a reward after work. Slowly, we can enter a positive and virtuous cycle.
The twenty-fifth logic: Endure necessary loneliness. Leave yourself time and space for reflection,沉淀 (settling/precipitation), and accumulation. We should often check what we are doing now. We should arrange some time for solitude so that we can do this. We need to think patiently, quietly, and frankly about the choices we have made and the actions we have taken. Loneliness is terrifying for the weak. The weak need to constantly chat with a group of friends. But for the strong, loneliness is precious because solitary time allows us to stay away from the hustle and bustle and gives us enough distance to observe ourselves and think about what we are actually doing.
The twenty-sixth logic: Know how to use the 5-3-2 rule to allocate time and energy, rather than being busy all the time. The so-called 5-3-2 rule is: 50% of time is used for current work, 30% of time is used for things that may affect you in the next 90 days, and 20% of time is used for designing long-term plans that promote our growth. Some people spend all their time on the present. Some people also spend all their time on the future. But no matter how you do it, it's wrong. The 5-3-2 rule is the correct approach.
The twenty-seventh logic: Focus on doing things, concentrate on what you are best at, rather than spreading yourself thin. Every day, we must tell ourselves that for a period of time, we can only focus on doing one thing that we are best at, and we must complete it with concentration. If this thing is not finished, we should not start the next one. Don't think about doing A and then doing B. The less confident people are, the more they want to prove themselves in many things. Spreading oneself thin is a characteristic of the weak.
The twenty-eighth logic: Strong people allow themselves to fail. Release pressure through temporary failure. Strong people do not refuse to lose. We must have the magnanimity and the spirit to accept our failures.
The twenty-ninth logic: Bravely talk to yourself, face your shortcomings, rather than avoiding problems. Face your fears. We must arrange some fixed time every week, for example, Friday evening, to chat with ourselves. How is my state this week? Is it good or bad? What problems have been solved? In the past seven days, have I made any mistakes? Are there any shortcomings that can be improved? Directly ask yourself these most sensitive questions. There are too many people in this world who avoid problems and self-deception. We must honestly face ourselves. We must face our true selves. We must achieve strength at the spiritual level.
The last logic: Strong people admit that life is imperfect and declare the state of discomfort as happiness. This saying is really true. I have almost never resented people who treated me badly in the past or even led me into difficulties. Instead, I feel it is a gift. As an adult human being, we should take full responsibility for our lives. Don't scold people. Life is not just targeting you. Even if heaven targets you, then thank him. I promised my daughter to go for a walk, so I'll edit the video when I get back. I'm going out now. As an adult, I cannot disappoint my child. Yes, I need to be a father. Okay, this episode is almost over. If you find the information in this episode helpful, remember to subscribe to this channel, like and share this video, click the little bell, join the membership channel, or use Super Thanks to sponsor my videos. I am Teacher Chen. Maybe we will see each other again tomorrow. Bye-bye.