Before the age of forty, one must endure tribulations to temper mind and spirit. This is no toxic soup of rhetoric, but stark reality: great talents are forged in the fires of great vicissitudes. Torn between anxiety before reality and a longing for freedom and joy, one must realize that life's suffering is inevitable—it is far wiser to bear it early. If you can withstand those pivotal years of youth, a breakthrough before forty is well within reach. Yet if, approaching forty, you remain utterly ignorant, lacking the capacity to earn, quick to anger, and unable to bear risk, you are truly undone. What is genuine suffering? Mere physical trial is only the prelude; true suffering is having one's spirit trampled time and again, seeing hope repeatedly extinguished only to be reignited, and standing firm in inner passion despite the world's misunderstandings... Never harbor the illusion of perpetual smooth sailing. Those who preach that a bland, passive existence yields a stable life are serving true poison. Awaken in time; do not remain a giant infant at a mature age. Actively embrace hardship, actively forge breakthroughs—do not sit waiting for opportunity, nor wait for doom.
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If you unmistakably belong to that high-energy breed who derive joy from constant output, you must, at some juncture in life, consciously cultivate and gather younger companions—no matter how wide the age gap. For by their thirties, forties, or fifties, if not sooner, your peers will inevitably lose their vigor, unable to keep pace. When the entire world can no longer join in your revels or share your perceptions, existence becomes profoundly dull.
Good looks and intelligence are inherently similar in nature—both possess a dazzling radiance that instantly catches the eye. If physical appearance requires disenchantment, shouldn't we demystify intelligence as well? Throughout a person's lifelong development, intelligence plays a far less significant role than assumed; it is hardly the decisive factor in determining the heights of one's life, nor even a necessary condition. People's fondness for intelligent individuals is, in essence, little different from being easily drawn to physical beauty.
Nothing matters, life is random, our most sincere feelings are nothing more than a chemical reaction, and there is no objective moral law in the universe. And yet, life has happened anyway. It is better to love than not to love, it is better to love someone than no one at all; I am here, living in this world, and there is not a single moment when I do not wish to be alive.
What true masters ultimately pursue is physical exercise, reading, stable relationships, long-termism, and a low-stimulation life. The first principle of happiness is inner order: prolonged solitude, sound sleep, freedom from the opinions of others, extensive reading, supreme focus, regular meals, and steady exercise.
For adults, reconstructing a sense of security is not about living with perfect correctness or excellence; rather, it requires expanding one's tolerance for 'mistakes' and 'failures.' You must experience, time and again, that making a mistake does not bring ultimate ruin, nor does failure spell total destruction. You need to feel the invincibility of your authentic self amid the disappointment of others, and sense the tree of life standing unshaken within the storm of fear.
To do useful things, to say courageous things, to contemplate beautiful things: that is enough for one's life.
Whoever it may be, if someone constantly criticizes you, regardless of their motives, you ought to draw a clear boundary with them. To keep a relentless critic at your side erodes your self-confidence; and as confidence wanes, the hardships of life multiply.
True focus is not choosing what to do, but resolutely rejecting the 99% of things that seem good yet are inconsequential. In an age overloaded with information and stimuli, **clear thinking** is the rarest leverage.