Reading, the only sure thing in uncertain times

• In an increasingly complex and unpredictable world, the most important thing for our survival is not IQ, says Jamie Holmes, author of The Unknown Force: A Guide to Surviving the Future , not willpower, or even confidence, but how we deal with things we don’t understand.
• When something happens, we need to mobilize our existing cognition (or belief) to digest it and make an explanation that we can accept. In this way, we can regain a sense of control over the external world and continue to live in a complex environment. But many times, our existing beliefs will be challenged, and people are eager to find an explanation at this time. How to adjust and deal with the discomfort caused by this cognitive dissonance?
• In The Unknown Powers, Jamie Holmes summarizes five common coping styles:
• The first is to deny new cognition;
• The second is to seek affirmation, to strengthen existing beliefs in uncertain situations;
• The third is to seek information related to new cognition, verify its credibility, and completely replace old cognition;
• The fourth, abstraction, searches for new patterns. The human brain is good at searching for patterns and is said to be able to track more than 40 environmental cues, and the subconscious mind can even track 2 million;
• The fifth, assembly, generates new ideas through connection and recombination.
• In a nutshell, actively acquiring new connections, new knowledge, and new arguments is a good strategy for dealing with uncertainty. Milan Kundera suggests that people dabble in different types of reading, try to understand new things, and continue to break their old cognition and thinking patterns. In The Art of Fiction, he criticized the part of human nature that longs for black and white and clings to certainty: "Man wants a world in which good and evil are clearly distinguished, because there is an innate and untamable desire in man's heart. : Judge before understanding."
• On the other hand, reading itself establishes a sense of order in a life full of disorder and chance. It's like an "anchor" in life, helping you move smoothly through the chaos. The act of reading is simple, easy to stick to, and pays off—celebrated choreographer Trila Sharp spends her day like this: Wake up at 5:30, get a taxi to the fitness center, work out with the same trainer, then shower, Eat three boiled egg whites, have a cup of coffee, make another hour of phone calls, then work half an hour in the studio, rehearse with a dance partner, go home for dinner, spend a few hours reading, and then sleep. Every day.
• She said: "The life of a dancer is repetition." And simple repetition is enough to train and shape a person's strong mind.

It was originally like a generalization, but I found that I couldn't start, and the original taste is the best. ——Sanlian Weekly article, refer to the last link of the original text.

Love this quote: Reading itself also establishes a sense of order in a life full of disorder and chance.

For the Abe event

• In fact, we should separate the pros and cons:
• There are merits and demerits. After two decades of loss in Japan, there is not much room for policy. He may be doing what he is capable of, and the monetary or economic policies he has adopted may be only for the country (Japan). In this way, there is indeed the economic interest of betraying the Japanese country, but the room for choice is limited, and these policies are implemented on the premise of ensuring the national strength (only the current scientific and technological strength of Japan still exists). But for the problems at the social level, the stratum is solidified and the wealth is extremely concentrated. Although it can be said that it can do limited things, the Abe family itself is a top class with a long history. It can't help but think about the interests behind it. What he does is not to solve it from the inside, but to solve it from the inside. It's people from other countries (immigrants), it's not bad, don't Japanese people need to improve or something else? Just give time.

Let me make a conspiracy theory. The Abe incident is either spontaneously by the people, or the result of the cooperation between the opposing politicians and the people. When the contradiction reaches a certain stage, it will definitely promote some reforms, no matter how good or bad.

"Unfortunately it's not you" came to mind.

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Reading, the only sure thing in uncertain times