Insights from My Self-Yoga Practice: Coincidentally, I started trying yoga during the 2020 pandemic, purchased a Keep membership, and followed their hot yoga classes. After several years of persistence, I can indeed gradually perform many poses. The guidance from video instructors, in my personal opinion, might even surpass many in-person training classes. This is because I have a simple logic: No matter which yoga instructor it is, they surely want to put their best side, the most detailed explanations, and the most refined content into their videos. And no matter who it is, everyone will slack off at work sometimes. Single in-person classes usually have a relatively low real return for them. So, it’s possible that few people genuinely teach with the idea of making sure you get your money’s worth; often, classes turn into listening to the teacher show off or chat. However, in preparing videos, on the one hand, they gain higher returns due to the leverage principle, and on the other hand, even if not solely for money but for reputation and sustainable development, they will surely eliminate unnecessary chatter and present their most professional selves. I believe the same holds true for other training classes, such as learning German. Good, concise, and systematic online courses are not easy to prepare. For in-person courses, you just observe the reactions and feedback of a few students; they might come for the reputation, or more likely, for convenience, suitable time, location, etc. However, online courses inevitably face competition from many other high-quality courses. If one doesn’t take it seriously, it’s impossible to gain everyone’s trust and commitment to follow along. If you personally don’t have unique enough insights or concise enough summaries, then perhaps you can only win by leveraging first-mover advantage, location scouting, filming, or sheer video quantity. ...
Observing the Chain Reaction of My Parents' and My Emotions
My father likes to focus on the future. What he cares about are things like Musk’s Starlink, Dragon Bill, AI, emerging trends, and making money. This is the only success he recognizes in his value system. He demands this of those around him, and he demands it of himself. So when those around him cannot achieve it, and when he himself cannot achieve it, his frustration turns into rage. He wants to control things to be as good as his expectations, but when he cannot control or understand things, he gets angry. Anger is a manifestation of having no other choice. Because if there were other solutions, we could calmly face awkward situations with self-deprecating humor or self-encouragement. As long as there are other ways to solve it, it shouldn’t trigger strong emotions. Therefore, his outbursts of anger are actually a manifestation of vulnerability, a signal that he needs help. ...
In the Face of Fickle Fate, Finding My Own Poetry: A Materialist's Exploration of Astrological Models
I am an objective materialist. I believe in science, reason, and empirical evidence. But I am also wary: the sole worship of science is also a form of “superstition”—here, “superstition” refers to the unquestioning acceptance of any doctrine. My attitude towards the ultimate laws of life is: I believe there is a fundamental “Dao”, but all human doctrines (such as science, theology, philosophy, psychology, metaphysics) are merely models approaching it. Some models are crude and cannot withstand scrutiny; others are precise and irrefutable. Yet, across numerous disciplines, researchers, driven by curiosity and imagination, strive to build models they believe in. ...
Serbia Travel & Ski Guide: Belgrade's Sightseeing & Dining, and Kopaonik's Skiing
Foreword: Unexpected Delights from a Spontaneous Trip This winter, my mom and I spent two “laid-back” weeks in Serbia. From leisurely strolls in Belgrade to a spur-of-the-moment skiing week in Kopaonik, this trip, initially conceived on short notice due to visa issues, brought us unexpected joys. The cost of living here is extremely low, and contrary to rumors, there’s no sense of unrest; instead, it’s filled with a strong sense of security unique to socialist countries. ...