Daily Wisdom Notes

Four Books from a Street Bookseller Yesterday evening, after exercising, my wife and I went with my friend and his wife to eat at a restaurant near the river. While we were there, a street bookseller approached our table carrying about forty books. My friend looked through them and bought four. Seeing him buy so many, I asked, “You must really enjoy reading, don’t you?” He smiled and replied, “No. Actually, I do not like reading. After only two or three pages, I become sleepy. I buy books and keep them at home in case my wife or children want to read them.” His answer made me curious, so I asked whether he enjoyed watching television. “Yes,” he said. “I especially love Chinese historical dramas. Once I begin watching one, I do not want to get up or go anywhere.” “What about other kinds of programs?” I asked. “I do not enjoy them very much,” he replied. “There are some programs I turn off almost as soon as I begin watching them.” “But you just said that you like watching television.” “Y...

Choosing Your Own Life from What You Learn For several years, people would see me sitting with a book and ask, “You are always reading. What have you learned from all those books?” I did not know how to answer them. I had read many books and discovered many ideas, yet I could not reduce everything I had learned to a clear explanation. In fact, reading had not made my direction clearer. For a time, it had made me want to travel in many directions at once. When Every Book Offered Me a Different Life When I read a book about selling, I wanted to become a salesperson. The work seemed meaningful because it required understanding people, solving problems, communicating value, and building trust. When I read about politicians, I wanted to enter politics. Public leadership appeared important because one decision could affect the lives of millions of people. Books about wealthy people made me want to become rich. I thought that since I had been given one life, I should use it to achieve as much...