Joseph's "Just My Thoughts"

The medieval church forbade usury and claimed that usurers went to hell. However, as the feudal system of the Middle Ages declined and merchants emerged as an emerging power, usury businesses amassed enormous wealth. Usurers donated their corrupt wealth to monasteries, and when they died, they could be buried there. It was a bonus that the donor usurer could receive the sacrament of confession shortly before death. Fear of the afterlife caused poor churches to accumulate wealth, used to decorate walls or build larger, more elaborate structures, leading to the Renaissance era. The unjust usury business sparked a literary and artistic revival. Let go of the illusion that only good things can change the world for the better or the right. The innocence of ignorance about how the world works makes it easier to accept sin and corrupts the world into evil. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

Most people tend to underestimate themselves excessively. Many say, “Humility is the virtue,” perhaps influenced by social environment and education, but it’s more about recognizing mistakes and limitations than about one’s own potential. That is, self-judgment based on experience. Of course, there will be mistakes and limitations in the future that we haven’t yet encountered, but the possibilities and achievements will be just as numerous. If we assume the odds are about equal, then we shouldn’t need to underrate ourselves. Excessive self-confidence or showiness is a problem, but so is underconfidence. Too much or too little is called arrogance. In Christianity, it’s considered “sin.” - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

Don’t underestimate your emotions. If I leave these feelings of hate, resentment, longing, and loneliness inside me, one day they will surely take their revenge. Emotions aren’t harmful when we share them with others. Even if we can’t resolve the root cause, having a friend to share our trivial feelings with helps us endure life’s hardships. When there’s someone other than myself to whom I can devote, we can avoid the storm of emotions and overcome adversity. It’s even better if we have an equal friend to share our feelings with, someone we’re committed to. Without just this one friend, we feel sad, exhausted, and lost. The feelings I hold inside will eventually take their revenge on me. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

Real change happens so quickly that we often don’t notice when it occurs. The changing of seasons is a good example. Clearly, winter and spring are very different. It’s hot during the day and cold at night, but when we see spring flowers blooming along the roadside, we realize spring has arrived. We tend to think that big changes will feel different, but sometimes small signs reveal the change. For instance, when our foreheads sweat even with little movement, we recognize that the temperature is getting warmer. What changes might you not notice or recognize? Perhaps your weight? - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

No matter how strong someone appears, they have vulnerabilities. In reality, such a person often forgets that their strengths come from their weaknesses. Even if you concentrate too much on your strong points, your weaknesses can be easily uncovered. Someone who gets disappointed or angry when things don’t go their way reveals their vulnerabilities too easily. If I slightly disagree or irritate the person, they can be easily manipulated. A truly strong person does not openly display their strength or weakness. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

Traditional education taught that human economic development progressed from hunting to stock farming and then to agriculture. However, the only real difference is that stock farming is an economic method of obtaining food by domesticating livestock, while agriculture involves domesticating plants. Therefore, this three-stage development theory is no longer accepted. Instead, the development of human civilization can be seen in the evolution of transportation. To understand the nature of how the world changes, we should observe the development of transportation. The increasing speed of movement is the main evidence that society is changing rapidly. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”