An asset is the foundation of all economic activity. If you have assets, you can run a business and settle your debts. The ways to create assets are ‘how one works,’ ‘how to receive gifts from others,’ and ‘how to purchase assets made by others.’ There is a way to steal, but it is a crime. If you don’t initially own an asset, the simplest and almost the only way to create one is to produce something with your own labor. Whether the product is a service or a good, it must be produced unconditionally. Trading products creates added value. Thinking about trading later and making products first is the fastest and most basic way to escape poverty. Therefore, produce even the smallest things every day. Knowledge, records, art—whatever! - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”
Fragrances that only capture pleasant scents lack appeal. A combination of bad scents is necessary to create a pleasing aroma. Just having good elements doesn’t ensure quality, and similarly, having bad elements isn’t necessarily negative. This concept is referred to as “bistability.” Emotions operate comparably. If you laugh in any situation, people may perceive you as a psychopath. On the other hand, being treated as depressed when feeling down is common too. Yet, when the contrast between mania and depression is too pronounced, mental health suffers. It’s essential to develop both positive and negative emotions. Like a beautiful landscape where good and bad elements coexist and balance one another, emotions should reflect a similar harmony. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”