As Voltaire said, “History never repeats itself; man always does.” Many interpret this saying differently, but the core message that human behavior is hard to change is clear. Since humans cannot predict the future, they can only forecast it based on past experiences. That’s the best way to anticipate what’s ahead. The current economic and financial landscape is driven by irrational human behavior that remains constant. It is not based on <hard skills> like investment techniques or mathematical formulas but on <soft skills> such as emotions, psychological reactions, and attitudes. Understanding humans helps us understand the world. Therefore, history and the humanities play a significant role in wealth building. However, it takes just a few soft skills to accumulate wealth, and ultimately, human actions shape a person’s destiny. In wealth building, soft skills and behavior matter more than grand theories or knowledge. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”
Life can feel joyful when we have many close relationships, but this often gradually brings more anguish as well. Intimacy is also crucial to us, yet just as much as it is, “blatant ignorance” and a “healthy dose of distance” significantly influence our happiness. For instance, I can’t eat meat from a slaughtered cow that I have carefully nursed, but I am content eating the meat from a cow that I did not nurture. The fact that I have made money means my gains are a return for the damages of someone unknown to the economic system of this world, yet I can only be happy because I do not know adequately. Without blatant ignorance and a healthy dose of distance , our happiness deteriorates terribly. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”