Joseph's "Just My Thoughts"

If thinking is categorized practically, it can be broadly split into ‘volitional thinking’ and ‘instrumental thinking.’ Volitional thinking involves the belief that to succeed, a person must have a strong will to overcome hardships and obstacles. Self-improvement falls under this category. However, to actually overcome hardships and obstacles, it is instrumental thinking that drives us to consider that we need ‘tools’ to get past them. In other words, it’s like how carpenters build houses: they construct the structure, but tools are what make it possible. There is no carpenter without tools. Both are essential for success, but if I had to emphasize one, focusing on instrumental thinking is more advantageous. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

When building a wall with stones, the large stones are stacked, the small stones are filled in the gaps, and the spaces between the stones are filled with smaller stones and the final layer of sand. Although the elements that make up the wall vary in size, their roles are fixed, and each performs its part. None of them is useless. Management is the act of bringing together different characteristics and harmonizing them into one. There is no one worse than me; there is only me who ignores others. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

From a neuroscience perspective, the object I love, devote myself to, and sacrifice for is an ‘extension of myself.’ The brain is inherently selfish. Selfishness is a necessary emotion and attitude for survival. Only when I exist can others exist. Yet, we often see people making sacrifices for others. How can I love someone other than myself? What I dedicate and sacrifice for someone is what my brain perceives as an ‘extended me.’ Ultimately, loving others is an extension of loving myself. Therefore, self-love becomes a foundation and a tool for loving others. If ‘self-love’ is healthy, then loving others is healthy too. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

In the Middle Ages, due to high illiteracy rates, paintings often served as the main medium of communication. Today, media communicates through monitor screens and their pixels. Pixels are rectangular dots created by hardware that combine to form text or images. Currently, the pixel is the smallest unit of media communication. Cryptopunks, NFTs created by Canadian software developers Matt Hall and John Watkinson in 2017, are images composed of rough-resolution pixels. Although their value has increased due to their historical significance, ‘Cryptopunk #7523’ from the series was sold for $11,754,000 at Sotheby’s auction on June 10, 2021, because it conveyed rarity and history through its rough pixelation. This NFT, which utilizes square pixels as a tool, conveys a similar concept to Lego blocks, which are meant to be constructed with blocks. In media, messages are created, distributed, and valued based on the nature of the expression tool. The tool is the message. - Joseph’s “just my th...

Demand > supply = price increases, demand < supply = price decreases. We all know that the laws of supply and demand set prices. This rule also applies to stock trading; however, there is a high probability of error when using this rule to judge the volume balance of buy/sell stocks in the limit order book. The key factor is the ‘remaining volume (balance).’ The volumes of stocks listed on the limit order book are meant for trading, but traders can manipulate some of the specified prices for illegal purposes. Additionally, in an uptrend, the seller submits a higher price, and the transaction is not executed immediately. Conversely, in a downtrend, the buyer sets a price to buy at a lower price, allowing the unsold balance to accumulate. In the limit order book, the principle works in reverse. Of course, it cannot be applied 100% in every case. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

Rarely does an erected flag fly alone. An invisible wind moves it, meaning an external force. When the wind blows, flags flutter, dust rises, and laundry dries. Many changes occur in response to one external factor, but we cannot see the cause. Eyes capable of reading invisible external causes can respond to a world of rapid change. We cannot attribute a cause solely by observing a phenomenon; instead, we must recognize a specific pattern across multiple phenomena. The ability to detect hidden commonalities is a form of wisdom. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

Since air is an essential element for survival, its value is infinitely high; however, because it can be obtained anywhere, its price is effectively zero. Nevertheless, pure 100% oxygen is rare and can have a price. The distinction between value and price is important, but many people don’t understand how they differ. Exclusivity of supply is necessary to assign a price to something’s value. Exclusivity means only you can supply it, and people can only buy from you. Time also makes exclusivity. That is the message that you cannot buy it without now. Universality creates value, and scarcity creates price, thereby placing a value on that value. But these two contradict each other. Wealth is always built on contradictions. That’s why business and investment can be so challenging. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”