Joseph's "Just My Thoughts"

Technology Advancement and Ethics: One reason humans differ from other animals is because of ‘ethics.’ Due to this difference, we believe that human beings are unique and that ethics are relatively stable. However, the factor that alters human ethics is the development of science and technology. In 2006, Japanese scientist Shinya Yamanaka discovered that mixing four chemicals with human skin cells could create undifferentiated stem cells. These cells are pluripotent, meaning they can develop into any type of body organ. Before this discovery, it was thought that such cells could only be produced through the combination of sperm and egg, but it was later found that they could also be synthesized artificially. Human philosophies, values, and ethics are trapped within technological advances. As science and technology advance, existing ethical frameworks are increasingly challenged. Now, traditional values that have been defended by gender distinction will experience severe conflict. - Jos...

Human Networking: Although human networking doesn’t guarantee success, it is undeniable that it has a significant impact. According to a 2018 study published by Prof. Paul Ingram and Prof. Mitali Banerjee of Columbia Business School in the USA, friends and networking are more important than creativity for increasing social success and recognition among artists. It is also said that an artist’s friendships influence their creativity. The most notable example is Wassily Kandinsky. Kandinsky believed that multinational connections had a significant influence. That’s not to say that ability isn’t necessary. Ultimately, art also highlights the value of community identity. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

Habits and Structuring: The human willpower is of limited help when trying to change habits or create new ones. Everyone has habits that are hard to change. If you repeatedly forget to do something, you may feel embarrassed. In that case, you need to change the structure. For example, change the order of tasks. This is called coupling or decoupling, and connecting new habits with existing ones can make changes easier to implement. For instance, if you often run late in the morning, consider changing the order of your routine or linking it with another habit. If you forget to take your morning medication, try attaching it to another daily activity, such as drinking water before or after a meal, and the habit of forgetfulness will fade. Relying solely on willpower is unwise. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

Micro-movement refers to small shifts. Kim Yong-woon, who authored the book “History’s Counterattack,” states that before a state changes, an ambiguous phase occurs during the process. This is called ‘micro-movement,’ and he argues that a rigid organization that suppresses this micro-movement will ultimately lead to frustration or catastrophe. He explains that permitting micro-movement equates to autonomy, and an open organization that allows this fosters ‘self-organization’ and the ‘emergence of creativity.’ He also mentions that human ability is defined as pattern recognition, which helps distinguish between ‘trivial’ and ‘essential’ elements. It is believed that when human activity reaches a critical point, key insights can be derived from seemingly trivial details. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

Small Fun: Although not essential, small fun helps prevent corruption and depravity, and keeps greed in check. In fact, the key to controlling greed isn’t moderation, but small fun itself. However, if that small fun ever disappears—leaving you bored or unmotivated—it’s important to take time for self-reflection. While big fun doesn’t last long and can actually fuel greed, by contrast, small fun supports steady effort and offers you time to reflect leisurely. Therefore, to live a happy life, we must find some small fun. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

Survival of the Fittest and Cooperation: Examining the world from the perspective of competition for survival reveals that only the strong and fittest survive, a concept often referred to as “Falling Prey to the Strong and Survival of the Fittest.” However, there are cases where this principle does not apply, when each entity cooperates with the others. Then, rather than surviving because they are strong and adaptable, it may be that they are strong and adaptable because they survived. Cooperation is an act of a very peculiar nature. The truth is, those who cooperate are the strongest. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”

The Paradox of Development. In 2008, Google created a system to predict flu outbreaks in advance. Initially, the tool accurately forecasted when and where the flu might occur. However, in 2013, a new feature was added that suggested related search terms. As a result, searchers began inputting their queries less carefully, which led to a decline in the system’s predictive performance. Although improvements have been made since then, this example illustrates how enhancements in one area can cause failures in another. Therefore, it seems like we gain by losing, and often lose by gaining. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”