In the year of knowing destiny, I will inadvertently think of some seemingly simple but actually unanswered questions that confused me when I was young, such as persistence. Up to now, I think persistence is a good character. The reason why you say this is because everything you think you need to adhere to is beyond instinct. Therefore, you also need to spend countless energy to take care of it. Otherwise, there is no sustainable saying. Because of the scarcity of energy, you can no longer invest in other places when you invest here. Therefore, choosing the place where you invest your energy is one of the biggest adventure activities in your youth. If we call the object of persistence the object of life, the beauty of youth is that the object you can choose is rich and colorful, which is the privilege of young people. In the name of ideal, even if you choose wrong, you will be forgiven. But after middle age, you don't have much chips to choose from.

I believe that the process of growth is a process of trial and error, and then find the things you think are most suitable for you and your favorite from a large number of objects, and then your energy will have a more clear place to invest, and the subsequent active or passive persistence will gradually pay off. The first half of life is a process of discovering your true preferences with short-term energy investment again and again. This link is very important.

If the object you insist on is not your own trial and error, but someone else's choice for you, then you will always have countless tangles in your heart in this life, because you don't know whether there is a better choice? That possibility will torture you for a lifetime. After all, over time, the opportunity cost of your choice will become higher and higher. The luckiest people are those who know what they like very early. In the middle are those who don't know what they like, but are willing to accept the arrangement of others. The most unfortunate people are those who neither know what they like nor accept other people's arrangements. Fortunately, I'm the kind of person who stumbles and finally finds the object I like. Although it's a little late, I found it by myself after all. Although I haven't made any decent achievements, I don't have too many regrets. When I was young, it was a blessing in life that I inadvertently liked reading when I was in want and wandering. Those days related to books more or less lit up the wasted time. Even today, I will nag to let children or students read some books, and even set the target of how many pages to read every day. Wen Tianxiang of the Southern Song Dynasty has a poem saying: it's true to tell the secret of reading after hard experience.

So what is the driving force of persistence? There are no more than two, love from the inside and pressure from the outside. There are not so many absolute things in life. The driving force of my reading is not only the internal pleasure of interest, but also the external pressure driven by livelihood. This combination of driving forces is not bad. The worst thing is the persistence that depends entirely on external pressure. This persistence can't last long. In old age, those once loved will eventually subside. You don't have to consider the external pressure. At this time, your persistence has already degenerated into a hidden habit. Some people say that a habit can be formed in 21 days. For a long-term behavior, this time is far from enough, because the time is too short, the neural circuit in the brain has not been fully established, and it is unable to form an automatic starting function. This is what Nobel laureate Kahneman calls the fast system. When habit becomes a matter determined by the subconscious, Its operation speed is the fastest and automatic. The prerequisite for becoming a subconscious is that the neural circuit formed by infinite conscious persistence has been unblocked, and then the circuit will be activated automatically.

I remember doing general anesthesia a while ago. During the recovery of anesthesia after operation, I was in a huge state of confusion: I didn't know what to do or what the meaning of life was? Suddenly, I was very flustered and confused. I inadvertently saw the pens and books on the table. I habitually looked. Suddenly, I felt that my brain was activated again, and I had something to do. My heart was no longer so anxious. I calmed down slowly, and my heart suddenly felt very comfortable. The original habit not only allowed life to regain order in disorder, but also derived some meaning. And those precious meanings are the gifts and interest of the habit formed by years of persistence. From this, we can draw an interesting conclusion: stick to shaping habits and habits generate meaning. And life needs meaning. It is a distant return to persistence. Otherwise, persistence is worthless for life.

At this age, I am no longer willing to try to choose. Together with those great narratives that once made people excited, the so-called knowing destiny is nothing more than a self mockery of persistence after understanding the limits. I remember the French philosopher Foucault once said: we should not fantasize about the impossible liberation. At most, we can cross some historical boundaries that restrict our survival. Under the guidance of a certain habit, we will make some trivial and small things regain meaning, which have been a huge return for me for many years. The poet Goethe once said a famous saying: he who has science and art also has religion, but for those who do not have both, let him have religion! Goethe realized the significance dilemma we face today more than 200 years ago. Life is difficult. In the face of pain and misfortune, adhering to science can divert attention and share some pain; And insisting on loving art can not only achieve alternative satisfaction, but also resolve some pain. But after all, not everyone has the habit of persistence. At least religion gives meaning to people with the lowest threshold. You don't need to think and doubt, as long as you have a sincere heart. Therefore, a life with persistence is beautiful.

Thank you for your support! Finally, I would also like to thank my family for their support and understanding over the years. Your nagging will always pull me back from my fantasy and touch these tired and cumbersome days again. I know I am a very stubborn person. Maybe stubbornness is also a kind of persistence. The world is boundless. I always have to determine a direction. As for the initial reason, Under the cover of years, it is already mottled and difficult to distinguish. The sky is slightly bright, the road is still far away, and the birds have begun to sing. At the moment, those who miss and miss are churning and crowded in their hearts. Let's use these gossip rights as the postscript of this book.