Skills unity, diversification, singled-focus, specialization… … arrgh, stop confusing me! (Trust me, you can even feel the chaos in this blog - blur)

I was the fan of Avatar cartoon series (“Avatar the last airbender”, not the latest thriller of “Avatar”). I think it is the best cartoon ever (that is after I quit being a fan of “Naruto” (that is after I quit being a fan of “Bleach” (that is after I quit being a fan of “Fullmetal Alchemist” (… … “Marchen Awaken Romance” (… … “Power Rangers” (… … “Gladion” (… and so on))))))

Unfortunately, I never get to finish any of them, but fortunately, I know it from my classmates lately, the ending of Avatar series. Aang masters all four elements (adept but not expert) and triumph over the Fire Lord, with Super Avatar help. For me, its better that I know the ending than I never do (although I can’t watch it)

Days later, it prompt me into thinking why avatar have mastered all four elements, but still need to struggle hard in the battle with the Fire Lord, who just mastered one elements. Then, I recognize the power of specialization over diversification. But, I know it’s unlikely to specialize in every field, not unless you are special or talented, like genius or … Aang. It’s better to specialize in one subject then, since a single thing is already so time consuming.

Specialization exhibit unimaginable abilities and drawbacks too. I think it was first advocated by Sir Adam Smith. With specialization, you actually grow some camaraderie and unity with the subject you are in. Not only you are so efficient in doing it with little efforts and time, you can use your skill with high precision and effectively. You will know it’s strengths and weaknesses, and even how to manipulate its fullest potential. For instance, a person specialized in drawing can draw a “high definition” painting with whatever he got, within a little time. But, these marvelous utility may seems too good to be true. In fact, it is! Practice makes perfect. You just can’t imagine how many efforts and practices the person has to put in to get the perfection. Every single move is backed by millions or billions or repetitive, monotonous, boring same old trials. Such a torture… … (Unless, you are… … as mentioned… … gifted! You can use shorter time)

As I am saying, avatar Aang does triumph over the Fire Lord isn’t he. So, I guess diversification is good too, to certain extents. You see, Aang have some addition al help, the Super Avatar energy. But I do admit the strength of diversification. It comes with the concept “unity is the strength”. Why? We learn all kinds of things in shallow, but we do know all the things, in general. We can coordinate everything in accordance of the strength and suitability. The effect is still reasonably obvious and effective. But, it is not in the best possible impacts, just like Aang, who use the Super Avatar to enhance the impacts. For instance, a master of ceremony, MC might good in sound system controlling, presentation, entertainments or cooking, but he knows all of them. So, he can organize and coordinate the whole things to be in place, i.e., putting right experts in the right place at the right time. You can’t count on a chef to coordinate the ceremony alone, right. At least, I think the best event a chef can have for entertainment is either cooking demonstration or food fight (just kidding, if you think that it is funny, or just bluffing if you think that my intention is a failure). So, the MC unites all the things into perfection, at least, still running smooth… …

Avatar Aang has succeeded in his quest, using diversification with enhancement. But for me, I still don’t know which is good for me… …

“Crouching paper, hidden knife”

I don’t like the paperwork, and I just found another more reason why I hate it beside that it is boring, tiring, and monotonous (actually, I don’ t like any works at all). Believe it or not, the paper can hurt you too. You heard me, yes! So, better watch out next time when you are in paperwork. I’m not talking about paper master using paper as a weapon, but just those fresh, new, white papers.
I was writing on an article and of course, it need plenty of papers (hey, I’m not writing an encyclopedia but, I got no ideas where to start, so I make a lot of paper balls to feed my full garbage basket). Then, I felt a sharp jolt on my hand. I notice that I cut my hand when I’m taking some new paper (with no blade around!). An accident, bad luck, or the paper just revenging on what I did to the rest of the papers?
Just think on it, hand versus papers, how can a paper cut through the hand? This prompt into deep thoughts… Some time, weak can overwhelm the strong too. All you need is a blend of a pinch of luck, a table spoon of timing, a tablespoon of positioning, and a grip of skills… I just get so excited, that I start to feel so energetic and “whamp!” a punch on the wall. Of course the wall didn’t break, but I’m in pain.
Anyway, the point is that everyone is equally able. Each and every one of us has some gift or talents, waiting to be discovered. In fact, you or me or whoever in this world is unique (perhaps exclude some of the identical twins, triplets, clones, and so on), we may not be rightful to comment or critics on others. Therefore, the bullies (strong) may actually have some trouble if they keep on bullying the others (the perceived weak)…
You never know that what the victim have within, besides the visible physical strength of the big-sized bully.

Lucks in your hand… almost

In a war ground, a large battalion of troopers arrive with peaked spirits. Eagerly, they survey around for any sudden movement. The things that terrorize them the most is the quietness and the emptiness, it was just too quiet for a battleground. Carefully, an army made the first move. With n explosion, the army fallen to the ground. It’s a mine land! Some of the soldier panicked and roam around, Chained-explosion occurred. They need to defuse the bombs, for their escape. They need all the lucks that they have to escape.
However, they can also raise their lucks using some skills and perseverance. Like playing “mine sweeping” game. At first, it seems to be based on lucky guesses solely to win the game. There are too many possibilities and uncertainties in the game. The truth is, over 80% of the “faith” can be controlled, leaving 20% of pure destiny. Often, we praise ourselves over success, blame the faith over failures. But we are given more control, the only possibilities is we fail ourselves when we give in , not even willing to put in hard works, we have all we need, limbs and body, even the most precious gift, the mind. A source of possibilities and energy, almost equally either Creator’s might (Almost, not fully… OK).
In minesweeper, we can analyze and apply some strategies (may be now it has become rules) in it to pass every puzzles. The digit in the box signifies number of bombs in its 3 x 3 area; from this basic, all rules and strategies emerge, while our “lucks” increases too. As long as the bombs are identified the rest are safe zones, the mysterious boxes unopened number equal to the digit in the box will always be the bomb. Never speculate that the box between boxes numbered “1” will be the bomb, each of them may have their own one bomb, and so on and so forth. There is an error-prone chance (faith) or it can be correct (faith), at least we are given 80% of chances. Be optimistic.
Same with the troopers, they can always patiently and carefully defuse the bombs, or escape, with their intelligence.
In the real world, form also can control the future of their survival, to certain extent. At least, more firms survive that the firms that never control their faith, like doing budgets. They certainly cannot 100% assured of what they will encounter in the future. But, with budgeting, at least they can 80% sure that they won’t make the wrong decisions on future plans, maximize profits from the resources allocation, and be financially prepared. It is feasible and just need some past data or experts’ forecast s, detailed scheduling and so on.

“Interesting” K.O., “Useful” WIN.

It is better to have useful things around, than to have interesting things. Why! Why you must be asking; or why, you must be asking… Well, I don’t know too. I will just put it in this way.

1) Mr. So-and-so has some capital or some money. So, he is going to spend some on useful or interesting things? He has variety things to choose from, either will result in the creation of assets or liabilities. If he spend on some useful budgets such as buying some “economical” class housing and car, invest on shares, study or small business, and keep some for saving, then he is creating more assets for himself, which will have future financial return and benefits and own them legally. These items are useful, because usually no one will choose them, but they do have future uses. No one can force a person to take the item, unless it is not the someone that is doing the forcing efforts, but it is the non-living things. I refer the non-living as the situation the person is in, the circumstance are non-living, right…
However, if he spend on interesting budgets such as buying some “luxury” class housing and car that is way beyond his capability and some shop lots for renting, then he is likely to create some liabilities for himself, which are more obligations owing to other, instead of the wealth. These items are interesting because they are always on demand, yet are unaffordable, helps the rich become richer and trap the poor to “donate” their wealth. Hence, in the end, he will be better off if he choose the useful things over the interesting things.

2) Between merit goods and demerit goods, useful things can be treated as merit gods, while interesting goods as demerit goods. Merit goods are something that is good for the future, yet there is always no one willing to provide for it as they can’t foresee the benefits in the long term. Whereas, the demerit goods are the items that are bad in nature, but anyone will still like it because they can’t foresee the future harm to them. These explanations have some suiting with the useful and interesting natures. Examples of each of them will be: useful things are health, education, and emergency savings… interesting things are gambling, drug, smoking…. Merit goods face under-provision problems while demerit goods face over-provision problems. This indicates merits goods are useful and wanted, because everyone wants them although they are reluctant to provide for them. Demerit goods will have to be reduced, because no one can avoid its temptation, although its harms are known.



3) Interesting things is based on personal perceptions and may vary based on their own preferences, or thoughts… He likes it doesn’t mean other does. Whilst, useful things will always be required no matter you admit them or not. It is the fact, not any of the personal perception or delusion. It will be the matter of time, you will be using them. Consider the following circumstances:-
A traveler come across a river side while jungle trekking. He saw some colourful stones among some dried twiglings. For some, it is better that Mr. Traveler picks up those stones, because they are interested in the values the stones bear. Yet, some think that Mr. Traveler should just pass by, no need to do anything because nothing is interesting. Yet, few or no one will choose the twiglings, for, what’s the use?! But, we know that Mr. Traveler will need to pick up some twiglings to be used for building a fire spot for overnight in the end. This is what we call useful things.

End) In a nutshell, I think that people need more control on themselves in choosing more useful things and lesser interesting things (not totally avoided, because “All works (useful) but no plays (interesting) make Jack a dull boy”). In the mean time, I am going for some gaming and study later, because gaming seems a lot more fun!! But, eventually, we all know that I will be regretting over the games and appreciate studies, I hope.

Lying is to be honest, honest is to be lying.

Think of the following scenarios.

I go to a computer centre , to use the computer of course, and I go with the priority for some entertainments such as gaming or online movies, before doing any of the study works (If I have the mood). Then, someone that I know saw me and start asking me:”What are you doing?”

Situation 1: I clarify honestly: “I am playing some games now.” But that person will say that I am lying and think that I must be doing some of the school assignments.

Situation 2: I lie by saying: “I am writing on some school project now.” Later, that person will say that I am cheating and say that I am playing or watching some videos.

From the above, it indicates that you can only tell somebody something, when you are lying, or is it not? Maybe this is owing to the social norms where we are taught to “Never trust anybody, not even your closest ones too so easily”, or that “kind to others means cruel to ourselves”. So, everyone will doubt each other. --- Why should we be honest to other when other doesn’t? At the end, we create our song that goes “I doubt you, you doubt me, we can play the hide-and-seek…”

Anyway, forget about the song. The main thing is there is a loss of trust among us. Or maybe I am being exaggerating; probably all these happen because I am a liar, who knows, so no one can trust me. The can only believe me by the opposite answers --- Yes means no, and no means yes.

But, how can they be so sure? How that they know that I am not lying when I am, I am lying when I am not, I am lying when I am , or I am not lying when I am not… That is one thing that I don’t want to know, because… … I am not a lie inspector, nor psychologist or any counselor.

At this moment, I just thought of the shepherd boy story. The meaningful story of a boy that always lies. We all know what happen to the sheep … … But, I am just thinking, what if the wolves pack come, the shepherd boy tells all the villagers: “It is all just fine, nothing goes wrong, the wolves didn’t even come and eat the sheep. Yelp, absolutely no problems.” Could the boy actually save the day?? Then, the boy should be grateful to this “gift” or start worrying about it??