There is too much success learning, and too little ordinary learning.

Let me share some recent insights and reflections on how to make choices! Because we often hear the saying "Choice is greater than effort!"

A few years ago, I thought this saying was very true. For example, many years ago, when choosing a major in college, it was definitely better to choose engineering over liberal arts—easier to find a job, and overall higher salary!

For instance, in investing, choosing which market to invest in is very important. For example, with the same level of skill, investing in the A-share market versus the US stock market, the US stocks definitely earn more and more easily (not looking at specific cases, just the indices).

Now, looking at the current environment, the overall situation has changed. Previously, being a programmer and earning a stable high salary was feasible, but now AI has replaced that. As AI evolves, I think the future service and humanities industries might have more prospects. For example, Zhang Xuefeng once said journalism is trash, but now, AI can generate excellent content, whether text or videos. However, AI doesn’t know how to spread it, so now, people who understand journalism and communication and make short videos might find it easier to stand out!

The same applies to investment. Any choice you make will have its "bad" side. For example, if you're a long-term investor, you have to endure short-term fluctuations. If you're a short-term trader, you need to watch the market daily, sitting for hours, and there’s no guarantee of stable gains. Today you lose, and your mood drops; tomorrow you gain, and you're in a good mood!

So, everything has two sides. Here, I want to draw a conclusion: — how you choose is very important!

Because I know a principle—when you gain something, you will inevitably lose something else.

For example, "When Heaven is about to confer a great responsibility on someone, it first tests their resolve, starves their body, and exhausts their muscles." To succeed, you must pay with sweat.

If you achieve great success in your career, you need to invest a lot of time into it, which might mean less time caring for and maintaining your family. Could there be conflicts and friction at home?

Suddenly winning 5 million in the lottery might bring bad luck afterward!

Back in middle school, I had some initial realizations about these things. I remember that whenever I found money on the way to school, I would inevitably have bad luck afterward—either falling off my bike or getting scolded by a teacher! About 2-3 times, so since then, whenever I see money on the street, I never pick it up!

Many might think this is "superstition," but I think there might be some truth to it. Like K-line charts, they don’t always go up; there can be dips. Up and down is normal. Life is the same—there’s no smooth sailing for everyone.

So, I prefer a more balanced approach—nothing needs to be perfect, just okay. Not chasing extremes!

At work, I don’t work extremely hard, nor do I slack off. In investing, I’m neither aggressive nor conservative (not trading derivatives or using high leverage; I’m actually involved in crypto, not traditional funds).

Of course, I’m not suggesting everyone should think like this. I just want to share some of my insights because I know that—what you gain, you will lose something.

If you choose the American-style superhero mindset, that’s fine too. Want to be the center of attention, go all-in, and make big money? That’s okay, but you must accept what you might lose. For example, if you want to be the focus of everyone’s attention, there will be criticism and insults. Going all-in might lead to bigger losses.

All disadvantages are acceptable as long as you can handle them!

There’s no right or wrong in choosing; what matters is whether you can bear the consequences and risks afterward! I believe this view applies not only to investing but also to life’s choices.

Returning to the beginning—choice is greater than effort. And further, how you choose is even more important, meaning you need the courage to face the unfavorable factors after making a choice.

That’s why we often see very successful people—they need tremendous “courage.” For example, Lei Jun founded Xiaomi, which became so successful, yet he still went all-in on the automotive industry. That takes huge courage. If it fails, it’s probably irrecoverable. Of course, he succeeded; the failure case is Jia Yueting.

According to the normal distribution, successful people are a minority. Most are ordinary. People with courage are more likely to fail, so don’t envy too much. My advice for ordinary people is to just be ordinary—no need to worry. This world creates too much anxiety for you. There’s too much talk about success, and too little about being ordinary!

Don’t think about making big money immediately. Don’t expect instant success. Being an average person among the majority is actually quite good. Standing in the crowd makes it less noticeable, and it’s easier to survive and live longer.

Always remember: “When you get something, you lose something!”