Recently, I’ve been pondering a question: How can one truly become a strong person? I’ve realized that many people are actually heading in the wrong direction.

Let’s start with the most painful point. Have you noticed that the more useless someone is, the more they like to explain and prove themselves in front of others? Meanwhile, those who are truly capable tend to be silent. They don’t need to justify anything to anyone because their strength speaks for itself. The more eager you are to argue, the more you unconsciously diminish your own value. The silence of a strong person is itself a form of authority.

Let’s also look at the matter of connections. I used to think that the more friends you have, the better. But I later realized that’s completely fooling yourself. People who truly make money do have many friends, but their close confidants are painfully few. They’ve long seen through it all—most socializing is a waste of time. Instead of attending a bunch of meaningless dinners, it’s better to spend time engaging with extraordinary people. Your circle determines your height; this is not just talk. Just like a spider benefits from having a web, it can sit back and enjoy the fruits of its labor. The strength of your network determines how far you can go.

There’s also a harsh reality. Society is essentially a game—either you are the one controlling it, or you are being controlled. Ordinary people see others relaxing with coffee and think, “How can I be as relaxed as them?” But strong people think completely differently—they’re considering how to become the person selling that coffee to them. The kind of people you study and associate with directly determines your future destiny. Poor people teach their children to find good jobs; rich people teach their children to arrange jobs for obedient people. That’s how big the difference in perspective can be.

Regarding face (reputation), I especially agree with what Li Ka-shing said. When young, many people are trapped by their pride, willing to be dirt-poor just to maintain a sense of dignity. But truly wise people have long understood that face is the least valuable thing. When you lower your pride to make money, it shows you’ve woken up. When you can buy back your face with money, it shows you’ve succeeded. When you can use face to earn money, it means you’ve become a real figure.

Another trait of strong people is their willingness to take risks. Most people stay in their comfort zones, afraid of failure, being exploited, or making mistakes. As a result, they remain stagnant their whole lives. But people are pushed out of their comfort zones; potential is limitless. All setbacks, blows, and failures are actually fertilizer for growth. If you don’t take risks when you’re young, you’ll definitely have to when you’re older—and they’ll be even bigger. It’s better to suffer losses early; the earlier you try and fail, the lower the cost. You’re already so poor—what more can others exploit from you?

Finally, I want to say that weak people always like to band together for safety, while strong people are naturally inclined to walk alone. I used to fear being isolated, but I later understood that forming groups means you’re just as ordinary as everyone else. Like Tetris teaches us: once you join a group, you start to disappear. If you hang out with colleagues every day, eating, joking, ten years later they’ll have bought houses, cars, married, while you’re still earning a few thousand a month. Strong people are often solitary—like fierce beasts that always walk alone; only sheep and cattle move in herds.

To sum up the traits of strong people: they don’t explain or justify themselves; they are silent but full of energy; they choose their circles carefully rather than blindly socializing; they dare to take risks, try new things, and face failures; they let go of superficial pride in pursuit of real success; they think independently and act independently. All these traits point to one direction: constantly improving one’s understanding and strengthening one’s abilities. Society is a jungle where the weak are prey; rather than fearing being robbed, it’s better to see the truth of the world through being robbed, recognize your own shortcomings, and ultimately turn around and take from others. That is the true logic of growth.