A Journey through My Diverse Perspectives

  I often read famous quotes born from the experiences of great people, nod in agreement, and try to express the same ideas in my own words. Yet somehow, those words do not resonate with me or feel entirely genuine. I believe this is because, while we may intellectually understand another person's wisdom, it does not truly become our own unless we have gone through a similar experience ourselves. Without that lived experience, even carefully rephrased words can lack conviction and persuasive power.

  There is something deeply captivating about people who live their ordinary days with thoughtfulness and care, always finding ways to make the most of them. Such individuals naturally inspire both admiration and a touch of envy. If you look around with an open mind, you will surely find people like this in your own life.

  The wisdom we gain through life experiences can, in a sense, be viewed as part of the laws of nature. Just as scientists seek to discover the universal and enduring principles of the natural world through observation, hypothesis, experimentation, and verification, ordinary people also develop practical wisdom through a similar process in their daily lives, though often with less formal inquiry and effort. Even small pieces of wisdom—our own “small natural laws”—can help us better understand and accept the reality that life does not always unfold according to our plans. Once internalized, such wisdom becomes a valuable guide, enabling us to navigate challenges with greater resilience and live more fulfilling lives.

  For 38 years during my working life, I focused on practical learning, reading mainly books that helped me develop the knowledge and skills needed for my job. However, soon after retiring, I found myself gradually drifting away from reading. Over the years, whenever I moved to a new home, I would discard most of the books I had read, keeping only those I considered important enough to revisit. As a result, I do not own a particularly large collection. Even so, my bookshelves remain full, and I rarely take most of those books down to read. Now, four years into retirement, I have finally decided to part with books that I am unlikely to read again, especially practical books related to my career. I do so with a sense of gratitude for the knowledge and support they once provided. Most of these books are filled with underlines and notes I made while reading them, so used bookstores will not accept them. Although it feels somewhat wasteful, I ultimately dispose of them as recyclable pap...

  Since we cannot turn back time, we have no choice but to move forward and create new chapters in our lives. If we dwell on the past, we may lose focus on the ever-flowing present and end up planting the seeds of future regrets. The best path forward is to reflect on our mistakes, learn from them, and continue moving ahead.

  It is often said that the invention of writing and the printing press enabled humans to record and store information outside their brains, contributing to a decline in memory. At the same time, the immense benefits of these inventions—which greatly accelerated the sharing and dissemination of knowledge—cannot be overlooked. Likewise, the rapid advancement of AI in recent years has brought remarkable improvements in productivity, freed people from burdensome and repetitive tasks, and contributed to breakthroughs in science and technology. However, it has also raised concerns that humans may experience not only a further decline in memory but also a weakening of cognitive abilities such as information gathering, interpretation, problem-solving, concentration, and resilience. In particular, excessive reliance on external thinking tools like AI could weaken independent thought and even erode one's sense of identity. Therefore, it would be wise to use AI primarily as a supplement to h...