Friday 6 January 2017

Young and Stupid






That's why I like to say to young investors and traders out there, "Youth, your strength is you don't know what cannot be done!"


It meant:

Do!

Explore!

Experiment!

Test!

Poke! (To see if its alive or fresh)

Raise you hand!

Speak your mind!

Question!

Sing!

Dance!

Jump!



The Hokkiens would say, "Crash got sound!" (撞到有声)




If you survive your bruises and falls, you'll grow old and wise with lots of interesting stories to share with youth!

Wink.


19 comments:

  1. But but but SMOL,

    A wise man once said that there are three ways of living: 1). learning from the mistakes of others, 2). learning from one's own mistakes, or 3). never learning at all.

    I prefer number 1 lah! Why go through the hard knocks when you can learn from someone who went through the hard knocks? :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Young but not stupid and humble will sat on the foot of wise old men.

      Young but not stupid and humble and not giam siap will buy kopi and listen to stories of wise old men.

      Delete
    2. Unintelligent Nerd,

      Lucky I practice Trust but Verify!

      I don't know which wise man you learning from, but I think your quotation is "suspect" ;)


      I know Confucius said this:

      By three methods we may learn wisdom -

      First by reflection, which is the noblest;
      second by imitation, which is the easiest;
      and third by experience, which is the bitterest.


      Confucius also went on to say:

      I hear and I forget.
      I see and I remember.
      I do and I understand.


      I fully understand why so many people like to read motivational books and follow their favourite bloggers - imitation is the easiest mah!


      If this is what they do - follow the asses of other zebras in the herd - of course they will never make any mistakes.

      Anything that went wrong - blame the zebra in front!


      Delete
    3. CW,

      Oh! Which reminds me...

      I now still in holiday mood.

      After CNY then I'll organise our kopi sharing sessions OK?

      I don't do bei kambings - leave them to others who got more patience.

      I prefer to mix with dragons and snakes. This way, we won't go home empty-handed ;)

      I'll be grinning from ear to ear if I can go home full of blue-black!



      Delete
    4. Uncle CW,

      ok ok, I got your hint! Shall jio you out for coffee soon!

      SMOL,

      Zebra in front not easy to follow leh.

      2 Zebras in front is scholar, I cannot follow.

      4 others Zebras in front is street-smarts, go through hard-knocks, and have high wisdom one, I also cannot follow.

      2 other Zebras works ke siao hard one one, I no stamina to follow also.

      Aiya, I'll learn from them what is relevant to my context bah.

      Delete
    5. Unintelligent Nerd,

      Tell me about it! Everyone is a grad nowadays...

      Even Poly grads just have to study 2-3 years overseas, they also grads!

      I cannot be a Zebra.

      So I became a Grasshopper.

      Just shout, "Shio zhui, shio zhui" (Hot water, hot water)

      People will give way and I move to the front ;)


      Actually I should say - be the Lion! This is what standard motivational gurus will use.

      But since I can only meow, I better don't give advice on things I cannot do myself to others :(


      If you into Zen, there's this saying:

      See Buddha, kill Buddha.

      See Devil, kill Devil.


      Take what you can ;)

      Delete
    6. Lion 不好做. Got rivals both within and without.

      Sword of Damocles anytime can drop and chop head.

      Wah. I see what you did there. I want to be cat also.

      Cute and ladies like :P

      Delete
    7. Purrrr...

      If I didn't already call myself a Grasshopper, I'll call myself a Cat ;)

      You can't herd cats.

      And the owner works for the cat; not the other way round ;)


      Delete
  2. Hi SMoL,

    I believe learning takes place all the time. Consciously or subsciously. We are bombarded with input and they get internalized through the 3 ways which u say.

    Learning through experience need not be bitter.

    Learning for that matter need not be bitter in whatever ways u choose.

    It is bitter because of these reasons:

    1) You set benchmarks for learning and u miss it.
    2) u don't just want learning to take place but also want the pace to be fast enough
    3) u compare your learning with others
    4) u attach monetary or tangible rewards to what is learn, or why it is learn
    5) you believe that is one best mode to learn it ... be it experience, reflection, whatever.

    The one mode most effective, I wAnt ... and I dun care

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sillyinvestor,

      Wow! So many examples why learning through experience is bitter...

      You have just verified and double confirmed what Confucius had said!


      Learning through example is not bitter if we treat it as a craft - journey to achieve.

      With each setback, mistake, or failure, we get even more motivated! We now know one more example what not to do!

      We see ourselves as getting close to the Truth ;)


      Shit! Got to get ready for work now. Your other comments I reply you tonight. They are quite intellectually stimulating!!!

      Delete
  3. Smol,

    I tried a very different approach to learning/ teaching the weakest kids when school starts in the first week.

    I was really excited. There is some literature review behind it, but true to my nature, a lot of the elements of it was out of my imagination

    It is really simple. Give them google translate, give them the passage and questions. Ask them to answer it. Think of whatever ways. I call it the 15 min no help period.

    Cannot look elsewhere, cannot ask. Just figure it out your self.

    I shall not bored u with the nitty gritty of the weakness of the lesson. The sprit is for them to discover the techniques themselves instead of me pushing it down their throats

    Not really a success, they cannot "make learning visible" articulate their reflections even in English, but I do see kids trying to break down the passage into smaller paragraphs. I saw one typing in English and then translating it back to Chinese. I saw a girl writing down words, and ask what u need to do that, when u are using pC ... she say I scroll down how I remember the key words of the questions ... lol

    These are success example. One almost cried when I ask why are I struck? He says dun know how to copy and paste lol

    ReplyDelete
  4. This "project"'is supposed to be share with another colleague who is also interested.

    I told her my findings, the pitfalls to avoid and the problems I encountered, etc.

    She ask me about my bigger objectives and short term goals. I was tongue struck. I told her most probably they will not show a uptick in marks, but I see value in them mastering a tool which can help them
    Navigate the language next time, and also happy to see them coming to class smiling... but the pace of learning might be... and we might have a problem with curriculum progress...

    That's why your conversation with UN really hit me and made me so naggy...

    Ok I finishe my monologue

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi SI,

      I think I'm experiencing point 2: "u don't just want learning to take place but also want the pace to be fast enough"

      I'm not bitter though. Instead, I'm overwhelmed >.<

      Delete
    2. Sillyinvestor,

      I just had a naughty thought. Imagine your colleague asking Jesus, Confucius, and Buddha what's their bigger objectives and short term goals?

      Cannot! Your answers are all too vague. I need to know something more concrete like how many converts in a week, month, year, etc... Must follow the SMART guidelines!

      LOL!



      Sillyinvestor, you already have the answer.

      The bigger objective is to inculcate in your students the LOVE and JOY of Self-Learning.

      (Its sad when I see we have to tell/teach adults what to do or what to think - especially in financial literacy!? Of all things???)

      The short term goal is to have them coming to class smiling.

      BOTH can be OBSERVED; but the moment you try to measure them, you have lost the plot...


      Eh, there's no such thing as a monologue in this watering-hole.

      Even if I can't reply you, I'll let you know I've LISTENED to you.

      I am not your blogger; I am your friend ;)

      Kopi next time on me!

      Delete
    3. Smol,

      Thanks.will remember that coffee.

      Actually on the third day, I share the concerns about being too "slow". There surely is more efficient way to deal with reading comprehension.

      I am quite sure when I am gone for half a year , it will die a natural death. I wanted to stay in see through it, since if my 1st half is not so good, I still have the second half to revert to tried and test methods. (Although they are also ....convert ratio like ....)

      Delete
    4. Sillyinvestor,

      You're welcomed.

      I can empathise.

      Your colleague is not wrong. That's how she was brought up, and brain-washed by the Principal.

      And your Principal was indoctrinated by the MOE Mothership.

      There's hope.

      The Great Supreme leaders have a changed of heart. We can see the signs of change...

      1) No precision PSLE scores... Just a band.

      2) No naming of PSLE top students. More vagueness...

      3) Now grads and non-grads in civil service merged. Embracing more greyness ;)

      4) At work, less precision between men and women, full bodied and handicapped, senior and young, pregnant and with reservist duties; etc.


      Its like photography.

      We buy the sharpest lens we can afford; but when it comes to taking portraits of people, we make the lens "less sharp" by putting on soft focus filters..

      This way, we won't see every single pimple and every wrinkle line!

      Wisdom is knowing when to be eagle-eyed sharp, and when to be "blind" like a mole ;)

      Married men should know this!

      LOL!

      Delete
    5. The great supremes leaderS?

      Those changes are push by 1 minister I admired. I am not sure how
      Much team work is there, but definitely not this current one...

      Delete
    6. Sillyinvestor,

      In our parliamentary system, its called COLLECTIVE responsibility.

      Its the Great Supreme Leaders (plural) that appoint new ministers that share their vision; not the other way round where young Turks "force" changes from bottom-up ;)


      Politics and corporate world the same.

      If I want to make changes to the same system that enabled me, I would let the Reformation faction have their day.

      If it works, I'll take the glory for my "foresight" and courage to steer off uncharted territories ;)

      If it goes to hell, I'll purge the Reformation movement as traitors and usurpers. And I still good with the Establishment faction ;)

      No harm; no foul.


      江湖啊。。。

      Delete
  5. temperament,

    Our 5000 years of collective Chinese wisdom can't be wrong ;)

    Some people have a great career; but lousy retirement.

    Some have a lousy career; but a wonderful retirement.

    Some lucky ones have both.


    If retirement is like our corporate career - first year experience times 30... I'll be miserable too!

    ReplyDelete

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