Weekly Report #45 - Reading Notes, Knowledge Management, and Dual City Life

Preface#

This article is a record and reflection on life from 2023-08-16 to 2023-09-04.

Unknowingly, two or three weeks have passed again, so I can only comfort myself by saying that if I shift each article forward by a week, I can quickly return to weekly updates. However, these past few weeks have not been wasted; I have read some books and several articles that have greatly influenced me; participated in some interesting activities, and engaged in many fun things; rebuilt my own knowledge management system, and both my main job and additional interests are progressing in an orderly manner; there are many interesting things.

Personal Information Acquisition and Knowledge Management System#

Following the article "Weekly Report #25 - Personal Information Output and Synchronization System Based on Crossbell (Reconstruction)", I have been quite satisfied with my information output synchronization system, which can reverse drive input from output, thus increasing the process of information filtering and reflection. However, as mentioned in that article, I have only streamlined and filtered my information sources, combined with a simple tagging system and limited bidirectional links, without much digestion and reflection on some of the input information. When writing weekly reports or articles, I often rely on memory of the titles, but since I have done some thinking while reading, it has never been too strenuous.

However, as I have picked up many previously interesting directions and goals, the time and energy cost for processing and digesting this information has also increased. Coincidentally, I saw P.J. Wu join Heptabase, so I revisited his article from months ago "My Personal Knowledge Management System" and Indigo's article "Feynman Learning Method Practice / INDIGO's Information Acquisition and Knowledge Output Methodology", and thought about reconstructing my knowledge management system again, especially the input side.

~~Why does this person always focus on building various systems instead of studying properly?~~

The final result is quite satisfying. I originally wanted to write some specific details here, but I found myself unable to stop writing, so I dedicated another article "Personal Information Acquisition and Knowledge Management System (Heptabase + Logseq + Readwise)" to it.

The Meaning of Choice#

These past few days, I read an article by "MapleShadow Justin Yan" titled "Everyone only has 24 hours a day, I hope my choices are truly my choices", which mentioned the concept of "exploring inward and finding what you want" several times. It reminded me of the concept of "introspection and external seeking" that I had thought about before:

As humans, our focus often divides into internal and external aspects. Comparatively, the external focus occupies the vast majority due to its stimulating nature and positive feedback, while internal focus is often easily overlooked.

External seeking seems to always yield some answers, while introspection has no endpoint. However, internal seeking must accompany self-analysis and pain, which goes against self-protective instincts and human nature. I used to fear this and worried that I would never find meaning and would fall into an abyss. But now it seems that as long as I continue to question and think, everything remains meaningful. Conversely, losing one's core and the curiosity and motivation to explore oneself is the most frightening and unbearable thing.

This way of peering into others' lives through the small hole of social networks easily magnifies others' real experiences.

I also came across a segment about magnifying others' descriptions, which is very true; it's not just the internet. During university and for a long time afterward, I tended to choose someone I admired at the time to surpass, always feeling that they possessed what I longed for. However, after truly "surpassing" them, I realized that it was all meaningless; what I was chasing was merely an amplified shadow. To fill this meaninglessness, I had to choose again, and becoming someone else ultimately feels like a shortcut and laziness, often distancing me from the true self I aspire to be.

Reading and Reading Notes#

This week, I started reading and writing more, primarily reading Tiago Forte's Building a Second Brain, and I also read many articles. In fact, I hadn't paid much attention to reading notes before; I mostly relied on digesting information while reading to form my internal thoughts. The benefit of this approach is that it keeps me focused while reading and enhances absorption efficiency. However, I have somewhat neglected the review and internalization part, making it harder to remember as time passes. I am now using WeChat Reading + Notepal + Readwise to record my highlights and corresponding thoughts. Meanwhile, in Heptabase and Logseq, each book has a corresponding page for writing some more general or scattered related thoughts. Due to the card mechanism, it is also very convenient to retrieve and link those note fragments.

"When you are ready to learn a new piece of knowledge, you must stand in the position of the teacher, assuming you need to explain this knowledge to others."

Learning to output encourages our brains to use the second mode more: "Forcing connections between different concepts is also a specialty of the brain."

I have been focusing on reading about information acquisition and knowledge management, which has reinforced the concept of the Feynman learning method. This aligns closely with my approach of using output to drive input, and I have realized that I have been practicing this concept all along.

In today's era, we are already experiencing information overload. Logseq's bidirectional links, the P.A.R.A. method, and Heptabase's whiteboard are all designed to follow some of the brain's logical thinking processes. My practice is essentially creating scattered card information from different concepts and information points, accumulating enough to sort and organize them into modules. Once the framework is clear enough, I start writing articles, and in the process of writing, I also reorganize this knowledge and their connections, not only for current memory but also for future retrospection. As I like to describe notes:

Note taking is building a relationship with a future version of yourself.

Personal Life Snapshots#

love_and_food_in_beijing

I spent a Qixi Festival in Beijing. Due to being a bit busy, I didn't go out to eat; my senior made a simple meal, adding a little ritual to life. I also set up Apple TV + Surge tvOS client for my senior, so we could watch YouTube and Netflix directly on the TV, which made me very happy!

hangzhou_rust_meetup

After staying for a week, I hurried back to Hangzhou to attend a Rust event hosted by a friend. I seem to have slightly adapted to traveling back and forth to Beijing and have started living a "two-city" life. My mood has relaxed a lot, and I am more willing to participate in various fun activities and try new things.

In the middle of the week, I went to Liangzhu to work remotely and met with STRRL, Tula Ding, Zhizi, etc. I somewhat regretted not renting a house over there; it was so enjoyable!

love_charge_base

I only received the Qixi gift from my senior after arriving in Hangzhou, a super cool transparent power bank. I took it to remote work to show everyone (~~show off~~), and it felt like the joy of finally receiving a beloved toy as a child.

nie_nie_hide_behind_chair

nie_nie_with_food

My younger sister, who is on summer vacation, wanted to play with Nie Nie, so I didn't pick her up home too early. After returning, she still clings to me. While writing, I suddenly realized that Nie Nie has been with me for over 10 months; time flies so fast. Unknowingly, she is already over a year old, shedding some of her childishness. Yet time also feels slow; it seems like just yesterday when she was secretly hiding in the cabinet, afraid to come out. The days spent together are slow, quiet, and beautiful.

Interesting Things and Items#

MuChiangMai#

muchiangmai_offer

I applied to be a mentor for the MuChiangMai event, where giving three workshops can earn free accommodation! I will probably go to Chiang Mai in October to be a digital nomad for a few weeks. While looking forward to it, I am also a bit nervous about teaching in English and need to prepare in advance; it's a new challenge.

Others#

Input#

Although most interesting inputs will automatically sync in the "Yu's Life" Telegram channel, I still selected a portion to list here, making it feel more like a newsletter.

Books#

Building a Second Brain, currently building my knowledge management system based on his theory.

Articles#

Videos#

Podcasts#

AI & Crypto

Anime#

My Favorite Child, catching up on notes. I watched it when it was first released and couldn't stop after watching two episodes. I really like the rhythm and direction; during one episode where it mimicked love, the whole emotion just surged up. I look forward to the next season.

Series#

The Long Season, catching up on notes. I watched it a long time ago; domestic dramas often exceed my expectations. The pacing and emotional tension of the plot are quite sufficient. After binge-watching, I still felt unsatisfied.
The Disguiser, occasionally I come across some mashups on Bilibili. I love the actors from Nirvana in Fire, and I intended to play it as background music over a few weekends, but I was deeply attracted by the plot. I actually quite like that era and this theme; it reminds me of the game "Invisible Guardian" I played a long time ago. However, I clearly prefer the settings and personalities of characters like Zhuang Xiaoman in the game and Yu Manli in the drama, so I felt quite heartbroken and regretful as I watched later.
The Unparalleled Internet Celebrity, recently I fiddled with Apple TV to watch Netflix directly. I casually clicked on a hot show while experimenting and eating; the female lead's style and outfits are really nice, but everything else is quite poor.
Inside Bill's Brain: Decoding Bill Gates, I resumed the habit of watching documentaries during lunch. I opened it casually, expecting it to narrate his glorious history and the Microsoft empire. However, it discussed a lot about poverty, charity, broken friendships, and daily life, which was quite unexpected. Overall, it is worth watching.