宝贵的人生建议(一)
Valuable Life Advice (I)
人生的可能性无关年龄,只关于勇气和智慧。
Life's possibilities have nothing to do with age; they depend on courage and wisdom.
凯文·凯利(Kevin Kelly)在68岁生日那天,开始动笔为他的子女写下一些人生建议,他希望子女们能早点领悟这些智慧,于是便有了《宝贵的人生建议》这本书。
On his sixty-eighth birthday, Kevin Kelly began writing down life advice for his children. He hoped they could discover this wisdom earlier in life, and those notes eventually became the book *Excellent Advice for Living*.
以下是我从中摘选出的一些印象深刻且值得践行的建议,结合我的个人理解,与大家分享。
Here are several ideas from the book that stayed with me and seem especially worth putting into practice, together with my own reflections.
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用你喜爱和接受的东西,
Define yourself by what you love
而不是你厌恶和拒绝的东西,
and embrace, rather than by what you dislike
来定义你自己。
and reject.
琨:从正面、积极的角度来构建我们的身份,比如有人会说“我不喜欢和陌生人交流”,这样建立的是对立和消极的态度,长此以往,可能使自己对社交产生更大的抗拒,而换成“我喜欢和熟悉的人深度交流”,则是从积极的角度来自我定义,这种思维会增强自我认同感和内心的开放度。
Kun: Build your identity from a positive and constructive perspective. Someone might say, “I don't like talking to strangers,” which frames the situation through opposition and negativity. Over time, that mindset may make them even more resistant to social interaction. Saying instead, “I enjoy having deep conversations with people I know well,” defines the self positively. This way of thinking strengthens self-acceptance and openness.
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保持乐观,
Staying optimistic
相当于增加25点智商。
is like gaining 25 IQ points.
琨:乐观的人倾向于看到问题的积极面,认为困难是可以克服的,这种积极开放的心态让其更容易保持清晰的思路,跳出固有的思维框架,激发更多的创造力,想到更多的可能性和解决方案,并去尝试这些新的方法,从而更接近成功。
Kun: Optimistic people tend to notice the positive side of a problem and believe that difficulties can be overcome. This open, constructive mindset helps them think clearly, move beyond familiar patterns, unlock more creativity, imagine more possibilities and solutions, and then try those new approaches. All of this brings them closer to success.
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大多数争论,
Most arguments
其实跟争论本身毫无关系。
are not really about the issue being argued over.
所以大多数情况下,
That is why, most of the time,
人们无法通过争论来赢得争论。
you cannot win an argument by arguing.
琨:许多争论与表面议题无太大关系,更多是由于背后隐藏着更深的需求和动机。比如两口子争论谁该负责做家务,实际上是其中一方感觉被忽视或是缺乏感激的情感需求。争论只是情感表达的方式,而真正的问题并没有直接讨论,结果是双方更加对立。因此,尽量避免争论,而是更多去关注对方的立场和真实需求。
Kun: Many arguments have little to do with the issue on the surface. They are more often driven by deeper needs and motives. A couple may argue over who should do the housework, for example, when the real issue is that one person feels ignored or unappreciated. The argument becomes a way of expressing emotion while the real problem remains unspoken, leaving both sides even more opposed. So instead of arguing, try to pay closer attention to the other person's position and genuine needs.
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成功最可靠的方法,
The most reliable way to succeed
是你自己定义成功。
is to define success for yourself.
先射箭,
Shoot the arrow first,
然后在射中的地方,
then draw a bull's-eye
画一个靶心。
around wherever it lands.
琨:传统的成功标准往往是固化的,是由社会或他人定义的。然而我们完全可以自己来定义成功,不再依赖外界的评价。比如你追求一项兴趣或是帮助他人,它并不能带来名和利,但你享受这个过程带来的满足和价值,就可以认为自己是成功的。这样我们可以更加自由地活着,减少因外界标准带来的压力,享受过程。
Kun: Conventional standards of success are often fixed and defined by society or other people. Yet we are free to define success for ourselves instead of depending on outside judgment. Perhaps you pursue an interest or help others. It may bring neither fame nor fortune, but if you value the fulfillment and meaning you find in the process, you can still regard yourself as successful. This lets us live more freely, reduces the pressure created by external standards, and helps us enjoy the journey.
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人生中至少留一件事,
Keep at least one thing in your life
在这件事上,你不追求效率。
that you do not try to make efficient.
多花时间享受这件事,
Take your time and enjoy it,
即使此事非你所长。
even if you are not especially good at it.
这是你的欢娱时间,
This is your time for delight.
将让你永远年轻。
It will keep you forever young.
绝不要觉得这么做有错。
Never feel guilty about it.
琨:现在社会什么事都追求更快更好,许多人把自己排得满满的,工作是这样,读书也是追求数量、旅游也是打卡更多的地方。但这样会失去最关键的东西,那就是享受过程的乐趣。我们可以尝试在一些事情上不追求效率,而是重新找回像孩子般无忧无虑的玩耍感,不在乎时间、不在乎结果,只是沉浸于此,享受每一个瞬间。这样能让我们重拾内心的平和、激发创造力,保持心灵的年轻。
Kun: Society now urges us to do everything faster and better. Many people pack their schedules: work is optimized, reading becomes a numbers game, and travel becomes a race to check off more destinations. Yet this makes us lose the most important thing—the pleasure of the process. We can choose some activities in which efficiency does not matter and rediscover the carefree feeling of play we had as children. Forget the time and the outcome; simply become absorbed and enjoy each moment. This can restore inner peace, awaken creativity, and keep the spirit young.
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重要的事,
Important things
通常不紧急,
are usually not urgent,
紧急的事,
and urgent things
通常不重要。
are usually not important.
要完成重要的事,
To accomplish what matters,
就不要操之过急。
do not rush it.
琨:真正重要的事情,往往对我们的长期目标有着深远的影响,比如学习培养新的能力、保持健康、维系重要的人际关系等,这些都不是一朝一夕能完成的,欲速而不达。因此我们要在处理许多看似紧急的事情之余,有意识地识别真正重要的事情,制定长远目标,徐徐展开,逐步达成,这样才能真正实现我们的人生愿景。
Kun: What truly matters often has a lasting influence on our long-term goals: developing new abilities, staying healthy, and maintaining important relationships, for example. None of these can be completed overnight, and haste often defeats the purpose. So while handling the many things that appear urgent, we should consciously identify what is genuinely important, set long-term goals, and move toward them steadily. That is how we can ultimately realize the life we envision.