Chapter 1 Don't try

Day 1

【Q & A】

1 What does Charles Bukowski’s success try to prove?

 It proves that accepting the current situation is the most effective way to get what you want. Being oneself is the prerequisite of being happy and successful.

2 what’s wrong with the conventional life advice, which is fixating on(注视) what you lack?

 Conventional life advice makes us to be anxious. It defines success in only material ways which might be the tricks of businessman.

3 Can you use your own words explaining what the Feedback Loop from Hell is?

Yes. That means you have a negative thought about your life and feel sad about that. Then you feel sad about your sad feeling on your life because conventional life advisor told us you should always be enthusiastic about life whatever you are facing with. Such thoughts run in your mind over and over again.

【Words and Expressions】

Bombard 

(v.)  

~ sb/sth (with sth)

①to attack a place by firing large guns at it or dropping bombs on it continuously

②to attack sb with a lot of questions, criticism,etc or by giving them a lot of information   Eg: We have been bombarded with letters of complaint.（我们接二连三收到了大批的投诉信件。）

(n.)

Bombardment  Eg: The city came under heavy bombardment.（那座城市受到猛烈轰炸。）

【Reflection and Thinking】

读完前半章，字面意思都懂了。但是合上书，感觉什么都不记得了。鸡汤与反鸡汤，傻傻分不清楚。概括书上说的意思：人生短暂，能赌的机会并不多。把有限的精力分给自己认为有价值的事情上面。

如果有些人也不知道自己到底喜欢的什么呢？因为没有生活目标，所以才忍不住探寻生命的意义。结果他说“You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life.”

因为他们也不知道这辈子应该怎么过，所以别人说你到了什么年纪应该做什么，他们就照做了。他们也不喜欢追求快速更迭的潮流，吃快餐一样的满足基本欲望，然后只剩下空白；也不喜欢还没毕业就忧心忡忡担心将来买不起房；也不喜欢争抢那几个无聊的优秀称号。

如果他们不喜欢做就不去做，那么最后都是一个个碌碌无为什么都不是的人。就像Charles Bukowski,他是怎么成功的？如果没有最后的那个审美奇特的编辑，他不就是个彻头彻尾的loser吗？作者也不会用他做例子。作者说他成功不也是基于普世价值观的成功吗?

那么，对于其他千千万万个无名的Charles Bukowski，背离普世价值观到底是忠于自己还是逃避现实？

Day 2

【Q & A】

[if !supportLists]1. [endif]What are the subtleties of not giving a fuck?

[if !supportLists]1) [endif]Everyone has to pick up a choice and pay attention to it. The point is to choose what you really like.

[if !supportLists]2) [endif]Let go those trivial things and concentrate on important things.

[if !supportLists]3) [endif]As we grow older, we can only focus on a few things. So your choice matters.

[if !supportLists]2. [endif]What’s wrong with being “perpetually entitled to be comfortable and happy at all times”? Can you think of an example to support your answer?

It’s an impossible situation to get to. Such thought would immerse you into disappointment. For example, it’s just like mirage in a desert. If you want to get to it, you will starve to death on the way and never be happy. Because you will never achieve this goal.

【Words and Expressions】

..., warts and all.

Wart是指肉赘。该短语表示包括所有的缺点；不隐瞒缺点；不遮丑。

Eg: She still loves him, warts and all.她仍然爱他，不管他有什么缺点。 

【Reflection and Thinking】

第一章的后半部分回答了我之前的疑问。它不是劝人们放弃一切使自己痛苦挣扎的事，而是要摒弃杂念专心于自己选择要做的事。回答我自己的问题：1本书不涉及人生目标的设立方法，而是阐述一种对生活的态度。2背离普世价值观不是无所事事，而是去追求符合自己内心而有悖于大多数人的愿望的目标。3 对于Charles Bukowski，世俗的成功没有错，他坚持自己更没有错。至于其他千千万万个无名的Charles Bukowski，他们正专心于喝酒，赌博，女人和写诗，并不妄想出名，也不在意你怎么想他。

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