Entertainment and Meaning; The So-called "Underlying Logic"#
date: September 11, 2022
slug: 3
status: Published
tags: Weekly Report
type: Post
Entertainment and Meaning; The So-called "Underlying Logic"#
2022-09-11 3 min read # Weekly Report
Introduction#
Unlike the Great Library, whose function is to organize and archive various materials I have collected, Weekly Observations is a brand new column on the blog, aimed at recording what I have seen, thought, and reflected upon during the week, and internalizing it into my own knowledge accumulation through output.
The knowledge in notes does not belong to you; only through digestion and application can it become your own knowledge.
1. Half-Buddha's Nonsense#
“For many people, the main role of rest and entertainment is relaxation and stress relief.
But society and the public will constantly assign 'meaning' to people's behaviors.
Once entertainment is assigned 'meaning', it becomes a burden.
If you don't socialize, don't self-improve, and don't create new experiences,
you will be defined as 'wasting time'.
However, entertainment that is 'not wasting time' is often very 'exhausting'."
“Videos, games, books, and movies are all like this.
'Meaning' can become 'pressure'.
Therefore, it is necessary to 'waste time' to relieve stress.
So-called relaxation should be 'doing nothing'.
Thus, 'electronic impotence' arises.
That's why these hoof-trimming videos appear.”
They are truly a form of spiritual health care.
Very refreshing.
2. New Knowledge#
(1). Hayek and the Austrian School (Neoliberalism)#
(2). Breaking Out of the One True View—From Abstract to Concrete#
The so-called penetration is not to summarize everything with the same set of principles; the more general the summary, the less it can approach the essence. Penetration is an opportunity for dialogue between different principles.
Recently, there have been many videos on Bilibili discussing "underlying logic" and "truth," and watching them always feels somewhat off.
If the rampant use of professional vocabulary and terminology by interns is the tip of the iceberg in this industry, then the obsession with "methodology" and "underlying logic" is probably a common ailment in the internet industry. There are too many smart people who prefer to quickly understand various methodologies and underlying logics rather than engage in tedious execution, advocating for rapid goal achievement and high efficiency. From this perspective, methodology is also a high ROI, quick goal-achieving method. As long as one knows the underlying methodology, one can see through everything and be invincible.
Is our behavior of learning and discussing underlying logic correct?
Of course, it is correct; learning underlying logic helps increase our macro understanding of a particular industry and clarifies "which direction to go." However, after clarifying the direction of progress, "how to do better" should absolutely not be overlooked. Overindulgence in abstract "methodology" can lead to arrogance, simplifying complex problems, and making one unwilling to lower oneself to perceive the world.
As Professor Xiang Biao mentioned in “Making Yourself a Method”:
I have always felt that theories have different forms of expression; there are tightly structured deductive theories, and there is also a demonstrative, pictorial form. Ethnography is a pictorial theory that is built up through countless details, like a huge mural that cannot be condensed into a single conclusion. If condensed into one conclusion, it would seem meaningless. It is about common sense; one must look at how the details behind it are layered.
Grand narratives simplify the entire world into drama, but true greatness must be sought from micro practices.