Tag Archives: life

Daily Scribble

The paradox of choice

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Different people have different ways of making a decision. When Pat make a decision, she can make up her mind once she come across something she like. When I make a decision, I am have to study every available information before I make up my mind. I found I have may have the problem of compulsive complete information syndrome. I have to list down all the choices, then pick the one that best fit my criteria. I feel obligate to read all the information or I don’t not feel comfortable about my decision and have anxiety second guessing I am not making the right choice.

When the choices available to me is limited due to information availability or the lack of variety in selection, my decision process works pretty well. When I am buying electronics, computer, sports equipments, guns or any guys stuff, I can apply some filter algorithms to narrow in my choices based on the feature I want or my budget constraint. I found my decision process is not scalable to stuff with no easy objective criteria. When I am buying faucets and cabinet handles for my kitchen and bathroom, Direct Buy have the complete catalog of over a dozen faucets manufacturers and over a thousand different kinds of cabinet handles. It took me almost two nights to go over every one of them to figure out which is the right one. I don’t have this problem if I buy faucets and handles form Home Depot or Candian Tires, since they have a aisle of faucet or handle selection at most and I can finish the aisle in 15 minutes.

I have to go through this painful selection process at least three more times. I still have to find the right lights fixtures, the right dining table and the right bed frames for our new place. There are at least 200 more furniture and light catalogs from Direct Buy. I have to read every page and then research more information about those products online. Now, I can understanding why sometimes more is less, the paradox of choice.

Daily Scribble

Learning how to ride a unicycle – day 2

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Today I was practicing unicycle at tennis court close to home. An empty tennis court is better than parking lot, especially on a sunny afternoon. I am getting better than last time. I feel more comfortable sitting on the unicycle. I am slowly getting the sense of balance. I can peddle forward a few steps before falling off the unicycle. Of course, one of my hand still hold on to the fence all the time.

Riding unicycle is very different than riding a bicycle. When riding a bicycle, you usually use your whole body weight to help you peddle. However, when riding a unicycle, the body weight always stay on top of the seat. You will lose balance if you transfer too much weight on to the peddle. You have to unlearn the body motion of riding a bicycle.

Learning unicycle inspire me a few lessons of life that I can apply them to my daily life. It seems counter-intuitive at first, but the more you think about it, the more it makes sense. When you are sitting on a wobbling unicycle, it is human nature to grab something to feel secure. There is a natural tendency to grab on the seat handle. It is a bad idea, you should spread out your arms to help you balance instead. The first lesson is hang on something does not mean you are secured, if the thing you try to hang on needs you to keep it balance.

Many beginners like to look down at the wheel which supports you and which you suppose to keep it up right. However looking down will throw you off balance. Stop paying attention to where you are, focus on your destination and you will be there. The second lesson is don’t let your mind blogged down by everyday details, think about the big picture and the small things will sort themselves out.

Since I am still a learner, I hold on to the fence all the time. Sometimes when I am peddling forward, I am too scare to let go of my hand off the fence. As a result the wheel rotation forward while my hand is stilling holding to the same position of the fence, my body is twisted and I am off balance. The third lesson is if you want to move forward, you have to stop holding the same spot.

兩週一聚

兩週一聚﹕重頭一次

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前言﹕這是一個叫「兩周一聚」的活動。是網友米雪兒發起。每月十五日﹑三十日﹐一班住在世界不同角落的香港人都會一起寫同一個題目。今天是第二十一次相聚，由HumptiDumpti出題﹐主題定為「重頭一次」。

看見今期的題目﹐腦海中響起了林憶蓮的一首舊歌﹐不如重新開始。如果人生可以重頭來過﹐生命會有什麼不同呢。人生中不如意事十常八九﹐稍有不滿便要重新來過﹐恐怕會變成涼宮春日無止境的八月。因暑假還有遺憾不願開學﹐結果墮進九月不會來的永恆輪迴﹐過著不斷重覆暑假的生活。

如果人生可以重頭來過﹐大慨我最想是重頭買過上星期那張彩票﹐不買原本那組不中獎的號碼﹐改買贏了二千五百萬的那組號碼。想要重新來過﹐是因為不滿意現狀﹐想藉著改變過去來改變現在。問題是改變了過去﹐並不保證現狀會更好﹐可能反過來變得更差﹐好像電影蝴蝶效應一樣﹐每次改變總會帶來出乎意料的意外。那又是否要重回過去﹐再一次改變未來呢﹖

小時候跟父親學捉棋﹐下棋不小心棋子給吃掉﹐我總是賴皮要求退回重下。老父便教訓我說所謂舉手不回真君子﹐不過棋力實在相差太遠所以讓我重下﹐不過就算重下也改變不了輸棋的命運。退回一步甚至兩步﹐可以挽求不小心走錯位被吃掉的棋子。但下棋不只是一枚棋子的得失﹐還講究佈局棋勢縱橫連合。當敗局已成不便能扳回﹐甚至不知道該從那一步開始重走﹐退回一兩步不過是垂死爭扎﹐甚至會發現不論走任何一步﹐也必定會有棋子被吃掉。要重頭來過扭轉劣勢﹐恐怕要退回到開局的位置﹐其實已變等於下一局新棋。人生要完全從新來過的話﹐那可要退回嬰兒剛剛出世的時候了。

能夠重新來過並不保證不會從行舊路。若回到過去不能攜帶現在的記憶﹐那當日作選擇時的條件沒有改變﹐思考後得出的答案應該不會改變。或許我們其實並非想重新一次﹐而是在作出選擇時能夠預知未來。不過就算能夠預知未來﹐也不一定不會後悔當日的選擇﹐人總會隔壁飯香或得不到是最美的奇怪心理。

想undo的博客有：

Michelle、Vince、csfling、火羽、周游、C9讀與食、athrunz、hevangel、haricot、南杏、安寧、tintinbright、Lomichee、cr 、軍師奶、敖然、C+

若果想參加兩周一聚的朋友﹐可以參看這個網頁。

兩週一聚

兩週一聚﹕生命中的巧合

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前言﹕這是一個叫「兩周一聚」的活動。是網友米雪兒發起。每月十五日﹑三十日﹐一班住在世界不同角落的香港人都會一起寫同一個題目。今天是第十六次相聚，由umptidumpti出題﹐主題定為「生命中的巧合」。

可能我讀工程系出身﹐我不相信生命中有巧合。當然不信有巧合並不等同相信預定論﹐認為生命中一切也是冥冥中有天意。我還未修讀歷史哲學﹐對於歷史是必然性和偶然性的問題還未思考到結論。當然我可以很不負責任地借用黑格爾的說話﹐但老實說我還是搞不懂他到底說什麼。不過我碩士倒是研究隨機率﹐所有生命中的所謂巧合﹐大慨也可以用機會率去解釋。

舉個例子﹐若拿起一副洗均的啤牌﹐隨手翻開最上面五隻﹐若果出現同花順的話﹐我們會說那一定是巧合。若我們不斷重覆洗牌翻版的程序﹐總會有一次出現同花順。同樣道理﹐我們人生中一天二十四小時﹐一年三百六十五日﹐一生人數十個寒暑﹐無數事情不斷圍繞我們身邊發生。大部份事情平淡無味﹐發生過後我們沒有留下印象。可是根據機會率的定律﹐總會出現一些看似不可能發生﹐但實際上遲早一定會發生的事情﹐而我們總對這些巧合留下深刻印象﹐這些事情便稱之為生命中的巧合了。例如有人說收到過特別號碼的鈔票﹐我從來不會看手上鈔票的號碼﹐只會看銀碼﹐所以就算有特別號碼我也不會知道。不過試想一生人中會接觸多少張鈔票﹐若有恆心每張也細心觀察的話﹐相信總會遇上幾張特別的號碼吧。

只有在電視或電影中﹐觀眾才知道人生交叉點不同的結局中。現實中沒有人知道﹐十字路口的兩條路﹐會否最終還是到達相同的目的地。盡管我不相信生命中的巧合﹐可是回顧過去我的生命﹐現在這一刻存在於這個時空的我﹐倒像是由無數偶然的事件所組成。只是我不可能知道﹐這些事件是否真的是偶然發生﹐還是這其實是上天的安排。

  • 如果不是小六某天﹐因母親遲了返工﹐早上接到一個電話﹐匆匆忙忙帶我去面試﹐我便不會認識中學時代的一班好朋友。
  • 如果不是中五時移民申請及時批出﹐我便會去了英國升學﹐而不是來加拿大讀書﹐英國學校的留位費也付了。
  • 如果不是贏了數學比賽﹐我便不會升讀現在這間大學﹐不會認識大學時代的一班好朋友。
  • 如果不是考不到美國一流大學的研究院﹐我便不會來溫哥華工作﹐便不會認識到現在的老婆。
  • 如果不是很多年前某天一個三九唔識七的人﹐無厘在頭ICQ白撞向我傳教﹐我便不會流連基督教討論區﹐不會對宗教問題產生興趣﹐不會繼而對哲學產生興趣﹐不會現在修讀哲學了。
  • 如果不是加燦一篇留言﹐我便不會去看他的網誌﹐便不會認識兩周一聚了﹗

其他文章: humptidumpti、Petit_melon、微豆 Haricot、石先生、Lomichee、洛言、 longqt、The Man Who Loves Everton、Chilli mom、Zero、南杏、Amy、Kempton、周游、athrunz、audreyma、mad dog、肥肥媽媽、Vince、hevangel、yaya

若果想參加兩周一聚的朋友﹐可以參看這個網頁。