To concentrate, you must first give up. The choice lies in setting priorities, and to overcome the limits of concentration, you must boldly let go of things of low importance according to those priorities. Greed hinders the act of giving up. Not giving up is not merely about intelligence; it involves morality, values, and a person’s character. This is also why human beings do not succeed based on knowledge alone. Even if you decide to give up, concentration exists in another dimension. Choosing something means also giving up or rejecting something else. At this juncture, a value exchange occurs between what is chosen and what is discarded. Thus, our greed is linked to comparative values. The next choice and abandonment depend on the values I already possess. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”
Fragrances that only capture pleasant scents lack appeal. A combination of bad scents is necessary to create a pleasing aroma. Just having good elements doesn’t ensure quality, and similarly, having bad elements isn’t necessarily negative. This concept is referred to as “bistability.” Emotions operate comparably. If you laugh in any situation, people may perceive you as a psychopath. On the other hand, being treated as depressed when feeling down is common too. Yet, when the contrast between mania and depression is too pronounced, mental health suffers. It’s essential to develop both positive and negative emotions. Like a beautiful landscape where good and bad elements coexist and balance one another, emotions should reflect a similar harmony. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”