If thinking is categorized practically, it can be broadly split into ‘volitional thinking’ and ‘instrumental thinking.’ Volitional thinking involves the belief that to succeed, a person must have a strong will to overcome hardships and obstacles. Self-improvement falls under this category. However, to actually overcome hardships and obstacles, it is instrumental thinking that drives us to consider that we need ‘tools’ to get past them. In other words, it’s like how carpenters build houses: they construct the structure, but tools are what make it possible. There is no carpenter without tools. Both are essential for success, but if I had to emphasize one, focusing on instrumental thinking is more advantageous. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”
A balloon will pop when placed atop a single pointed needle. However, if you drive the needle with multiple thumbtacks arranged like a rug, the balloon won’t burst. This illustrates that the impact of sharpness can depend on context. Even if we face inner turmoil, the way we position our challenges and the situations we create can transform those difficulties into connections rather than sources of pain. The key lies in how we manage the distribution of sharpness rather than the sharpness itself. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”