Adam Smith, the author of The Wealth of Nations, believed that “empathy is an intellectual activity that takes into account circumstances, motives, luck, social status, and human character of the person.” The moment we blame another person’s actions, we examine the appropriateness of those actions. Adequacy is a state of neither excess nor understatement. If everyone else thinks a person is bad but I advocate for that person by saying, “I can understand,” then I approve of their actions. This situation is called “mutual sympathy.” In our lives, we can be egocentric in some cases and relation-centric in others. The more mutual sympathy exists, the more relationship-oriented our thinking becomes. Both too much and too little can lead to tiredness or dissatisfaction. Pursuing happiness means finding this adequacy. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”
The founder of the guitar company Fender, Leo Fender, said he has never played the guitar. Depending on the nature and characteristics of the business, we must think differently about our confidence in it. For example, it is our prejudice to believe that a famous chef won’t be ruined if he opens a restaurant. The more important priority in business is the ability to grasp the essence than having a career. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”