Think: Mr. Marsh and Ms. Seddon

Ambiguity Stands With Rigour

Your competence stems from a strong reliance on rigour as well as naturally developed ambiguous thinking. You need to understand when to use which. The above model produces problems when issues that require ambiguous attention arise—the lack of substance or meaning, or an emotional problem, requires both rigorous and ambiguous thinking tools. Both most collaborate to produce a clear solution. A developed, honed set of ambiguous mental tools will undoubtedly produce maturity and flexibility in your thoughts.

Experience and Advice; Wisdom

When choosing which mode of thought—which mental tool—to use, look for advice in past experience of yourself and others. Wisdom selects the right tool for the job. Like how a skilled surgeon understands the function of each tool on his tray, a wise man knows to use the right mental tool for the right occasion, sometimes wielding multiple with skill.

Obstacles to Rigorous Thought

An obstacle for rigorous thinking is 자존심 and 양심. The former is an internal drive for stubbornness, and is better minimized.

자존심을 지키는 것보다, 버려서 성공하는 것이 자존심을 키울 것이다.

The latter is the moral compass of your society, implanted deep in your psyche since childhood. While effective in building a stable society, it frequently interferes with liberal thoughts, blocking off unexplored alleys of ideas or imposing an unfounded standard. Don’t be a Steph. Fortunately, as an educated international student you know how inconsistent and cruel common sense or normality can be. Both are best left ignored, even with emotional cost. Only without these constraints can the best mental tools be used fully.

Obstacles to Ambiguous Thought

In times of pessimism and misery you may find yourself trusting only the things you can touch and feel, rejecting any ambiguity in thought. Don’t fall into this trap. Trust with confidence your capacity for rigorous thought, and with this foundation, embrace ambiguity. The beautiful. The vague.

Introducing Acceptance and Decisiveness

The tension between acceptance and decisiveness draws a parallel to the mental tools of rigor and ambiguity. While both tools are employed in acting out the two concepts, acceptance requires relatively more ambiguity and decisiveness rigor. Practicing and clarifying the role of acceptance and decisiveness can help sharpen both rigorous and ambiguous thinking skills.

Idealism and Realism

Realism is rigorous, and is accepting; you start from where you are, observe the variables you have under your control, and take the most optimal Strategy. Idealism is where your Strategy ultimately aims for—it won’t ever be reached, but somewhere in the process we make a better life for you, and a better world for everyone.

  • The Declaration of Human Rights is the optimal goal. The Constitution is not a blueprint, but a target.
  • Your study plans are not what you will achieve, but the direction you will head towards.

You will inevitably swing between the two, depending on your situation. Have a balance of both, but realism must come first, just like rigor. It’s helpful that rigor assists realism.

20 대에 사회주의에 빠지지 않는 것은 문제이고, 그 후 빠져 나오지 못하는 것도 문제다.


To bridge the gap between the logical and emotions

The discrepancy between the logic of physics and the irrationality of emotional. Essentially emergence

Ambiguity shall drive rigour. E.g. Bad things happen when economics drives sociology; it should be the sociology driving/giving purpose to/motivating economic tools, economic purposes motivating mathematical tools. Even pure mathematicians are driven by beauty (the most ambiguous emotion possible). In personal life, emotional goals should drive rigorous targets/action items

  • The more ambiguous the more ephemeral

It’s a good analogy; a purely rigorous axiom system there’s statements that you cannot prove. We need to add the new axioms with deliberate shoice to resolve that contradiction (Synthesis) and generate new knowledge.