First Step

I know about this because I am deeply in love with someone.

It is like a disease. I know she is a human being. I know she will be returned, as Epictetus said.

I become very alert and interested in her.

I started to think about who she is.

What is behind her mask? How actually she is feeling right now?

What is she thinking?  Who is she?

I know the feeling will disappear.

Why I do feel this in her, and not in others.

I think it is because of my intensity of interest.

We tend to think inward what I want or how I feel.

However, when we are in love, we think about who in love.

How does he/she feel about me? or Who is actually he/she?

The intensity of interest is overwhelming!!

It is the same when we are interested in some subjects or activities.

When we are love or interested in curtain subjects or activities,

we learn faster because of intensity of interest, curiosity, and focus.

I am interested in and respect Robert Greene, so I want to learn very hard and listen to what he is saying very hard.

Some people might listen to his talk, and feel not interested in.

There is one reality, but the interpretation can be different.

Is it my control to be interested in something?

I need to think about that

For example, at school, learning history is as remembering facts or data.

If thinking differently, learning history is to know who I am and how our ancestors dealt with problems, and how humanity advanced or to learn about human nature.

It sounds more fascinating.

Do I only become interested in people when are in love or respect.

I do not have to wait to be in love, or I do not have to wait to meet someone who I respect.

Remember everything starts from us.

Each person in the world is a undiscovered country.

Each of us has shadows, repressed emotion, desire, history, paradigm.

Each of us will not be repeated again in life.

Only one in the world.

How often we forget and ignore how complex and interesting people are and the world is, and go for a simple conclusion.

Each of us has strength and weakness.

"In my walks, every man I meet is superior in some way, and in that I learn of him."

Not only I respect or admire, I can learn so much from others because they are different from me.

Be open to others, and learn and steal from their strength.

The more I focus outward, and my focus outside, about the world, people,

The more I can learn, improve and at last, live a interesting life.

"It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows."
-Epictetus, Discourses, BookⅡ, ch 17.

Being interested in is not enough.

After I am interested in something,

I HAVE TO ACT ON IT.

But to be interested in something is the first step.