The smallest possible step

Posted on November 6, 2010 by rpflee

Keep on starting, and finishing will take care of itself.

— The Now Habit, p.109

— Me@2010.09.27

2010.11.05 Friday ACHK

Presentation 基本原理 1.1.2

Posted on September 6, 2010 by rpflee

先決程式 3

情形就好像打字一樣。打字快的原因是，你打完一個英文字母，才打下一個；而不是同一刻打超過一個字母。如果你企圖同一刻打超過一個字母的話，你會打錯字。字母的次序錯了的話，時間上會得不償失。

— Me@2010.09.05

Presentation 基本原理 1.1

Posted on September 5, 2010 by rpflee

這段改篇自 2010 年 3 月 25 日的對話。

（CN：考完會考後，我想你教我 presentation（表達、說話、演講、教學）的技巧。）

我現在可以先講一些 presentation 的基本原理給你聽。

首先，說話要 in series（串聯），不要 in parallel（並聯）。你要說完一句說話，才開始說下一句說話。你要講完一個 point（要點），才講下一個 point。千萬不要企圖在同一刻時間中，講超過一句說話。亦千萬不要企圖在同一句說話中，包含超過一個要點（point）。

簡言之，說話要有條理。

— Me@2010.09.05

論文題目

Posted on June 11, 2010 by rpflee

The non-side-effect-ness of side-effects 3

種子論 3

很多「創業故事」，也有這個歷史結構：創業者解決了自己的問題後，發現所謂的「自己問題」，其實是「大眾問題」；所謂的「自己問題的解決方案」，其實有鉅大的市場價值。

以前我看過一本有關「如何做研究」的書。其中一個章節有關「如何找到合適的論文題目」。它提到兩個方法。

第一個方法是，透過「intellectual cross-fertilization」：很多（來自）不同（科目）的知識相遇，堆砌出不尋常而又有用有趣的東西。

第二個方法是，透過「the process of problem solving」（解決實際問題）：「隨便」開始選一個題目，作為你論文的「原始題目」。先行研究你的「原始題目」，即使它不是你心目中的「理想題目」。在研究你的「原始題目」的過程中，你自然需要解決很多「細節技術問題」。其中一些「細節技術問題」的解決方法，會比你的「原始題目」有用有趣十倍。那樣，你就可以將那個「細節技術問題的解決方案」變成你論文的新題目。

結論就是，雖然你現在還未想到你的「理想工作」和「人生目標」是什麼，但是那也無傷大雅。最重要的是，你先起步。你先「隨便」找一個 project（項目）來執行，例如「寫網誌」。在「寫網誌」的過程中，你自然會遇到很多困難，解決很多問題。其中一些「困難問題的解決方案」，你會發覺除了對你有用外，對別人都有很大價值。那些因難問題，將會幫你釐清你的「理想人生」是什麼。

這個方法可以總結為：「Go as far as you can see, and when you get there, you’ll see farther.」意思是，你先走到你所能看見，最遠的地方。到達之後，你自然會看到更遠的地方。中文版是「見步行步，行步見步」。

— Me@2010.06.10

Finally, she realized the secret of finding a topic: ideas are generated by intellectual cross-fertilization and the process of problem solving.

— Getting What You Came For: The Smart Student’s Guide to Earning an M.A. or a Ph.D.
— by Robert L. Peters

Go as far as you can see, and when you get there, you’ll see farther. — Thomas Carlyle — Me@2003

見步行步, 行步見步 —- 卓韻芝

變形金剛

Posted on May 2, 2010 by rpflee

魔法文章

專家博士（製作特輯）2

對於系列中的任何一篇文章來說，開始寫時我只有題目。寫完該篇之前，我也不知道我會寫什麼。每次寫，都會有突如奇來的新意念出來。而那些「新意念」，往往是對我自己有很大的幫助，為我解決了（寫該篇文章之前）原本還未解決的問題。

那就好像在「自己教自己」一樣。但是，這個講法很奇怪，因為如果你可以「自己教自己」的話，你就毋須「自己教自己」。如果你「自己教自己」某樣東西的話，即是你原本就懂那樣東西。既然原本就懂那樣東西，為何要再「教自己」呢？

但是，我又好明顯地透過寫文章，而學到新的想法。那如何解釋這個現象呢？

（安：是不是那些資料原本就在你的腦海中，只是很凌亂 …）

再簡單一點的講法是，那些積木原本就在我的腦海中，只是還未砌成我所要的東西。

例如，我把那些積木砌成一隻機械人。我很開心，因為我原本沒有那隻機械人。那隻機械人對我來說，是新的東西。但是，構成那些機械人的積木，原本就在我心中。

我原本沒有那隻機械人，但我原本有那些積木。透過寫作，我可以把那些積木砌成千奇百怪的機械人。而且，那些機械人，還可以合體成為一隻保衛地球的大機械人。

— Me@2010.05.01

專家博士（製作特輯）

Posted on April 29, 2010 by rpflee

那是我的「智力理論」。那時我寫的東西，現在的我未必同意。但是，我的「以專攻博論」，會有一些有趣的想法。

寫那幾篇文章的過程，是我對自己所做的一個「腦部實驗」。我不知道接著會寫什麼，仍然可以繼續寫。而最後的所得的整體，好像事前組織過一樣。

「我不知道接著會寫什麼」有兩個意思。

第一是宏觀方面。對於整個文章系列來說，我在寫那系列的任何一篇文章時，我都不知道寫完那一篇後，下一篇會寫什麼。我對該系列只有一個模糊的方向，而不是具體的內容。所以，當事後發現整個系列好像有故事結構時，我覺得很神奇。我發現人腦原來有這個能力：在事先沒有計劃的情況下，也可以寫出事後貌似有脈絡的文章。

第二是微觀方面。對於系列中的任何一篇文章來說，開始寫時我只有題目。寫完該篇之前，我也不知道我會寫什麼。每次寫，都會有突如奇來的新意念出來。而那些「新意念」，往往是對我自己有很大的幫助，為我解決了（寫該篇文章之前）原本還未解決的問題。

— Me@2010.04.28

I think it’s far more important to write well than most people realize. Writing doesn’t just communicate ideas; it generates them. If you’re bad at writing and don’t like to do it, you’ll miss out on most of the ideas writing would have generated.

— Paul Graham

In series, not in parallel 2

Posted on December 9, 2009 by rpflee

說話不流利是因為想同一時間講超過一個字.

做事不暢順是因為想同一時間做超過一件事.

— Me@2009.12.09

2009.12.09 Wednesday $copyright ACHK$

In series, not in parallel

Posted on October 14, 2009 by rpflee

Say things in series, not in parallel. It is the key for teaching.

Do things in series, not in parallel. It is the key for psychological health.

— Me@2009.10.13

2009.10.14 Wednesday $copyright ACHK$

Dramatize

Posted on October 10, 2009 by rpflee

Do you dramatize a commitment to a task rather than actually doing it? An example is taking your books on vacation but never opening them, or perhaps even declining invitations for pleasurable events, but still not pursuing the work at hand nor getting needed relaxation. This way you stay in a constant state of unproductive readiness to work–without ever working.

— Overcoming Procrastination, Counseling Center at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

2009.10.10 Saturday $ACHK$

大計

Posted on February 15, 2009 by rpflee

解決問題的方法

Go as far as you can see, and when you get there, you’ll see farther. – … – 2003

見步行步, 行步見步 — 卓韻芝

山窮水盡疑無路柳暗花明又一村

2009.02.15 Sunday $ACHK$

Hacker

Posted on September 3, 2008 by rpflee

4.10 Hacker approach [10]

1. “a belief that even though you may not know all of what you need to solve a problem, if you tackle just a piece of it and learn from that, you’ll learn enough to solve the next piece – and so on, until you’re done.”

–Eric S. Raymond’s How To Become A Hacker

2. “… began doing just one thing ever which he had control.”

— Stephen Covey

3. “So start small, and think about the details. Don’t think about some big picture and fancy design. If it doesn’t solve some fairly immediate need, it’s almost certainly over-designed.”

— Linus Torvalds

4. “I have never been especially impressed by the heroics of people convinced that they are about to change the world. I am more awed by those who struggle to make one small difference after another.”

— Ellen Goodman

[10] Hacker here means a highly skilled programmer, not a computer criminal.

“In academia, a “hacker” is a person who follows a spirit of playful cleverness and enjoys programming.”

– Wikipedia on Hacker (academia)

2008.09.03 Wednesday $copyright CHK^2$

Hacker: Prequel

Posted on August 29, 2008 by rpflee

4.10 Hacker approach [10]

1. “a belief that even though you may not know all of what you need to solve a problem, if you tackle just a piece of it and learn from that, you’ll learn enough to solve the next piece – and so on, until you’re done.”

–Eric S. Raymond’s How To Become A Hacker

1.5 “a belief that

even though you may not know all of what you need to solve a problem,

if you tackle just a piece of it and

learn from that,

you’ll learn enough

to solve the next piece

– and so on,

until you’re done.”

10 Hacker here means a highly skilled programmer, not a computer criminal.

“In academia, a “hacker” is a person who follows a spirit of playful cleverness and enjoys programming.”

– Wikipedia on Hacker (academia)

2008.08.29 Friday $copyright CHK^2$

以終為始數學版 1

Posted on August 18, 2008 by rpflee

4.7 Begin with the End in Mind

Author Stephen Covey had written an influential book : The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.

The second habit is Begin with the End in Mind. Here is the mathematical version of it.

Assume you have a goal, a dream, or anything like that. We call it to be the $n$ -th step.

Clarify what your $n$ -th step really is. Once done, ask yourself,

“What is the step before the $n$ -th step?”

Clarify what your $(n-1)$ -th step really is. Once done, ask yourself,

“What is the $(n-2)$ -th step?”

Clarify what your $(n-2)$ -th step really is. Once done, ask yourself,

“What is the $(n-3)$ -th step?”

. . .

Clarify what your third step really is. Once done, ask yourself,

“What is the second step?”

Clarify what your second step really is. Once done, ask yourself,

“What is the first step?”

What is your first single step towards your goal that you can take action on right now, right here?

後天將有中文版.

2008.08.18 Monday $copyright CHK^2$

P. S. 達明小明: 最後的十四天.

Physics Town

continues

Category Archives: smallest possible step | 一步