Author: Mr. E
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One life, Three Teachers
More than 800 years ago, an artist in China painted a picture called The Vinegar Tasters. It shows three wise men standing around a jar of vinegar. One tastes it and looks unhappy. One tastes it and looks calm. And…
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Invisible Competence
When someone constantly prevents problems, other people don’t see the problems that were prevented. It’s like someone make complex things look simple and everyone sees the simplicity of the outcome, but not the complexity that was managed behind it. Therefore…
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Dad, is God real?
This is question my 9 years old asked me and took me days to make a bedtime story for her: Imagine you are 3 years old again. Last month, we watched the spaceship rocket Test Flight 22 by spaceX. One…
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You Don’t Forget What You Loved
I was asked a technical question about a system I worked on more than 10 years ago. I expected nothing from my mind as a response. But I explained it… and then grabbed a pen. Started sketching. High-level design first.…
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Witness Awareness in the Gym
In a high-intensity group gym class, you push your body to the limit. Not slowly. Not gently. Bit hard, like you are fighting for your life in a jungle. That point where your lungs burn, your legs shake, and your…
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A Natural-Born Overthinker
I know a curious six-year-old who constantly asks, “What if?” What if the wall collapses when we leave the house? What if the roof falls? What if the ocean overflows while everyone else is playing at the beach? The worries…
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Making Changes When Change is hard: Lessons from the “Digging Alone”
I was asked to fix a broken, complex, organization-wide process that had been building up incorrectly for over a decade, leading to massive operational inefficiencies. The ask was to fix it solo, across 100+ teams, with no formal authority, and…
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A Holiday Reflection: “It’s Boring!”
During the school holidays, the kids had been enjoying fun activities. Then we set off for a bushwalk in the national park. At the start of the walk I heard it: “Boring…” I’ve heard this word many times in such…
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The Interruption I’ll Miss
I was sitting on a cabin porch with an ocean view, reading my favourite book, the black swan. That’s the kind of moment you say is the ultimate relaxation. But… Every few minutes, my kids interrupted me. Each interruption carried two…
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Which One Is Real: Awake or Sleep
Reality or simulation? Zhuangzi’s butterfly dream questions our understanding. Uncover the fascinating connection between dreams, physics, and the nature of existence.
