8:34 PM
V: So this is basically the template of someone trying to become American middle or upper middle class from a (Chinese) lower class.
It's all very directed but without being introspective.
Like -
Go to school
Get a job
Get married
Save money
Buy a house
Have children
Each action is directed toward this singular goal but the actions are simultaneously very mechanical and automated.
It's a success story, but each part is just a fairy tale.
You study hard in school and get a PhD and get a job!
Might as well plant magic beans - it'll have just about the same effect.
...
There is a large limitation of perspective... a lot of self-delusion that can come from it, too.
When you finally get your break to the next level, you can very easily delude yourself into thinking it was all about the things you did.
That you finally figured out how the real world works.
