Written by Han 2022 Cohort
On January 3, 2023, on a Chinese flight from Beijing to Shanghai, a man suddenly rushed to the cabin door while the plane was taxiing out of the port and shouted, “The plane is going to crash, death is coming,” “Just like Malaysia Airlines,” and “This is the sixth loop.” The flight was then skidded back and cancelled (rescheduled to 8:00 a.m. on the 4th and arrived at the destination safely)
This incident caused many people to discuss it; the most classic comment is “I am a materialist, but I want to get off the plane.” This is a kind of banter, but it also indicates a status quo; we don’t have a chance to do it all over again.
Whether we can go back in time is a physical question that still needs to be resolved. But the human imagination has allowed us to conceive too many similar stories. Almost all games offer the opportunity to start over, especially the games with narrative lines that provide the ability to archive and read files so players can start over from where they want. In most games, with enough time and effort, you can get a good result, and even if you miss, you can have a chance to start over until you hit the desired ending.
What is the point of the cycle? The benefits of looping are mainly in the information gap and opportunities to practice. This corresponds to two essential themes in life, choice and effort.
Choice is a complex issue closely related to the social environment and personal development. But in terms of choice, no matter what, most people choose in a range up and down a little, not to hit the big luck, bad luck. After all, the current society is relatively stable; in East Asia, the path is almost visible with open eyes. Choices are also highly affected by subjectivity to the constraints of cognition and thinking. Only a few people can recognize the whole by seeing the microscopic, comprehending by analogy. So there is no need to dwell too much on the choice. Of course, there is a way to reduce the information gap to make better choices: to read more books and learn how to think by the master.
Practice is about deliberate practice and purposeful practice. Deliberately practicing the parts they could be better at. This is easy if you step out of your comfort zone.
Since we can’t loop, why not seize the present?