Speedingbug

Atheist. English Learning. Runner. Book reader.

[Speedingbug @speedingbug]

@elonmusk @wholemars But many people in this country live a very tiring life, are under great pressure and feel unhappy. A large number of them even want to flee to other countries to work and live.

[Speedingbug @speedingbug]

What is the greatest underlying nature of humanity?

The greatest underlying nature of humanity is self-interest, the core of which lies in the instincts for survival, reproduction, seeking benefit, and avoiding harm. This self-interest is not simply selfishness; rather, it means that all human behavior ultimately aims to satisfy some personal need, whether material, related to safety, emotional, or spiritual. It drives people to engage in value exchange in social interactions, to weigh pros and cons when facing interests, and to seek balance in relationships. Understanding this is not about becoming cold-hearted, but about viewing the world more clearly to protect oneself, while also choosing relationships more rationally to avoid getting hurt by excessive expectations.

[Speedingbug @speedingbug]

In 1468, the King of Denmark was so short of cash for his daughter's dowry that he literally pawned national territory to Scotland.

His daughter, Margaret, was set to marry James III, King of Scots. By custom, the bride's family was expected to provide a dowry of 60,000 florins—a staggering sum at the time.

The Danish king emptied his treasury, only to find he couldn't possibly scrape it together. But being a practical man, he simply wrote a note to his son-in-law: "I don't have the cash. How about this: I'll pledge the Orkney Islands to you as collateral, and redeem them when I have the money." The son-in-law thought it over and agreed; after all, islands aren't exactly going to run away.

The following year, in 1469, the Danish king's financial crisis hadn't improved—it had only worsened, and he still couldn't pay the remaining balance. With no other choice, he gritted his teeth and added the Shetland Islands to the mortgage contract, bundling them up as part of the deal.

You can probably guess how the rest of the story goes. The father-in-law never managed to redeem the two archipelagos in his lifetime. These islands, originally belonging to the Nordic realm, thus seamlessly became Scottish, and eventually British, territory.

Today, we tend to take it for granted that "national sovereignty is sacred and inviolable," and that territory is the bottom line of a national community. But in Europe back then, such abstract concepts simply didn't exist. To the royal families, the state was their private estate. Land, people, and islands were nothing more than numbers and collateral on a balance sheet.

Geopolitics and centuries-old grievances aside, sometimes it all boiled down to an overdue IOU written by a father-in-law who couldn't afford his daughter's dowry.

[Speedingbug @speedingbug]

If all 740 million people in Europe had access to air conditioning and lived the same lifestyle as Chinese people, it would be a disaster for the Earth.

[Speedingbug @speedingbug]

In other instances, people abandoned elderly relatives, many with dementia, at the doors to an emergency room, sometimes with letters pinned to their jackets. Something like, “Please take care of my dad.”

[Speedingbug @speedingbug]

A child sent a message to his mother on April 12th: "Mom, did you sleep?"
No reply.

Then, on April 20th, the boy sent another message: "Mom, what are you doing?"
Still no reply.

In fact, the boy had tried calling his mom before April 12th, but got no answer.

It's a real story.

After the divorce, the mother remarried and had another child. She devoted herself entirely to her new family and deliberately ignored messages from her kid in the previous marriage.

The child lives with the father. Mobile phones are kept away during school‑days, only available for short‑term use on weekends. That is why the child sent two greetings with an eight‑day interval, neither of which ever got a reply.

[Speedingbug @speedingbug]

Yesterday, Mr. Xiao, Yang Hui, Mr. Chen, Mrs. Liu, and I held a conference regarding our international cooperation in hotel and office furniture. While they represent the manufacturing side, Yang Hui and I will be focusing on English communication and product promotion.

We believe we have a very bright future in the international furniture trade.

[Speedingbug @speedingbug]

"The Chinese have given up on international competitions, contenting themselves instead with domestic city leagues. If you visit Jiangsu right now, you'll find the 'Su Super League' in full swing. Why be so obsessed with international results anyway? Isn't it perfectly fine to just enjoy ourselves?"

[Speedingbug @speedingbug]

@fasc1nate Not only did Stalin enjoy watching Westerns, but he was also a passionate reader. He had an exceptionally extensive reading habit for a politician, and always knew how to apply his knowledge in practice.

[Speedingbug @speedingbug]

https://t.co/lMxrMeg5Du

[Speedingbug @speedingbug]

@brian_armstrong I don't think so.

The United States just wants to close its doors and cut ties with China because it knows it has failed to compete with China

[Speedingbug @speedingbug]

@sevdaloji which city you are in Turkey? I plan to go there at the end of this month.

[Speedingbug @speedingbug]

@NaturalWorld515 "I visited Fengjian in Foshan a few days ago. It looks a lot like your picture, but yours is actually way more beautiful!"

[Speedingbug @speedingbug]

@sevdaloji .

[Speedingbug @speedingbug]

Pride and Prejudice

Last year, I cut ties with an American friend I’d known for over a decade. (By "cut ties," I mean I simply pretended not to see his messages.)

We didn’t have a falling out or any deep-seated grudge. It was only after spending a few days traveling with him in Japan that I suddenly realized he wasn't worth keeping around anymore.

It wasn't his first time in Japan; he had been there many times before. But strangely, he seemed utterly disdainful of everything about the country. When he saw Japanese people bowing, he dismissed it as "kowtowing." When he experienced the attentive service from staff, he claimed they lacked the kind of confidence Americans possess.

Once, I took him to a fantastic bar in Ginza. Looking at a female server, he suddenly blurted out, "Japan has so many girls with crooked teeth. Why don't they get braces?"

I replied that maybe she felt it didn't affect her daily life. He immediately shot back, "Americans care a lot about their teeth."

At that point, I already started feeling uncomfortable.

Later, in the bar's restroom, he walked out holding a sanitary pad and asked me what it was. I explained that it was an emergency amenity provided for female guests—a thoughtful touch. Instead of accepting this, he kept pressing me:
"Why is it placed here?"
"Why can men even see it?"
"We don't do this in America."

I told him that just because America doesn't do it doesn't mean it's right; America is actually quite crude in this regard. I pointed out that some public restrooms in China also provide feminine hygiene products!

He retorted, "I've been to China many times, and I never saw one! I went to Singapore, and I didn't see one either! Tell me exactly where in China you saw this!"

I was absolutely furious by then. Was he seriously demanding that I produce proof on the spot?

In that exact moment, it dawned on me. The issue was never about teeth or sanitary pads. It was that no matter what the Japanese did, he could always find a reason to invalidate it. He hadn't come to Japan to understand the culture; he came merely to prove that America is superior. If something in Japan was different from America, Japan must be wrong. And if Japan had something America didn't, it must be completely unnecessary.

I abruptly left the bar.

When I got home and saw his apology message, I didn't reply with a single word. Just like that, a friendship spanning over a decade came to an end.

Later, I figured something out: Some people travel to explore and understand the world, while others travel simply to validate that they come from a superior place. The former become increasingly humble, while the latter grow ever more arrogant. And arrogance is precisely what I despise the most.

[Speedingbug @speedingbug]

Here is a bold, far-reaching prophecy:

Traditional schooling will become an absolute waste of time. Only the most useless, lazy, and stupid people will obediently go to college and get a regular job.

In the next ten years, smart people won't bother with university anymore. With AI and social media at their disposal, they’ll start figuring out their direction at age 10, make their first pot of gold by 15, and achieve complete financial freedom by 25 after a decade of hustle.

Only the dumbest and laziest majority will still sit there grinding through exams. Unless you graduate from top-tier schools like Harvard,MIT, Stanford etc, entering the job market will be pure hell—or you might not find a job at all.

In the near future, being good at studying will be completely worthless. I’m not afraid if you’re great at taking tests; what I fear is that you actually know how to cook, cut hair, unclog drains, do electrical work, use AI, or run social media.

Let me say it again: Schooling will turn into an utterly pointless path! Only the most useless, lazy, and foolish people will blindly follow the track of going to college and getting a job!!!!!

[Speedingbug @speedingbug]

@NaturalEye78321 "I visited Fengjian in Foshan a few days ago. It looks a lot like your picture, but yours is actually way more beautiful!"

[Speedingbug @speedingbug]

I was laughing hysterically because Indians showing their fingers during the national election looked like they were flipping someone off.😂😂

It's so funny.

[Speedingbug @speedingbug]

This girl is tired, sleeping all the way.

[Speedingbug @speedingbug]

I ran 6.51 kms tonight but didn't clock it in the running group, just want to keep silence.