静 夜 思

One good thing about having friends who are very different from each other is that one gets to compare and contrast: which is interesting in and of itself (very few things are more dynamically interesting than human behaviour, i think ... ), but it's also -- and perhaps more importantly for this pragmatic Singaporean -- deeply instructive and useful.
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Seeing different ways of living and being, different ways of prioritising and valuing the many aspects that make up a life, and then seeing the outcomes of these different choices -- is so useful when it comes to making one's own choices, crafting one's own life. My dad used to say that fools only learn from their own mistakes; smart people learn from the mistakes of others. Which does have a tinge of possibly not-very-pleasant Schadenfreude to it, i guess, but take away the political-correctness, and it is pretty much true. i'd add that it's not just about learning from others' mistakes; being inspired by people is a vital part of the equation, too.
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In other news. i wonder if working late into the night, or into the wee hours of the morning, is something that's particularly conducive to work that requires deep thought. If perhaps there is something special about the quiet, stillness, and even the feeling of working in a pool of light (or at most, a roomful of light) surrounded by an enveloping darkness. Someone should do a study.
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