System vs Goal

Note: This article was translated for me by AI. I wrote the original in Chinese. I never use AI to write my articles, because that would cost me my own expression; my freedom to express myself is always the most valuable part of my work. So if you can read Chinese, I recommend reading the Chinese version, where you will get the most original and unfiltered version. That said, technological progress exists to give us more convenience, so I will continue using AI to translate my writing into multiple languages, allowing valuable content to reach more people.

I’ve been reading Atomic Habits over the past couple of days.

Its description of goals and systems is exceptionally well put.

Back in the era when we were all living under exam-oriented education, most people were chasing goals. So once they passed an exam, moved on to the next school, graduated, or entered society, many of them abandoned everything. Learning itself was no longer important, because learning had only ever been a way to get good grades, secure an admission ticket, earn a GPA, or obtain a degree.

This is also one reason I deeply hate exam-oriented education. It distorts our understanding of something beautiful. Something that should have been good goes through this industrial assembly line, and all that remains in our minds are those endless moments of tightening the same screw.

But there are always people who can resist this entrenched system. Some are rebellious, some see through it, and some simply laugh it off. I think these people have probably built systems of their own. From that point on, learning is no longer in service of an endless goal; it serves their own system—the construction of a personal framework, the emergence of internal coherence, and a closed loop of positive reinforcement.

Once we enter society, we begin pursuing career growth, power, and money. Perhaps this too is an endless goal, and it often leaves everything in a mess while our own systems fall apart. I think my father is a very typical example: he spent his entire life chasing a goal he could never reach, while overlooking what mattered most.

Some people focus on building their own systems, and the goals other people care about arrive naturally. The goal becomes a byproduct. I think this is a much better attitude toward life and a better way to live. But if I have to criticize it, it is always easier said than done. In reality, many of our actions are easily distorted by external circumstances and our inner state.

I’m working on building my own system too—constantly learning, constantly taking things in and putting things out, and constantly applying RL to myself.