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Damien Noir

Born in China, raised between two worlds, I write in Chinese and English—an INFJ quietly navigating autism and an unclear path in love. After six years inside the walls of an American corporation, a mental breakdown revealed its dark side. This awakening led me toward psychology and counselling, seeking deeper meaning beyond the corporate cage. At 28, on a career break and preparing for an MSc in Psychology, I volunteer as a tennis activator and Mind shop assistant. Here, I share reflections on growth, mental health, London life, and the small joys of tennis, books, movies, travel, exhibitions—and Case Closed, whose mysteries fuel my curiosity. I dream of early retirement—not just from work, but from old scripts—charting my own path with courage and freedom.

Persian Letters by Montesquieu

July 9, 2025•387 words

Persian Letters is a collection of fictional letters written by two Persian travelers, Usbek and Rica, as they journey through France and Europe. Through their outsider's eyes, Montesquieu critiques French society, absolute monarchy, organized religion, gender oppression, and the illusion of civilization. It's both a satirical mirror and a philosophical lens: what seems foreign becomes familiar, and what's familiar becomes absurd. Key themes 1) Cultural relativism By observing French customer...

The war of art

July 8, 2025•913 words

Is that what it takes? Do we have to stare death in the face to make us stand up and confront Resistance? Does Resistance have to cripple and disfigure our lives before we wake up to its existence? How many of us have become drunks and drug addicts, developed tumors and neuroses, succumbed to painkillers, gossip, and compulsive cell-phone use, simply because we don't do that thing that our hearts, our inner genius, is calling us to? Resistance defeats us. If tomorrow morning by some stroke of ma...

Atom Habits

July 7, 2025•312 words

Atom Habits by James Clear Core Idea: Small, consistent habits (atomic = tiny + powerful) are the building blocks of meaningful change. Success is not about huge, sudden shifts, but about refining your system and identity — 1% improvements daily. Habits are the compound interest of self-improvement. Tiny changes, repeated daily, lead to big transformations. What matters most is the trajectory, not your position today. Focus on Systems, Not Goals. Goals are outcomes; systems are processes. Win...

江村经济

July 6, 2025•22 words

费博士看到了科学的价值在于真正为人类服务在政治、社会和道德力量控制方面，我们欧洲人越来越依从于疯子、狂人和歹徒。人类学，至少对我来说是对我们过分标准化的文化的一种罗曼蒂克式的逃避。强调传统力量与新的动力具有同等重要性是必要的，因为中国经济生活变迁的真正过程，既不是从西方社会制度直接转渡的过程，也不仅是传统的平衡受到了干扰而已。这两种力量相互作用的产物不会是西方世界的复制品或者传统的复旧，其结果如何，将取决于人民如何去解决他们自己的问题。正确地了解当前存在的以实事为依据的情况，将有助于引导这种变迁趋向于我们所期望的结果。社会科学的功能就在于此。它吸引注意力的程度常受到利害关系的影响困难在于社会制度是由人际关系构成的，只有通过一致行动才能改变它，而一致行动不是一下子就组织的起来的。中国越来越迫切地需要这种知识，因为这个国家再也承担不起因失误而损耗任何财富和能量。一个站在饥饿边缘上的村庄对谁都没有好处。子女如何有助于建立夫妇间亲密的关系，因为丈夫和妻子在结婚前是互不相识的。子女还起着稳定家庭群体里各方关系的作用。子女的经济价值也是很重要的。她的前途，即使...

人间失格

July 6, 2025•54 words

对我来说，所谓人的生活是难以捉摸的。人因为不吃饭就会饿死，所以才不得不干活，所以才不得不吃饭。我对人类的营生仍然是迷惑不解。自己的幸福观与世上所有人的幸福观风马牛不相及，这使我深感不安。尽管我打幼小起，就常常被人们称之为幸福的人，可是我自己却总是陷入一种置身于地狱的心境中。，反倒认为那些说我幸福的人比我快乐得多，我和他们是无法相提并论的。尽管我对人类满腹恐惧，但却怎么也没法对人类死心。并且我依靠逗笑这一根细线保持住了与人类的一丝联系。表面上我不断地强装出笑脸，可内心里却是对人类拼死拼活的服务，汗流浃背的服务。我对家里人每天思考些什么，又是如何艰难地求生，不得而知。我只是对其中的隔膜心怀恐惧，不堪忍受，以致于不得不采取了扮演滑稽角色来逗笑的方式。即是说，我在不知不觉之间已经变成了一个不说真话来讨好卖乖的孩子。他们寥寥数数语的责备，在我看来就如同晴天霹雳一般，使我近乎疯狂，哪里还谈得以理相争呢？我甚至以为，那些责备之辞才是万世不变的人间真谛，只是自己没有力量去实践这种真谛罢了，所以才无法与人们共同相处。正因为如此，我自己既不能抗争也不能辩解。一旦别人说我坏话，我就觉得是自己误解...

给青年诗人的信

July 6, 2025•36 words

序为了理解里尔克所生活创造的世界是重要的，为了今日和明天许多生长者和完成者也是重要的，一个伟大的、旷百世而一遇的人说话的地方，小人物必须沉默。 1 再没有比批评的文字那样同一件艺术品隔膜的了；同时总是演出来较多或较少的凑巧的误解。一件事物都不是像人们要我们相信的那样可理解而又说得出的；大多数的时间是不可言传的，它们完全在一个语言从未达到过的空间；可是比一切更不可言传的是艺术品，它们是神秘的生存，它们的生命在我们无常的生命之外赓续着。没有人能给你出主意，没有人能够帮助你。只有一个唯一的方法。请你走向内心。 3 我天天学习，在我所感谢的痛苦中学习：忍耐是一切！ 4 身体的快感是一种官感的体验，与净洁的感觉没有什么不同，它是我们所应得的丰富而无穷的经验，是一种对于世界的领悟，是一切领悟的丰富与光华。我们感受身体的快感并不是坏事；所不好的是：几乎一切人都错用了、浪费了这种经验，把它放在生命疲倦的地方当作刺激，当作疏散，而不当作向着顶点的聚精会神。就是饮食，也有许多人使之失去本意：一方面是不足，另一方面是过度，都搅混了这个需要的明朗；同样搅混的，是那些生命借以自新的一切深的、单纯的...

The Heart of a Broken Story- J.D. Salinger

July 6, 2025•686 words

EVERY day Justin Horgenschlag, thirty-dollar-a-week printer’s assistant, saw at close quarters approximately sixty women whom he had never seen before. Thus in the few years he had lived in New York, Horgenschlag had seen at close quarters about 75,120 different women. Of these 75,120 women, roughly 25,000 were under thirty years of age and over fifteen years of age. Of the 25,000 only 5,000 weighed between one hundred five and one hundred twenty-five pounds. Of these 5,000 only 1,000 were not u...

向死而生

July 6, 2025•16 words

只好从现在开始继续背负重荷，继续前行不认为有多好，但是结果还是活了下来，感觉还不错。从此要好好考虑一些事情了，最重要的是怎样活下去。这已经不仅仅是失败后苟延残喘的事情了，而是如何堂堂正正地直面人生心情颇为余裕，闲来无事就开始思索人究竟为什么而活着了不能根据自己的意志来决定是否吃饭而需凭借他人之力吃饭活着的人，简直就是丧失了活着的权利我胡思乱想着：总有一些人喜欢被操纵着，同时还有另一部分人喜欢操纵着别人唯独这种需要别人把食物送到自己嘴边的，令我深深地感觉到自己作为生物已经终结了然而只有人类可以直立行走，并且大脑发达，能考虑多余的事。随着技术和文化的进步，人还能以生死不明的状态活下去我好不容易通过这次事件改变了想法，考虑了很多人生问题，如果再回到从前，精神也有可能回到从前的状态。我讨厌回到以前的状态 ...

一个孤独的散步者的梦

July 5, 2025•136 words

他如今孤独的处境是他的敌人长期策划的阴谋造成的 “天色越来越黑。我看了一下天空，看见几颗星星，看见我周围是一片草地。这刹那间的第一个感觉，真是美妙极了。正是通过对这一景色的感觉，我才恢复了知觉；在这短暂的一瞬间我好像又诞生了一次似的。我觉得我所看到的这些东西充实了我微弱的生命。” “我们一生下来就进入了一个竞技场，直到死亡的时候才能离开。” 既忘记了过去，也不希冀将来，心中只想到“现在”，只想到自己的存在。任何一个不自觉的动作，只要我们善于寻找，就不可能在我们心中找不到它的原因当善意有可能助长他人的恶意时，切莫盲目按自己的性情行事。在当前众敌围困的情况下做他“高兴做的事”，这是最明智的选择，而且是很有勇气的选择，是避免仇恨的种子在他心中发芽滋长的最好办法。对植物学进行研究，可以使我回想起我的童年时期，回想起我当年无忧无虑的快乐时光，使我再次享受到它们的乐趣，使我能在他人从未有过的悲惨命运中仍然生活得很幸福。面对错综复杂的事实和敌人的阴谋，他可以做到不闻不问，心静如水。他这种疏懒的的性情使他克服了许多险情和困难，等风波未息，他又重新恢复大自然所希望的那个样子。 ...

Guns, Germs, and Steel

July 5, 2025•279 words

Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond, published in 1997 — a Pulitzer Prize–winning book that explores why some civilizations developed faster and became more dominant than others. Main Question: Why did Eurasian civilizations conquer and dominate other parts of the world — rather than the other way around? Core Thesis: Diamond argues that geography, not race or intelligence (inherent human differences), largely explains global inequality. Societies with geograp...

The Power of Now

July 4, 2025•147 words

Excerpt: In the unenlightened, mind-identified condition, what is sometimes wrongly called joy is the usually short-lived pleasure side of the continuously alternating pain/pleasure cycle. Pleasure is always derived from something outside you, whereas joy arises from within. The very thing that gives you pleasure today will give you pain tomorrow, or it will leave you, so its absence will give you pain. And what is often referred to as love may be pleasurable and exciting for a while, but it i...

Unhooked

July 4, 2025•188 words

Unhooked: Free Yourself from Addiction Forever by Dr. Adi Jaffe: Dr. Jaffe—who overcame addiction himself—introduces the Unhooked Method: a compassionate, shame-free framework to break free from compulsive behaviors—anything from drugs and alcohol to food, tech, and work—by tracing them back to their real triggers or “hooks”. Addiction = Coping Mechanism It’s a response to real unmet needs—not a moral failing. That perspective removes stigma and fosters hope Beyond Abstinence Success isn’t ju...

The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance

July 4, 2025•90 words

The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance By David Epstein Core Idea: Athletic achievement is shaped by a complex interplay of genetics and environment—nature matters as much as nurture. Key Themes: 1) Genes provide raw potential: Traits like ACTN3 variants, height, and muscle composition affect performance 2) Training molds ability: Practice develops perceptual skills (“chunking”), not just physical traits. 3) Population effects: Example: Kenyan runners' body t...

Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World

July 4, 2025•99 words

Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World By David Epstein Core Idea: In a complex and unpredictable world, broad experience and late specialization often outperform early specialization. Key Themes: 1) Sampling period: Diverse early experiences help people discover their strengths before specializing. 2) Wicked environments: In unpredictable domains, generalists connect ideas across fields to innovate. 3) Against the 10,000‑hour myth: Many masters thrived with varying amounts o...

关于理想自我与虚假自体

July 4, 2025•12 words

内在抵抗是外界伤害的源头只有当我们否认自己身上的某些部分时，他人的评价才会构成致命的杀伤力对自己诚实，外界的声音就失去了伤害我们的力量 accept who i am then i can change.. 如果我控制不了自己的生活，别人就会按照他们的意思给我定位，主动权永远在我自己手中，完全取决于我是否发挥自我意志。 ...

The Alchemist

July 4, 2025•452 words

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho The Alchemist is a philosophical, allegorical novel that follows a young Andalusian shepherd named Santiago as he pursues his Personal Legend—his true purpose in life. It’s a story about dreams, destiny, and listening to your heart. 1️⃣ The Dream and the Journey Begins Santiago has a recurring dream about finding treasure near the Egyptian pyramids. He visits a gypsy and then meets a mysterious king named Melchizedek, who tells him to follow his Personal Legend. ...

How to Hack Back Your Mind: Reclaim Control Over Your Life

July 4, 2025•363 words

How to Hack Back Your Mind: Reclaim Control Over Your Life By Ramzi Najjar What’s it about? This book delves into understanding and mastering your cognitive processes to regain control over your thoughts, emotions, and actions. Ramzi Najjar combines scientific research with practical strategies to help readers overcome negative thought patterns and enhance mental well-being. Key Insights 1️⃣ Understanding the Mind's Programming Negativity isn't inherent; it's the result of accumulated damagin...

Outlive

July 4, 2025•446 words

Outlive: The Science & Art of Longevity By Dr. Peter Attia This book dives into how to extend both lifespan (how long you live) and healthspan (how well you live). Dr. Peter Attia, a longevity expert, argues that modern medicine is great at treating diseases but bad at preventing them. He provides a science-backed blueprint to delay aging, avoid chronic diseases, and live a healthier, longer life. Key Ideas 1️⃣ Medicine is Failing Us Traditional medicine is focused on treating diseases on...

Why has nobody told me this before

July 4, 2025•372 words

Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? by Dr. Julie Smith This book is essentially a mental health toolkit, written by clinical psychologist Dr. Julie Smith. It’s packed with practical advice, strategies, and psychological tools to help people deal with stress, anxiety, low mood, self-doubt, and difficult emotions. Key themes include: Understanding your emotions rather than suppressing them. Building resilience through small, consistent habits. Managing negative thoughts with cognitive behaviora...

The Black Swan

July 4, 2025•2,922 words

A severe limitation to our learning from observations or experience and the fragility of our knowledge. One single observation can invalidate a general statement derived from millennia of confirmatory sighting of millions of white swans. All you need is on single black bird. Black swan event: an outlier, carries an extreme impact, in spite of its outliers status human nature makes us concoct explainations for its occurrence after the fact making it explainable and predictable. (Rarity, extrem...

TED 2014: How the Worst Moments in Our Lives Make Us Who We Are

July 4, 2025•119 words

"for a long time, I thought the meaning was out there, some great truth waiting to be found. But over time, I’ve come to feel that the truth is irrelevant. We call it finding meaning, but we might better call it forging meaning." "Forge meaning, build identity, forge meaning and build identity. That became my mantra. Forging meaning is about changing yourself. Building identity is about changing the world. All of us with stigmatized identities face this question daily: how much to accommodate s...

Your voice in my head

July 3, 2025•183 words

“I will be forever grateful for your presence in my life. I am a much better human being because of you. The experience of loving you, living with you, was the greatest journey of my life thus far. You showed me an alternative to the man I was becoming. I know I still have much to learn, much to accomplish, and I know my future is bright. I owe you the confidence I now have in myself. This is the confidence that could only come from the knowledge that a woman of your caliber loved me for who I ...

赞美不沉默

July 3, 2025•7 words

欲望着其他欲望的时候才会从动物变成人远离身体欲望的爱 -》高级爱应该通向自由，求同存异发明一种关系，创造一种关系，发明出全新的自己你可能创造不出别的东西，但你可以创造出自己的生活 ...

The God Delusion

July 2, 2025•348 words

The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins, a provocative and widely influential book published in 2006 that critiques religion and argues for atheism from a scientific and rationalist point of view. Richard Dawkins argues that belief in a supernatural god is a delusion — a false belief held despite a lack of evidence. He promotes scientific reasoning, secular ethics, and an appreciation of life without the need for religious belief. Key Arguments & Ideas The God Hypothesis Dawkins defines "God...

Nietzche's eternal recurrence

July 2, 2025•360 words

“永恒轮回”（Ewige Wiederkunft）是尼采哲学中最神秘、最深邃的思想之一，它不仅是一个宇宙论的命题，更是一种生命态度的考验。尼采最早在《快乐的科学》中提出这个概念，后来在《查拉图斯特拉如是说》中进一步发展它。尼采假设：如果你的一生，将无数次、永恒地重复，每一个选择、每一个痛苦、每一次喜悦，都会一字不差地重复出现 —— 你是否愿意、甚至欣然接受这样的命运？这不是科学命题，而是一种价值判断的试金石。命运之爱（Amor Fati）：你是否能爱你的命运，而不是抱怨它？如果你能说“我愿意重复这一切”，那你就是在以最高的姿态肯定生命。生命的分量感：它让人反思：如果每一刻都要永恒重演，那么当下就不再是“可以浪费的”，而是要承担无限重演的责任。对虚无主义的回应：在“上帝已死”的世界里，传统价值崩塌，永恒轮回是一种“积极虚无主义”，通过自我创造价值，让生命充满意义。永恒轮回对人类是个严酷的挑战。尼采在《查拉图斯特拉》中通过角色“矮人”和“蛇”等意象描绘出这种轮回之重。他自己也曾说：“这个思想让我窒息。”但对“超人”（Übermensch）而言，永恒轮回不是诅咒，而是一个...

Focus on what matters

July 2, 2025•324 words

Focus on What Matters: A Collection of Stoic Letters on Living Well by Darius Foroux Foroux invites readers to embrace a purposeful, intentional life guided by Stoic principles—clarity, focus, simplicity, and personal growth. Through a series of concise, letter-style chapters, he offers practical tools and reflections to help you prioritize your values and align daily actions with what truly matters . Key Lessons 1) Identify Your Core Values Clarity precedes mastery. You can’t focus on what ma...

Carl Jung - How to realize your true potential in life

June 30, 2025•811 words

Don’t let others define you the world will ask you who you are and if you don't know the world will tell you. voice of conscience - what's good vs bad from parents (internal voice). the internal voice which demands us to behave in one way or another can have many different causes. our behaviour is also influenced by future aspirations and by the way we see ourselves. increase the voice of our own self... we are somehow forced to copy others. if your self is weak, you will listen to others, yo...

人会在无限的选择中无限趋近于自己

June 29, 2025•45 words

"But Heaven is not a state of mind. Heaven is reality itself. All that is fully real is Heavenly. For all that can be shaken will be shaken and only the unshakable remains" - C.S. Lewis "The Great Divorce" 选择是非常痛苦的，因为每一次抉择都是在茫然中为自己奠定本质。我们除了自己的生活以外，并无他物。任你如何挣扎，最终命运的河水还是流向人性的低洼处。凡是可以被动摇的终将消解。那些建立在让人期望和外在评价之上的自我，就如同沙上建塔，一遇到风浪便土崩瓦解。只有建立在内心深处价值之上的人格，才能在巨压下岿然不动。除了自由，别无他物可以依赖。这份自由意味着无人替你决定，你就是你行为的总和。沉思录 - “接受命运将你结合在一起的事物，并且从心底爱与你命运交织在一起的人们。” ...

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values

June 28, 2025•375 words

"Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values" by Robert M. Pirsig is a philosophical novel that blends a cross-country motorcycle journey with deep reflections on life, technology, and the meaning of "quality." The book follows the narrator Pirsig and his son, Chris, as they ride a motorcycle from Minnesota to California. While the surface story is a travel memoir, the narrative is layered with philosophical discussions, which Pirsig calls "Chautauquas" — reflective monolo...

Beginner Guide to Meditation

June 28, 2025•243 words

Meditation is a practice that helps calm the mind and promote relaxation. Here’s a step-by-step guide for beginners: Find a Quiet Space Choose a quiet and comfortable place where you won’t be disturbed. Choose a Comfortable Position Sit on a chair, a cushion, or on the floor. Keep your back straight but relaxed. You can also lie down, but this might make you drowsy. Set a Timer Start with 5–10 minutes and gradually increase as you get comfortable. Close Your Eyes or Soften Your Gaze Closing y...