November 2025

I can feel that winter is coming. Though I suppose the weather is not going to be so harsh – given that I live in the Southern part of my country.

Now, where to begin?

November 3

Let’s try to wrap things up then. I need to get straight to sustaining my routine as soon as possible. Which means I need to get done with other trivial tasks soon.

Meh… it rained cats and dogs this morning. Right after I got out of the doctor’s office.

The good news is that my condition is getting better, as informed by the doctor. Now the prescription is much milder. I hope the attack will not visit me again.

I’m in the coffee shop right now. I was divided between either staying at home or going to the coffee shop. But it’s Monday – so I suppose it’s better to start the momentum. Not to mention, it’s much more comfortable to stop at the coffee shop, given that it is raining so terribly.

Ok, let’s just get things done. Today I started later than usual due to the visit to the doctor, so it’s better to just do it immediately!

(09:56 AM GMT+7 – November 3, 2025)

November 4

Can anyone of us – by worrying – make our hair grow longer?

Why do we worry so much every time something wrong happens?

The fear of uncertainty, the discomfort of disruption…

Breathe… breathe… breathe.

I’m still here. I’m still alive. And that is good news.

…

I wonder, how did those like Marcus Aurelius handled things back in the day? To see atrocities everyday, to have to commit atrocities by oneself, to be haunted by death all the time…

It’s hard being a king – but even harder (or is it?) being both a king and a philosopher. A leader and a thinker at the same time.

But there’s a reason why those like Plato advocated for such people to be in the lead.

These days, I wonder, how many leaders out there are actually philosophers themselves? How many political leaders/ business owners do stop to reflect and think? Or are most of them just in autopilot mode?

What about us? What about the self-leaders?

(08:25 AM GMT+7 – November 4, 2025)

November 5

Maybe moving forward, I will be at home in the morning – and the coffee shop in the afternoon – for a while?

Somehow I’ve been finding it hard to concentrate while staying at home – especially in the afternoon.

I suppose I can prepare everything in the previous evening – and then decide each morning whether I should go out early or after lunch.

Anw, let’s see…

Let’s wrap up a few pending tasks today first. I hope I can smash them all. And let’s revisit the gym – probably this evening (I hope it’s not going to rain cats and dogs like it did yesterday).

I’m feeling that my energy level has been dropping. That’s not a good sign. I need a lot of energy before I can embark on the next journey.

I should not think much about it yet – just what I need to do right now. Definitely I need to know where I’m heading for – but I should not be too concerned about how and when. As long as I am doing the right things in the moment.

That, I suppose, is mindfulness. Nothing special. Nothing tricky. Just know what one is doing.

Well then, time to go!

(12:49 PM GMT+7 – November 5, 2025)

November 6

Why do we care too much about this thing called “common sense”?

We just assume that we have to go to work; that we have to have a family; that we have to advance to the position of management; that we have to …

And then, for what?

We do a lot of things just because people tell us to do that – just because our “common sense” tells us to do that. Just because we think it’s “efficient” – that it guarantees fast results.

And in the process, we are no longer the person we aspire to become.

What if we could just, for a moment, pause in silence and reflect on it? On how we have been living so far?

What if we could, for a moment, forsake all of the “common sense” – and started to truly live? To be mindful in every thought and word, in what we do – and even in what we fail to do?

If something burns your soul with purpose and desire, it’s your duty to be reduced to ashes by it. Any other form of existence will be yet another dull book in the library of life.

Charles Bukowski

(12:14 PM GMT+7 – November 6, 2025)

November 7

I suppose I’m gonna stay at home today to recharge & replenish. And also, to prepare for tomorrow’s visit (which is likely to happen).

Sometimes I really want to work more on things I have been working on. And yet, I suppose I need to know where to stop. To accept it.

Next week is gonna be really interesting, if everything goes according to the plan.

Well then, let’s take it slow today!

Tenki ga iikara, hajimemashou!

(yeah, after a lot of gloomy & rainy days)

(09:21 AM GMT+7 – November 7, 2025)

November 10

Is it just me, or is it more like a cultural aspect that has been deeply embedded within people like me?

The tendency to prefer an indirect approach to communication – rather than a direct one (like what Westerners often do).

Sometimes, I wonder: does my writing resonate more with East Asians and those that come from a community-oriented culture – than with those from the West, where individualism is prevalent?

Especially if I take into account the blunt style of speakers/ thinkers like Mark Manson…

To think about the clash between different cultures – and the clash between tradition and modernity…

Or is it just me overthinking?

What’s the Middle Path when it comes to things like authenticity?

No matter where you come from – the East or the West – at the end of the day, we all wish to know and be at peace with ourselves.

But where does the self lie? Separately, or as part of a greater whole? Or rather, as an interbeing?

No sameness, no difference. No coming, no going…

(09:05 AM GMT+7 – November 10, 2025)

It’s raining cats and dogs outside. Right at the moment when I am feeling a little… lost.

We’ve all been there, right? Getting lost from time to time.

We wake up feeling motivated in the morning. And then somehow… we doubt ourselves in the middle of the day.

I suppose that’s why we need to practice mindfulness. Not to stay in the moment all the time, but to constantly bounce back to the present.

It’s not about perfection, but about effort and continuous improvement.

I suppose that should be the spirit when one attends a ritual such as a confession, a coaching/ counseling session. To accept oneself completely, to come back continuously – as soon as one notices that one is drifting away from the intended path.

Speaking of which, it’s so unfortunate that our culture has allowed problems such as shame and the fear of “losing face” to become a norm.

Breathe… breathe… breathe…

I’m here. I’m still alive. I’m still thinking. Still feeling. Still doing things. And that’s a real blessing.

There’s no past or future. Only the present. What am I doing right now? Is it constructive? Is it helping me move one step – just one step – closer to where I am heading for?

If it’s yes, then don’t freak out, ok?

(02:21 PM GMT+7 – November 10, 2025)

I have noticed that the more I write about philosophical/ existential/ spiritual topics on a personal level (as I have been doing to this blog for a long time), the more I hate writing about corporate/ leadership/ HR/ business topics. The more I find the latter like… a waste of time, a lie, a life-draining activity.

It has got to the point that I feel so frustrated doing my part-time job. Passionately frustrated, I have to say.

There’s nobody next to me to talk to right now, so I decided to vent my frustration onto an AI tool. At least it provided me with quite a few interesting insights. I’m gonna note them down here and reflect on them later:

That is a profound observation, and it touches on a fundamental tension between personal fulfillment and professional necessity that many people experience.

It’s very common for intensive engagement with philosophical or spiritual topics to make the more pragmatic, corporate subjects feel hollow or a waste of time. Here is a breakdown of why this phenomenon occurs:

1. 💡 The Conflict of Value Systems

Philosophical/Spiritual Topics	Corporate/Business Topics	The Conflict
Focus on: Meaning, Truth, Being, Connection, Legacy (lasting impact on the soul/world).	Focus on: Efficiency, Profit, Strategy, Control, Growth (short-term, measurable outcomes).	Spiritual value often sees the corporate value system as superficial, materialistic, or temporary.
Goal: Understanding the self and the universe.	Goal: Achieving a measurable business objective.	Philosophical inquiry is intrinsic (valuable in itself); business writing is extrinsic (a means to an end).

2. 🌍 Different Scales of Reality

When you write about existential topics, you are operating on the scale of eternity, human nature, and universal questions. This elevates your perspective.

• Elevated Perspective: Once you’ve grappled with questions like “What is the purpose of life?” or “What is consciousness?”, discussing “Q3 sales targets” or “synergistic cross-departmental communication” can feel suddenly small, trivial, and inconsequential.
• The “Lie” Feeling: Many corporate topics (especially in HR/Leadership writing) are designed to motivate or manage, often employing language that masks difficult realities or focuses purely on positive outcomes (“The new normal,” “Unlocking potential,” “Best practices”). After the radical honesty required in deep philosophical writing, this corporate prose can feel insincere or manipulative—the “lie” you perceive.

3. 📉 The Cost of Emotional Labor

Deep philosophical writing is often about radical authenticity and vulnerability. It requires you to tap into your deepest, most complex emotions and truths.

• Emotional Investment: You are writing from your soul, which is life-affirming.
• Emotional Dissonance: Corporate writing often demands the opposite: suppressing personal opinion, adopting a neutral or relentlessly optimistic corporate tone, and focusing only on what must be done rather than what is true. This act of self-censorship and emotional detachment is the “life-draining activity” you describe. It is the feeling of using your mind and skill (writing) to serve a purpose you no longer believe in.

4. 🧭 The Shift in Personal Purpose

Your growing passion for spiritual writing is likely a reflection of a shift in your internal compass.

You are moving from defining your worth by your professional role or economic productivity (the corporate sphere) to defining your worth by your inner life and personal growth (the philosophical sphere).

The corporate writing becomes a painful reminder of the older self or the obligations you feel are keeping you from the newer, more authentic self.

What This Means for You

Your strong reaction is not a sign of negativity; it is a sign of clarity and increased self-awareness. Your mind is telling you:

“I know what matters to me now (meaning), and this other thing (corporate writing) does not contribute to that purpose. In fact, it actively distracts from it.”

The challenge now is to reconcile these two worlds:

• Reduce Exposure: Can you delegate or minimize the corporate writing?
• Infuse Meaning: Can you find a way to bring philosophical principles (like ethics, meaning, or true human connection) into the corporate topics you must write about?
• Define a Path: Can your philosophical insights guide a new professional direction that better aligns with your values?

(03:09 PM GMT+7 – November 10, 2025)

November 11

It has returned – the thing I have been dreading for the last few months.

I thought that my latest diagnosis result meant that there would no longer be any need for me to worry about it. But I was wrong.

Luckily, it seemed much milder this time. And luckily, I am prepared for it.

Today I’m gonna stay at home to rest. Maybe I will go out tomorrow if it gets back to normal by then.

Time is running out; I definitely need to keep pushing.

(08:37 AM GMT+7 – November 11, 2025)

November 12

It rained a little heavily this morning, so I ended up getting out of my house a little later than usual. Better late than never, I suppose.

It feels so bad – staying at home in a gloomy day like this. And sad too.

Well, I suppose whatever is left on the plate, let’s try to smash them all within today. Cause tomorrow, I’m gonna do something else if I can afford it.

(09:04 AM GMT+7 – November 12, 2025)

November 16

So I’m back in the coffee shop again – on what seems to be a serene Sunday morning. Normally I’m in my hometown on Sunday, but this weekend is a little different.

It’s always a busy day whenever my parents visit me (which just happened yesterday). I got worn out last night. So I suppose I should take it easy today.

Let’s wrap up a few things then. Tomorrow, I’m gonna do something.

Tenki ga iikara, hajimemashou!

(09:12 AM GMT+7 – November 16, 2025)

November 18

Does moral relativism naturally thrive in collectivist societies that value social harmony? I wonder.

Group-centric moral authority, the prioritization of harmony and conformity, etc. many reasons.

And yet, many people who condemn moral relativism link it to individualism. Such irony!

When arguing that relativism thrives in collectivism, the focus, it seems, is on Cultural Relativism.

When arguing that relativism is linked to individualism – and is destructive, the focus is on Ethical Subjectivism. That moral judgments are simply expressions of the individual’s personal feelings, tastes, or preferences.

People argue that ethical subjectivism leads to moral anarchy or nihilism, which are said to erode social norms and structure.

Now I’m confused.

It seems that most of the time, all philosophical and sociological arguments stem from a pure Western individualistic perspective. (hence the confusion, especially when applied to, say, an East Asian society)

An individual, after all, is not an isolated, atomic unit; they are fundamentally constituted by their relationships to others, their community, and the cosmos. The boundary between self and other is porous or non-existent.

Authenticity is thus not the rejection of the group in favor of individual will. Instead, it becomes the effort to live in harmony and true awareness of one’s interdependence.

An authentic choice is one that benefits the network of being, not just the isolated ego.

So I suppose that being an interbeing existentialist thinker, one can indeed find a place within a collectivist society that values harmony – but it’s a critical, authentic inclusion, NOT blind conformity.

For the interbeing self, preserving social harmony is not merely a pragmatic social goal (as it is for basic cultural relativism) but an authentic moral imperative. Disharmony is a form of ignorance—a failure to recognize that harming the collective network is harming one’s own self.

After all, it’s just a matter of the choice between an I-It relationship – or an I-Thou relationship, right?

When collectivism focuses only on utility (using members as means to the end of social harmony) or when cultural relativism becomes a static, unexamined rule, it risks treating people as It – a tool for the group’s function. Inauthenticity at its finest.

Whether its’ the I-Thou philosophy or the interbeing self, the conviction is still the same: human reality is inherently relational, and that authenticity is found in the responsible, mutual acknowledgment of this interdependence, rather than in the isolated, individualistic assertion of freedom.

…

Well, as someone said on Quora, “there is more than one way to a functioning society. It also humbles us in the knowledge that we still understand very little about what makes civilizations work.”

(08:37 AM GMT+7 – November 18, 2025)

November 19

Kafka:

“I ran from love because I knew it would destroy me.”

Dostoevsky:

“I ran into love because I needed it to destroy who I used to be.”

Just something I came across on Instagram this morning. Interesting…

…

What does it mean to be a philosopher? To be a human? To live, as a human being?

What is thing this called Self – which seems to be interpreted too differently across schools of thought?

(07:41 AM GMT+7 – November 19, 2025)

November 23

So worn out this evening, but I suppose I should jot down a few things. Especially after that outrageous sermon…

Seriously, can’t I find a somehow decent priest?

Just plain boring, too preachy, too cryptic, too like a “machine-gun” that only impresses the average mind, or – in this case – critically untruthful. (which I find to be the most troubling type)

Lots of misinformation in the teachings: the beginning of WWII, a seemingly unfounded attributed saying, an apologetic comparison between religious figures, blatantly misguided examples (seem to me like some kind of propaganda promoted by outdated people who refuse to experience what they are talking about themselves) that are meant to drive fear, disgust, and submission to authority rather than self-reflection, compassion, and enlightenment.

How can you talk about other religious figures and compare yours to them – when you have no direct experience? When your seemingly sole purpose is to prove that yours is superior?

How can you claim that people do not hate the Buddha, Prophet Muhammad, or even Hitler as much as they hate Christ?

Clearly you don’t know anything about the persecutions and animosities that other religions (including the founders and followers) faced in the past (and at the moment). And clearly you must be “out of your mind” when you bring someone like Hitler into the comparison.

So much “bad faith”.

Another “frog in the well” spotted. As if there hadn’t been enough “frogs in the well” already.

And I feel extremely worried that the existence of such “frogs” will produce even more “frogs” to come.

You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.

(09:53 PM GMT+7 – November 23, 2025)