Observations on the Era in 2025
November 23, 2025 · Social & Information · 5 min read
The value of memory is depreciating, while the premium on understanding is soaring. The barrier to entry for cognition is lowering, yet the scarcity of judgment is rising. As critics multiply while doers remain few, the value of execution climbs; as cookie-cutter assembly lines flood the world while the courage to innovate becomes rare, the value of courage makes a comeback.
The “filters” of consumerism, real estate, and elite degrees have shattered; a spirit of pragmatism ought to be reborn. Education has become the ultimate “buffer” of our time, but where does the path to industrial upgrade lie? Fundamentally, this is a gamble with no certain answer. Failure might not just mean a “Lost Thirty Years” like Japan’s, but the sacrifice of an entire generation’s youth.
Society has shifted from incremental growth to a distorted zero-sum game, and from value creation to excessive risk aversion. The phenomenon of PhDs scrambling for counselor positions reveals a severe imbalance between academia and market demand. Selection mechanisms blindly pursue low costs, misaligning with real needs and breeding formalism. The deep rift between industry and education faces a grueling struggle against vested interests.
Precisely because this stock competition is brutal, the weight of platforms has become disproportionate. Too many people see their value reset to zero the moment they leave a platform. Therefore, regardless of success or failure, you must cultivate the ability to “plug and play” and detach from platforms at any time.
What is the solution now? Master hard skills in the high-tech industry and reject any learning method that lacks practice. Strengthen your engineering capabilities, refuse to be an armchair strategist, abandon fake moves and petty cleverness, and forge independent, genuine skills. Simultaneously, reshape your global mindset and cultivate an overseas perspective. With one less complaint comes one more ounce of courage; with one more bit of grit comes one more bit of positive energy.
While rushing forward with all your might, please remember to look up and check the road ahead.