A lifetime of three strategies

Author: Zi Gao
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-05-01
Features: 4. Find the easier way in
People once conducted an experiment: They released a butterfly in a room, and it would desperately fly toward the glass window, only to hit it every time. After struggling and regaining its senses, it would circle around the room and then fly back toward the window, of course, still "bumping its head." In reality, the door next to it was open, but it seemed darker on that side, so the butterfly never flew toward the door.
Pursuing light is the instinct of most living beings. No matter how many failures or setbacks they face, they always stubbornly seek the direction of light. When we see the butterfly bumping its head, we should realize this truth: Sometimes, to achieve our goals, choosing a seemingly distant and hopeless direction might actually lead us to success more quickly. Conversely, we might endlessly circle between attempts and failures.
There was a computer science PhD student who studied in France. After graduating, he struggled to find a job in France and faced constant rejections from many companies. With such a high degree and a highly sought-after major, why couldn’t he find a job? With no other choice, the student decided to try a different approach. He hid all his academic credentials and applied for jobs with the lowest possible status. Soon after, he was hired by a computer company as a basic data entry clerk. This was a job that most people with higher qualifications wouldn’t touch, yet the PhD student worked diligently and meticulously.
After a short time, his supervisor discovered his outstanding talent: He could spot errors in the programs, something far beyond the capabilities of ordinary data entry clerks. At this point, he showed his bachelor’s degree, and the boss reassigned him to a position suitable for a college graduate. After some time, the boss noticed that he excelled in his new role and could offer many valuable suggestions, proving himself smarter than most university graduates. Then he revealed his master’s degree, and the boss promoted him again.
With his previous experience, the boss paid more attention to him and realized he was even more skilled than a master’s degree holder, with an extraordinary breadth and depth of professional knowledge. The boss then had another conversation with him. Only then did he show his PhD credentials and explain his reasons for doing so. At this point, the boss finally understood and immediately gave him significant responsibilities, as he had long been impressed by the student’s knowledge, skills, and dedication.
On the other hand, many young people, when starting their careers, often flaunt their titles and credentials, boasting about themselves. This either turns people off and makes it hard to cooperate or sets overly high expectations, leading to disappointment. If they make a slight mistake, it becomes difficult to recover.
Being straightforward may bring us trouble, but taking a detour can help us avoid obstacles and move more smoothly. It seems that sometimes taking a detour isn’t about wasting time or energy—it’s about allowing us to advance better. In real life, people tend to be direct in everything they do, only to find that they’ve put in a lot of effort without seeing results. If they could learn to take a more indirect approach, their actions would become much smoother.