It took me three years to transition from a receiver to a giver. During that time, I met many new people, and through countless conversations, I gained new perspectives. I came to understand, in a deeply personal way, the importance of thinking—and the quiet joy it brings. But what does it mean to “think”? And where does thinking truly begin?
Analyzing it from a purely linguistic standpoint would be too dry. As a growth-oriented learner, I’ve never forced myself to “think for the sake of thinking.” But during one conversation with a friend, I realized something: it was the habits I had long taken for granted that had quietly sharpened my capacity for independent thought. They were simple, even bookless—browse more, do more, say more.
When I run into a problem, I try to tackle it first before looking for shortcuts—only after becoming familiar with different options do I allow myself to choose the easier path. I’ve also learned to comment more thoughtfully on the content I enjoy online—be it writing, photos, or design—not just to say “This is beautiful,” but to articulate what exactly draws me in. I act before overthinking all the possible downsides. More often than not, action leads to unexpected delight: perhaps you pick up a new skill, perhaps someone appreciates your words and sends encouragement, or perhaps your comment sparks a real exchange of ideas.
And then there’s talking to people—different people, ideally. When you let go of the mindset that every interaction must yield something (like, say, the desire to start a relationship), conversations become surprisingly effortless. You begin to appreciate how others see the world. Their perspectives differ from yours, and in listening closely, you’re drawn into a kind of Socratic dialogue—one where each exchange strips away the fuzzy logic or contradictions in both your words and theirs. Like peeling layers from a cocoon, you get closer to something clearer, more essential.
从receiver到giver，我用了三年。在这期间认识了很多新朋友，通过交谈也收获了新见解。我切身明白思考的重要性，也享受着它带来的精神上的愉悦。但何为思考？又从何开始思考？
如果单从字义分析，未免太过枯燥。作为一名成长型学者，我从不强迫自己为了思考而思考，但在跟朋友探讨的某刻，我突然意识到正是那些我不以为然的习惯，在无形中提高了我自主思考的能力。它们很简单，甚至连书也不用看，那就是多浏览多做多说。
遇到问题时尝试先攻克，等到熟练掌握多种选择后再走捷径；多去评论那些互联网你喜欢的文字、作品、照片，不单单只是夸赞一句好美，而是用文字去分析你究竟喜欢什么；不设想做这些事情可能会发生的糟糕情况，行动大于一切。可能你会在中途收获意想不到的惊喜，也许你会发现自己掌握了新技能，又或许你的点评，赢得了他人认可而获得点赞，更甚与他人产生了思想的碰撞；认识不同的人，跟不同的人交流。尝试减弱“需要从对方中得到什么的”目的（譬如我想跟ta谈恋爱）去交谈，你会发现原来自己可以跟很多人聊很好。了解他们眼中的世界，不同的观点，像苏格拉底式的辩证法一样，在互相讨论的过程中将话语缺失逻辑性的地方剥蚕抽丝似的逐层揭露出来。