Principal's Message - July 2026

"Worldview: The Navigation System for Growth."

The title of my sharing today is "Worldview: The Navigation System for Growth."

On the journey of life, we often notice that some people grow rapidly while others seem to progress slowly. The essence of slow growth usually has nothing to do with IQ, nor is it a lack of action. The root cause lies in our lack of a broad "worldview."

What is a worldview? If we compare a human to a computer: our IQ is the Central Processing Unit (CPU), our drive to act is the steady flow of electricity, and our "worldview" is the computer's operating system. If the operating system is outdated, even the most powerful CPU and a full battery will not support modern software. In fact, it will crash frequently due to incompatibility. A worldview is the compass of our growth; it is the lens through which we view the world. Without it, we are like a solitary boat lost at sea without a compass—even if you row with all your might, you will only spin uselessly in whirlpools. This is not a lack of ability; it is simply because we have no idea where we are heading.

Logical and quick-witted people are clever, but without a worldview, they often focus solely on solving immediate problems without ever questioning whether those problems are worth solving in the first place. Intellect does not equal wisdom. Without a macro-level navigation system, the higher your intellect, the further you may travel in the wrong direction.

Our drive to act can also create the illusion of progress. Some people seem to be constantly striving, yet they are merely running in circles. This gap in their worldview prevents them from seeing the underlying laws of how things develop, and they do not know how to leverage external resources. It is like trying to excavate a mountain of soil with a teaspoon—it looks like a monumental effort, but it is highly inefficient. If we had a broader perspective, we would spend time learning how to drive an excavator rather than digging with a spoon day after day. Otherwise, no matter how hard we try, our effort is nothing more than a "low-level repetition."

So, what exactly is missing when we lack a worldview?

First, we lack systemic thinking. We fail to see the connections between things, "seeing the trees but missing the forest." Consequently, we treat only the symptoms—treating the head when it aches, and the foot when it hurts—unable to address the root cause of the problem.

Second, we are too eager for instant gratification. We are unwilling to endure temporary hardships for the sake of greater long-term rewards. Lacking the understanding of "delayed gratification" ultimately limits the scale of our growth.

Since our intelligence is innate and our physical energy is limited, "upgrading our worldview" becomes the only path for ordinary people to achieve rapid growth. To this end, I have three suggestions:

First, when things do not go as planned, do not rush to blame others or complain about the environment. Our immediate response should be to ask ourselves: "Is there something wrong with the way I understand the world?" Have the courage to admit, "I might be wrong." Every moment of confusion or failure is a golden opportunity to correct our cognitive system and upgrade our "operating software."

Second, actively engage with people of higher-level thinking. Reach out to those who are more capable than you, and whose perspectives are completely different from yours. When talking to them, the goal is not to debate who is right or wrong, but to explore with curiosity: "Why do you think this way?" and "How did you form this perspective?" Those moments of cognitive friction that make you feel "uncomfortable" or catch you "by surprise" are often the exact breakthroughs needed to upgrade your worldview.

Third, broaden the boundaries of your knowledge. Do not read only what you like or what is within your specialized subject. We must delve into history and literature, as well as understand society and economics. As the Chinese saying goes, "Read ten thousand books, and travel ten thousand miles." Enrich your experiences so that your thinking tools and perspectives become more diverse.

As it happens, the school has prepared various platforms during the upcoming Easter holiday in April to help you broaden your worldview. These include the Kaiping Heritage and Roots-Seeking Tour, the Germany & Vienna Music Tour, the Shanghai Technology Tour, and the Thailand Service-Learning Tour.

The essence of growth is a quantum leap in cognitive dimensions. Your current confusion, anxiety, and stagnation may not be because you are not working hard enough. It is because your current worldview can no longer explain what you are experiencing, nor can it carry the future you wish to reach. The moment you upgrade your worldview is the moment your growth truly begins.

Let us work together to constantly transform through learning. Actively participate in the school's rich array of activities, step out of your comfort zones to see the wider world, and embrace a broader worldview.

Thank you very much!

《世界觀：成長的導航》

 

今天想跟大家分享的題目是——《世界觀：成長的導航》。

在成長的路上，我們常發現有些人走得快，有些人走得慢。成長緩慢的本質，往往無關智商高低，也非行動力不足，其底層原因，在於我們缺乏寬闊的「世界觀」。

什麼是世界觀？若將人比喻為一部電腦：智商是我們的中央處理器（CPU），行動力是源源不絕的電源，而「世界觀」就是電腦的操作系統。如果操作系統陳舊過時，即便配備再強大的 CPU、再充足的電量，電腦也無法運行現代的軟件，甚至會因無法兼容而頻繁當機。世界觀，是我們成長的方向針，是我們審視世界的視角。缺乏它，人就像一艘失去羅盤的孤舟，縱使奮力划槳，也只會在漩渦中徒勞打轉。這不是能力不足，而是我們根本不知前路何方。

聰明的人邏輯嚴密、反應敏捷，但若缺乏世界觀，往往只顧解決眼前的問題，卻忘了思考這個問題是否值得解決。智力不等於智慧，若無宏觀的導航，智力越高，可能在錯誤的方向上走得越遠。

行動力有時也會給我們帶來努力的假象。有些人看似時刻都在奮鬥，實則一直在原地打轉。這種缺失，讓他們看不清事物發展的規律，亦不懂得如何借力。這好比用湯匙一點點挖掘泥土，看似竭盡全力，實則事倍功半。若擁有更廣闊的認知，我們應花時間去學習如何駕駛挖土機，而非日復一日地用湯匙掘泥。否則，再多的努力，本質上也不過是一種「低水平的重複」。

那麼，世界觀的匱乏，究竟缺了什麼？

首先，是缺乏系統思維。我們看不見事物之間的關聯，只見樹木不見森林，結果只能頭痛醫頭、腳痛醫腳，無法對症下藥。

其次，是太急於索求即時的回報。我們無法為了長遠的收穫而忍受暫時的艱辛，缺乏了「先苦後甜」的認知，最終限制了成長的格局。

既然智力天生，行動力受限於體魄，那麼「升級世界觀」，便是我們實現快速成長的唯一路徑。對此，我有三個建議：

第一，當事情發展不如預期時，別急於指責他人或抱怨環境。 我們的第一反應應是反躬自問：「是不是我理解世界的方式出問題了？」要勇氣承認「我可能錯了」。每一次的困惑與失敗，都是我們修正認知、升級系統的絕佳機會。

第二，主動與高維度思維的人交流。 去接觸那些比你優秀、看問題角度與你迥異的人。與他們對話，目的不在於爭辯對錯，而是帶著好奇去探索：「你為什麼會這樣思考？」、「你的觀點是如何形成的？」那些讓你感到「不舒服」或「沒想到」的思維碰撞，往往就是你世界觀升級的突破口。

第三，拓寬知識的疆界。 不要只讀自己喜歡或專業領域的書。我們既要涉獵歷史文學，也要理解社會經濟；既要讀萬卷書，更要行萬里路。豐富見聞，才能讓自己的思維工具與審視角度更加多元。

恰逢學校在四月的復活節假期，為大家準備了不同的平台去拓寬世界觀。這包括「開平尋根交流團」、「德國及維也納音樂團」、「上海科技團」以及「泰國服務團」。

成長的本質，是一場認知維度的躍遷。你當下的困惑、焦慮與停滯，或許並非因為你不夠努力，而是你現有的世界觀，已無法解釋你正在經歷的一切，也承載不起你渴望抵達的未來。唯有在升級世界觀的那一刻，你的成長才真正開始。

願我們共同努力，在學習中不斷蛻變。積極投入學校豐富的活動中，走出舒適圈，去看更大的世界，去擁有更寬廣的世界觀。

謝謝大家！