2025.12.01 - The Significance of Persisting in Practice
Ping Xia
Title: 2025.12.01 – The Significance of Consistent Practice
In‑Depth Interview with Martin Fowler: AI Is the Biggest Disruption in Software Engineering in 40 Years
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/pBhto12Y8qtNgqzvxhoRJA
Martin Fowler’s insights remind us that, amid the AI wave, we must not be blinded by the technology’s halo. The core of software engineering remains communication, understanding problems, and building maintainable systems. AI is a powerful engine, but the steering wheel is still in the hands of human engineers. We need to shift from blind “code generation” to deeper “system comprehension” and “architectural design.”
Technology Gets Stronger, Humans May Get Duller: Cognitive Traps in the Age of Collective Intelligence
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/s0h0tI7A5OsIDoqlyh_CJg
Intelligence is not a property of isolated brains; it emerges from collaborative structures. Information sharing, complementary roles, and group regulation constitute the “cognitive organ”’s extension. Therefore, true upgrade is not just faster thinking but better connection. We weave individual talent into a collective system, making cognition designable, auditable, and replicable. In this sense, technology ceases to be a mere auxiliary tool and becomes the interface for connection and amplification. Below, we take a more experimental angle to see how this path can be concretely built.
Leaving Home Thousands of Miles…
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/cxyaN2lKv-BQU09Fa0XmvQ
Leaving home thousands of miles away, we step out of the “self” of our hometown, take root in the “place” of a foreign land, and ultimately seek the settlement of the “heart.” This long journey is paved with nostalgia, loneliness, and struggle, yet dotted with effort, integration, and growth. It deepens our understanding of love and being loved, and teaches us resilience and responsibility. Like dandelion seeds carrying family’s wishes, we venture far, and eventually realize that the best reward is being able to root firmly wherever we are, giving our loved ones peace of mind.
The Temperament of Food: Four Natures and Five Flavors
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/YOYwmfouPQtGwDVKcWD3Yg
Every food has its own temperament. In Traditional Chinese Medicine it’s described as the “four natures and five flavors.” Just as each person is unique, each food carries a basic “cold, hot, warm, cool” character and expresses itself through “sour, bitter, sweet, pungent, salty.” These “temperaments” are neither good nor bad; the key is finding a match with the individual.
The Meaning of Persistent Practice
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/9s08QQCTsaTtLumG1TGJiA
What I understand about the “Diamond Longevity Exercise” is that it should be integrated into daily life without overt emphasis. No matter the method or encouragement, the core is simply persistence. There is a lineage, there are methods to follow, and we must constantly listen to Master Zhang’s diligent teachings. Even if you find a master, you can’t have them with you 24 hours a day to guide you constantly. If you work or have other obligations, at most you can practice with the master on weekends for an afternoon; the rest of the time you must rely on your own diligent, hard‑working practice. In my own practice, when I encounter life’s difficulties and feel restless, I listen to the master’s instructions on the method; unconsciously I immerse myself, and my mind quickly calms.
Originally written by Ping Xia (平侠) and published in Chinese on 拾一集 (Weekly Reflections). Translated and adapted for DriftSeas with permission.