Triadic Growth

Triadic Growth

A beginner’s guide to traditional culture and Chinese medicine for internet professionals

These past few years I’ve been fortunate to encounter Teacher Liu Lihong (https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E5%88%98%E5%8A%9B%E7%BA%A2/4716055) promoting the “Sanhe” (三和) concept at Sanhe Academy (http://www.tongyousanhe.org/portal/index/about/id/4.html): externally “Heaven‑Earth‑Human” harmony, internally “Nature‑Body‑Mind” harmony. A detailed explanation appears in Health Begins with a Right Mind (https://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1726285175977494026). Together with colleagues who follow Teacher Liu in being the primary custodian of our own health (https://book.douban.com/subject/35699066/), I want to share some of the insights I’ve gathered. I previously sent a private note titled “The Essentials of Health” to a few friends; this time, after a recent talk with engineers, I refined the material around the theme of growth—a topic that resonates more broadly—and turned it into this letter.

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TL;DR: Growth is a long journey of aligning body, mind, and action.

1. Follow the Master’s footsteps: Aspire to learn → reach maturity → attain clarity; find a path that fits you and proceed according to “life‑long ideals, near‑term plans, today’s tasks.”
2. Read the classics and savor the joy of “friends arriving from afar.”
   • When you start reading, you’ve already outpaced most peers who are scrolling TikTok and news feeds.
   • When you start reading the classics, you’ve outpaced most readers who chase the newest trends.
3. Be the primary custodian of your health: eat and sleep well, practice the “Golden Longevity Exercise,” spend time in nature, and get close to Chinese medicine.

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Introduction – Inspiration from Sanhe

Beyond computing, traditional culture has been a long‑standing study of mine. Influenced by the Dao De Jing line “The Dao gives birth to one, one gives birth to two, two gives birth to three, three gives birth to all things,” I’m fond of the number three and often view systems and products through a triadic lens, identifying their three essential elements. I applied this thinking at work; inspired by GitHub, I helped the Yuque developers define Yuque’s core structure as a tripartite of people, knowledge, and knowledge bases.

Teacher Liu’s “Sanhe” philosophy neatly ties together my own experiences with growth. Inspired by it, I softened the profound, hard‑to‑explain concept of “xing” (nature) to its homophone “xing” (action) and drew the diagram below. Using the diagram, I’ll discuss my reflections from the three dimensions of action, mind, and body. In reality, these three are not always aligned; sometimes they diverge. Growth is the process of increasing their overlap until they harmonize. For ordinary people, achieving complete unity is a tall order, so the right‑hand diagram does not show perfect overlap—our goal is to expand the intersecting area and move toward integration.

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Action – Knowing Yourself at Work

Starting with a Few Recent Articles

A contemporary youth report hides many signals
http://www.geekpark.net/news/306044

For decades, Chinese youth have aspired to be extraordinary—entrepreneurs who create personal and social value. Today, many—young and middle‑aged alike—long simply to be ordinary, to live well, and to re‑root themselves. In other words, China is confronting, for the first time, the modern quest for “a place to settle and a purpose to fulfill.” It’s no longer just about cars and houses; it’s about dignity in a post‑materialist era where money is not the sole driver. We need meaning, stories, and emotional support in an uncertain, chaotic world. We must clarify what we sacrifice, what we gain, and reposition ourselves within limited resources, learning to cope with long‑term uncertainty. Avoid the consumerist trap; live with dignity even when resources are scarce, rediscovering life’s beauty.

Escaping consumerism, confronting the quest for a settled life

Kai‑Fu Lee predicts the next 20 years: young people will seek meaning beyond work
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/53_jDEvIuexZj6KS9RKWCg

In the industrial era, bosses convinced blue‑collar workers that repetitive labor led to buying a house, providing a better future for their children, and that diligence was paramount—essentially, “work is life’s meaning.” Many bought into the “work → earn → feel accomplished” script and spent a lifetime in labor. Now AI is displacing both blue‑ and white‑collar jobs. If we still cling to the belief that work equals meaning, we’ll suffer. Before “work” disciplined us, people historically found meaning in family, friendship, or personal passions (music, calligraphy, etc.). That shift only happened with industrialization, and the reversal will take time, not a decade or two.

Work is only a part of life; strive for a fuller existence

How to self‑manage
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/GS5SjC1LNVZGWA5V2yYfMw

Knowledge workers must become their own CEOs because most companies don’t invest in employee development. Achieving results requires knowing your strengths and weaknesses, learning new skills, collaborating well, and clarifying your values. Unlike previous generations who could stay at one firm for life, our careers often outlast the organizations we join, so we must invest in ourselves to secure sustainable returns later.

Every knowledge worker is a manager; see Peter Drucker’s The Effective Executive for deeper insight

Decentralized orgs, the 706 movement, and digital nomads
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/G1KcKfWoO7AcYplRr5lXYA

Digital nomadism is a lifestyle choice, not a universal solution. Yet exposing young people to diverse options and encouraging non‑standard experiments is valuable. Life is long enough for trial‑and‑error; it’s also short enough that numbness to time can make it slip away.

In the digital age, granting knowledge workers freedom suits internet professionals. Interested readers can follow the 706 Youth Space Anji Digital Nomad Commune (Zoe) at https://www.yuque.com/zoeren

Be yourself, not a “better” version of yourself
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/HdukQxG0gJh8O0tpMePqDA

Being yourself means embracing your authentic, perhaps dust‑covered, self and staying there. Striving to be a “better” self often leads to a fabricated persona. First be yourself, then improve; first know who you are, then act.

Path of return: become a better self → become yourself → be yourself

From these readings, three keywords emerge: accept ordinariness + settle with purpose + be yourself. As Steve Jobs said:

[Quote omitted in source]

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Becoming a Reliable Engineer

Survival hinges on mastering your core skill, becoming increasingly professional, simple, and trustworthy. In an age of excess intelligence, reliability is the greatest wisdom.
The following also applies to non‑engineers.

Whenever I discuss this topic, I revisit my mentor nwind’s (https://www.zhihu.com/people/wuduoyi/posts) presentation—everything I want to say is already there 😄
https://speakerdeck.com/baidufe/gong-cheng-shi-de-ge-ren-fa-zhan-gui-hua

Key mantra: Life‑long ideals, near‑term plans, today’s tasks.

A quick note: “Life‑long ideals” may not be crystal clear right away; start with a “present‑moment goal.” In the current context—time, place, project—pick a heartfelt objective, a problem you want to solve, or a state you wish to achieve, and turn it into a short‑term target. Any of the following qualifies:

• A professional aspiration
• A hopeful vision for the future
• A spark that makes your heart race, urging you to solve a problem
• The fire inside you
• The light you see ahead

See also: [Ma’s talk on thought, goals, and action] (https://www.yuque.com/zenany/up/mind_objective_and_action)

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From Career Path → Life Stage

Viewing Career Paths Realistically

In the book Excellent Sheep (https://book.douban.com/subject/26747208/) I was given, elite education’s impact on individuals and society is examined. This elite mindset has seeped into the workplace; the career ladder (https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/475669814) glorifies endless climbing, pushing countless knowledge workers to chase higher tiers and growth. Yet talent and opportunity differ—few are meant to stay at the summit. Recognizing your own place, pausing when appropriate, and shifting focus to value creation, personal growth, and life quality is essential.

Two takeaways:

1. Work dominates most of our time; “happy work, serious life” is the most worthwhile pursuit:

   • Contribute value to the team and business
   • Tackle problems you care about
   • Build small tools or streamline processes to make tedious tasks more enjoyable
   • Live fully as the article suggests, making every day a good day

2. A stint at one company is just a scenery in a ~30‑year career, let alone the much longer journey of life.

Following the Master’s Path

“The Master said: At fifteen I set my heart on learning; at thirty I stood firm; at forty I had no doubts; at fifty I understood destiny; at sixty my ears were attuned; at seventy I followed my heart without overstepping the bounds.”

1. 志于学 – Aspire to Learning

Great achievements, past and present, pass through three realms. “Last night the western wind withered the green trees; alone I ascend the high tower, gazing to the horizon.” – first realm. “My belt widens, yet I do not regret, for love makes me gaunt.” – second realm. “After countless searches, I turn, and there he stands, where the lights are dim.” – third realm. — Wang Guowei, Renjian Cihua

“The Great Learning begins with manifesting virtue, loving the people, and reaching ultimate goodness. Knowing where to stop brings stability; stability brings tranquility; tranquility brings peace; peace brings reflection; reflection brings attainment. Things have beginnings and ends; knowing priorities brings one near the Way.” — The Great Learning

“Thus, talent without ambition cannot achieve anything. Ambition is the teacher of learning; talent is the pupil. Learners should not worry about lacking talent, but about lacking ambition.” — Xu Gan, Zhong Lun

For engineers, this translates to programming, product, and management—each a profound discipline. Choose a path that matches your strengths and passions and commit to lifelong practice.

2. 而立 – Establish Yourself

Daily character – “person” (立)

Hexagram 5 (Constant): Thunder over wind – “A gentleman stands firm, unchanging in principle.” A teacher explains: “‘Stand’ refers to one’s stance and belief; ‘unchanging’ means not altering; ‘principle’ is the original intention and rule. To stand unchangingly on principle is the true gentleman’s way.”

“In the West, power flaunts itself, yet its root lies in humanity; the superficial glory is easy to see, but the underlying foundation is deep and obscure.” — Lu Xun, Cultural Partiality (interpretation of “standing a person”)

What kind of person should we stand as? The New Youth movement offers the answer: combat PUA, mental fatigue, and endless competition.

3. 不惑 – No Doubt

“Cling to the green mountain, never letting go; roots grow among broken rocks. After countless blows, it remains sturdy, regardless of wind from any direction.” — Zheng Banqiao, Bamboo and Rock

Side note: The cultivation levels in Ever Night (https://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1688508083991836511) echo this progression—interesting to note.

Apprentice → Perception → No Doubt → Profound Insight → Knowing Destiny → … → Unbounded

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Choosing the Path You Want

Elimination method: Try various possibilities, discard those that don’t fit, and the remaining options converge toward the right one.

Altruistic mindset: When you can help others, consider that first; personal benefit comes second.

My Practice: The Product Engineer Path

Takeaways

• Remove self‑imposed limits; explore all engineering possibilities
• Pick an industry you’re willing to commit to
• Follow your heart; go where you feel resonance

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Mind – Beginning with the Classics

“The Master said: I repeat what I have heard, I do not create; I trust the ancient.”

Classics as Light

In Chinese Classics – Laozi Section (https://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1713274710319565508) there is a line that perfectly captures the value of the classics:

“A lamp can illuminate a classic; a classic, like a lamp, can illuminate the world.”

This year I’ve been reading the Analects, Out of Control, and Weaving the World Wide Web. I’ve realized that each discipline’s foundational classics are peaks of wisdom, containing unfinished work of ancient sages and modern thinkers. They act as guiding lights, offering direction, hope, and confidence.

The Story of the Digital Garden

Discussing digital gardens with a colleague, she described them as a circle farther than a social feed, closer than a media platform, placing people at a comfortable distance for pure sharing and exchange. Instantly I thought of “Friends arriving from afar—how joyous!” from the Analects, realizing those three lines perfectly capture the essence of a digital garden.

While reading Tim Berners‑Lee’s Weaving the World Wide Web (https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E8%92%82%E5%A7%86%C2%B7%E4%BC%AF%E7%BA%B3%E6%96%AF%C2%B7%E6%9D%8E/8868412, https://book.douban.com/subject/1031060/), I saw that Yuque’s vision aligns with the founder’s original dream.

Yuque continues the WWW’s aspiration:

• Write and share our thoughts – exactly what Yuque offers as a personal knowledge‑building and sharing tool (https://www.yuque.com/about)
• Collaborate – the team knowledge‑collaboration tool (https://www.yuque.com/about/groups)
• Semantic Web – this year’s knowledge network (https://www.yuque.com/yuque/gpvawt/gh3mdb) is a step toward that advanced stage

My hope for Yuque matches the phrase “between minds”: Let knowledge flow smoothly from human brain to computer, then, using computers’ processing power, spread to other brains. See: https://www.yuque.com/zenany/up/product_nature#niy1bs (https://www.yuque.com/zenany/up/product_nature#niy1bs).

Thus I visualized the Digital Garden as the diagram below:

[Diagram omitted]

Seeing Yuque inherit Confucius’s learning path, continue the unfinished WWW ideal, and grow together with users strengthens my confidence. Two philosophers—one Eastern, one Western—plus an engineer, spanning time and space, guide Yuque. It’s a great honor! At the same time, I’m aware of the challenge. Though I don’t know the final outcome, I recall an old friend’s words: “People must have goals, and find a community that values those goals.” (https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/479087511) That inspires me: set the goal, gather more people who share it, and together we’ll draw nearer to the WWW dream.

Rethinking Everyday Vocabulary

Understanding classics like the Analects, Dao De Jing, The Great Learning, and The Doctrine of the Mean requires revisiting Chinese characters, because modern usage often differs from ancient meanings. The earlier discussion of “而立” illustrated this. Below are two more examples explored with a colleague. A useful method: break a word into its constituent characters and explore each’s deeper sense. Try it with words such as 学习 (study), 管理 (manage), 成长 (growth), 知识 (knowledge), 教育 (education), 和平 (peace), 生命 (life), 性命 (fate), 生机 (vitality)…

CASE 1 – Promotion

晋卦 (https://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1659232944653119022&wfr=spider&for=pc): “Brightness rises from the earth; the superior man illuminates his virtue.”

升卦 (https://www.bilibili.com/read/cv7561897/): “Wood sprouts from within the earth; the superior man follows virtue, accumulating small gains to become great.”

CASE 2 – Reconciliation

Following the pattern “what is harmonious, what is resolved,” I recalled “和光同尘” and found this passage in the Dao De Jing:

“The Way is void, yet its use never overflows.
The abyss is like the source of all things.
Dull its sharpness, untangle its conflicts, harmonize its light, blend with the dust.
Deep and still, as if it exists. I do not know whose child it is, perhaps the ancestor of the emperor.”

The characters 和 (harmony) and 解 (to untie) suggest:

• 和 – to be in harmony with the Dao’s illumination
• 解 – to untie worldly disputes

I’m still grasping this passage; the following articles help:

• Laozi’s “harmonize light with dust”
• Interpreting “harmonize its light, blend with its dust” in the Dao De Jing
• [The guidance of “dull its sharpness, untangle its conflicts” for work and life](https://baijiahao.baidu.com/s?id=1685694494813925

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Originally written by Ping Xia (平侠) and published in Chinese on 研习录 (Study Notes). Translated and adapted for DriftSeas with permission.