Hello, I'm Dung, in the crypto community, people call me 0xdungbui.
Crypto trading, for me, is not just about numbers or charts, but a journey to discover my own nature. Every decision, every fluctuation in the market reflects my own patience, determination and belief.
The challenges have helped me grow, not only as a trader but also as a person. Now, I want to share my story, along with the lessons and experiences I have accumulated throughout this journey.
The Story Begins
There is a truth that I always admit: I never considered myself to be an intelligent person. This was clearly shown in my academic results when I was in school â average grades and not-so-stellar report cards. However, I later realized that the education system, especially in Vietnam, often only focuses on developing two types of intelligence: Logic and Language. But in reality, we humans have up to 7 different types of intelligence. And I belong to the Intrapersonal intelligence group.
That is why I always like to work independently, often think deeply about everything around me and have a special sensitivity to my own and other people's emotions. I realize that intelligence is not only about solving complex problems or writing perfect essays, but also the ability to understand and explore myself from within.
So, even though I know I am not a smart person by conventional standards, I always believe that I can become a wise person. Wisdom does not come from grades or degrees, but from experiences and the ability to draw lessons from life. This is the decision that I have committed to myself, and will pursue for the rest of my life: to commit 100% to becoming a wise person.
However, the reason I started this blog again is not just to talk about the change in my perception. Actually, I had a blog from 2018 to 2023, but I deleted it. So why come back to the blog?
I want to share with you two stories that completely changed the way I look at myself and life.
The Story of Charlie Munger
The first story is about Charlie Munger, a man I deeply respect and who has been the biggest influence on my values. In an article about his life, Wall Street Journal journalist Jason Zweig shared a conversation with Mr. Munger, which took place just a month before his death:
I asked him what he wanted engraved on his tombstone, in no more than 10 words. His answer was immediate and humble: âI tried to be usefulâ. Not âI was very usefulâ, because that would be for others to judge. But âI triedâ, yes, he knew that was all he knew.
This really, really impressed me. This is probably the wisest and most important lesson from him.
Being usefulâwhether as a parent, spouse, child, sibling, co-worker, friend, or leaderâis the noblest goal each of us should strive for.
In life, we may fail in many different aspects, but we can all strive for this goal.
Hopefully, at the end of the day, we can all proudly say, âI triedâ⊠for something that makes sense for ourselves.
The Story of Leo Tolstoy
The second story is about Leo Tolstoy. On March 15, 1884, Leo Tolstoy, one of the greatest authors of all time, wrote in his diary:
I had to create my own reading circle: Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, Lao Tzu, Buddha, Pascal, the New Testament. This is also necessary for everyone.
In 1885, he wrote to his assistant, describing the project: âI know that communication with such great thinkers as Socrates, Epictetus, and Arnold Parker gives a person great inner strength, calmness, and happiness. They tell us about the most important things for humanity: the meaning of life and morality⊠I want to create a book in which I can tell a person about his life and about the way to live well.â
Seventeen years later, on his deathbed, Tolstoy completed the project and titled it âOne Wise Thought for Every Day.â In this book, Tolstoy quoted the words of Geneva philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau:
True wisdom is not knowledge of everything, but knowledge of what in life is necessary, what is less necessary, and what is not necessary at all. Among the most necessary knowledge is the knowledge of how to live well, that is, how to create as little evil as possible and as much good as possible in one's life. Nowadays people study useless sciences, but forget to learn this most important knowledge.
Tolstoy also quotes the Vishnu Purana, one of the greatest texts of Hinduism, as saying:
There is only one kind of real knowledge: that which sets us free. All other knowledge is mere distraction.
When submitting his book to the publisher, Tolstoy wrote in his diary: âI feel that I have been raised to great spiritual and moral heights by my association with the best and wisest people whose books I have read and chosen for my Reading Circle.â
âTo create a book for the masses, for millions of people⊠is much more important and effective than to write a novel that will distract a few members of the wealthy class for a short time, and then be forgotten forever,â he added.
The second story completely changed my thinking about sharing knowledge.
I know that I am smaller than a speck of dust compared to Tolstoy's greatness, and it is from this smallness that the idea of ââfinding a way to give away what I have was ignited in me. But I have wondered for a long time: how to start, and not abandon this idea halfway?
I read somewhere that:
To play any game, you have to start. To win, you have to keep going. If you want to make your dreams come true, be prepared to play the long game.
A long term game? What⊠is it?
This is a difficult question, because curiosity brought me here, but it also made me lose focus on what I was doing.
World-renowned priest, author, and professor Henri Nouwen once said:
What is most private is also most universal... by putting these private experiences into words, you can share your life with others.
Yes, what I want to do is simply share what is happening in my life. It is my thoughts, my actions, my daily routine, along with the moral values ââthat I try to practice. Integrity, courage, humility, and many other values ââthat I am practicing.
So what is my goal?
My goal is to bring you the best things others have discovered and interpret them in the simplest way possible.
What benefits will you get?
If you are looking for methods and tools to develop the right mindset and processes needed for self-mastery in thinking and life decisions, this is the place for you. I do not claim to have all the answers, as I still have a lot to learn. However, I am happy to share what I have learned on my journey.
What ethical values ââwill I uphold when doing this job?
Give only what you really have.
Keep it simple.
The best thing one person can do is to help another person become more knowledgeable.
These are the values ââthat I am seriously committed to. Right now.
And looking back at what I wrote above, I still feel uncertain whether I can continue writing for the next 10 years.
Why? What am I missing?
â
One week laterâŠ
I see the problem. It is for my own benefit. Yes, what values ââwill I receive when I make the above commitments?
Or how can I create more love for myself in my daily work environment?
I found the answer, and science backs it up: If you want to find more meaning in your work, the fastest way is to make connections between what you do and the people you work with and serve.
Yes, it is about creating a connection between your work and the people you want to serve.
And I believe this is absolutely true.
Ultimately, I realize that the path to creating value for others and for myself is not simple, but it is worth taking. The connection between what I do and the people I serve is the key to finding true meaning. I pledge to continue learning, sharing, and growing, not only to improve myself but also to contribute a small part to the development of the community.
It's been a long journey, and I look forward to sharing it with you.
P/s: This article was first posted on my blog. If you want to read my earliest articles, please visit it.
