Went to a Japanese group study session. It was fun for me but it was only fun because I already knew the definitions of the vocabulary we tested each other on. A nice extra which can't replace input-based solo study. #HFL

Went to Edinburgh Weaverley station yesterday to buy anime related stuff.

Bought Anime blurays from HMV and Fopp. Got 10% off using a bar code in the unidays app.

Visited a model shop called Wanderland Models. Had little gunpla but good prices.

Visited Forbidden Planet. They had some nice figurine Haruhi tucked away in an inconspicuous place. Manga selection was kinda small but they had 3 for the price of 2 promotion. The student discount doesn’t apply for the 2 for 3 deal cause “it’s already discounted.” They also have more and better gunpla tho prices seemed higher. Store is a bit small so it gets crowded easily.

Visited Anime Republic which is a anime merch store near the train station again. There were some decent looking things like keychains but anime hoodies seemed kind of cheaply made. Also a friend told me their merch is not official but I couldn’t say just by looking at it. There were some tables at the back where some people seemed to be playing a trading card game.

Went to Happy Lamb hot pot to eat a hot pot style buffet. It filled me up but not sure it tasted good enough for £36, the “ulitmate” meal. Maybe I should check the cheaper meals. I wouldn’t have minded paying £24 for a similar meal. My friend thought staff was kind of cold compared to last time he was there but I didn’t notice it, though I struggled to communicate with them cause both staff and I have a thick accent. What I can say however is that it kinda felt like a race cause of the 100 minute limit. There was only one set of tongs so it was kinda annoying having to share it, as was keeping track of what I and others put into the hot pot. Still definitely worth trying at least once. The best food was the Wagyu which honestly didn’t taste that different than normal beef for me but then again I like beef. The worst food I put in the hot pot was the eggplant noodles. Go for udon.

Finally went to Blackwell’s bookshop after getting the road wrong a bit cause Edinburgh is not a flat city, at least not this part. By far the best manga and book selection. I wanted to buy the Genki Japanese textbook but it was like £60 or thereabouts. Far more expensive than online.

Heard there might be some anime collab merch at uniqlo but was too tired to go there by this point.

The whole trip cost £200 which included 3 blurays (steins gate, code geass season 1&2, and Gunbuster) and three omnibus volumes 1-3 for £46

When a friend asked me what does "Wakarimasen" mean I replied "I don't understand" without even thinking about it. #HFW

HOW TO OUTWIT THE SIX GHOSTS OF FEAR from Think & Grow Rich #TGR

SYMPTOMS OF THE FEAR OF DEATH

The general symptoms of this fear are:

• The habit of THINKING about dying instead of making the most of LIFE, due, generally, to lack of purpose or lack of a suitable occupation.

• This fear is more prevalent among the aged, but sometimes the more youthful are victims of it.

• The greatest of all remedies for the fear of death is a BURNING DESIRE FOR ACHIEVEMENT backed by useful service to others.

• A busy person seldom has time to think about dying.

• He finds life too thrilling to worry about death.

• Sometimes the fear of death is closely associated with the Fear of Poverty, where one’s death would leave loved ones poverty-stricken.

• In other cases, the fear of death is caused by illness and the consequent breaking down of physical body resistance.

• The most common causes of the fear of death are ill-health, poverty, lack of appropriate occupation, disappointment over love, insanity, religious fanaticism.

the text later goes on to say that decisiveness just as ardent desire is also a cure for this fear of death. In other words: “Relieve yourself forever of the fear of death by reaching a decision to accept death as an inescapable event.”

THE SEVEN MAJOR POSITIVE EMOTIONS (according to Napoleon Hill). #TGR

The emotion of DESIRE
The emotion of FAITH
The emotion of LOVE
The emotion of SEX
The emotion of ENTHUSIASM
The emotion of ROMANCE
The emotion of HOPE

Watched the Moonlight Sonata Murder Case (Episode 11) of Detective Conan.. It's real pity there isn't anywhere to comment along episode to episode. Some of the websites like Kissanime used to have hundreds of comments. Watching this along with a bunch of commenters would have really been fun. It's a thousand episodes so I doubt I can convince anyone I know to watch it either. I feel tempted to stream it online on the server but what if no one joins. Maybe I can find some Detective Conan server.

Even with 48 minutes (so two episodes) for the case, it still felt too short and it didn't hit as hard as when I read the manga. I suspect it's because I have seen too many anime, sometimes I wish I could unsee the anime I have watched so I could look at it again with fresh eyes. Then again I felt like the manga did a better job of explaining the case, like I didn't feel like there was any aspect of the case which I did not understand. Then again maybe I was just too young to realise there were gaps in my memory. The idea that Dr. Narumi/Seiji was cross-dressing never came to mind when I first read it, I mean the idea that there could be men who passed for women itself was alien to my grade schooler mind after all. The tragedy that Aso's suicide message was telling his son to lead a honest life but that it was too late just hit a lot harder back then didn't hit as hard, maybe I have become a bit and heartless after seeing too many tragedies both real and fictional. Come to think of why was Seiji using the same music code sheet as his father if he had never come across his will before. I went back and checked the manga, apparently it was the previous mayor who told him about the code but then I wonder why the previous mayor didn't try to destroy the suicide message by Aso. Maybe I could write a better mystery though I am probably just feeling a bit cocky today.

I wrote a note to my neighbours upstairs because they were too noisy. Let's see if it works. #HFW

What do a murder and a romance have in common that fantasy and sci-fi do not inherently have? A pre-determined end. In a real mystery novel with a detective and a case, the story ends when the case is solved and the detective explains the trick. In a real romance the story ends when the lovers confess and get together because there is nothing more boring to watch than a happy romance. Meanwhile science-fiction and fantasy have no built-in 'self-contained' ending conditions, and so can keep on going on and on. I used to think this was a strength when I wanted to see endless, sprawling stories with an ever-growing cast with an ever-longer history in an ever-larger world. The problem with this theoretical infinite potential is that in practice my memory is fallible so the longer it goes on the harder it becomes to keep track of all the details both as a writer and as a reader. I have come to appreciate ending things. Maybe I have just grown old, when you are young, it is easy to imagine friendships and love which stretch to eternity and an endless adventure which grows to an unfathomable depth, going from strength to strength in an irreversible progress.

The point is that I have been watching Detective Conan Remastered Version and even though I am only 10 episodes in, it is clear that it is something special, because it is both a romance and detective story, and both a episodic series with fast closure but also a grand story of an ever-growing web of relationships. It's great. Each episode can be enjoyed itself giving you closure but the story keeps on growing and growing as well... Even though I read the manga more than 10 years ago, all the memories regarding the characters who never show up in more than a single case are coming back to me, whereas I find it hard to remember the main characters in a lot of anime I watch.. Why is that? Because their stories end in one two episodes. Fortunately, no one reads my micro blog, as I wouldn't want their to be an English speaking "fandom" for Detective Conan. Already, the few who bother to read/watch it can only see it cynically as a story which is dragged out just because it sells without even understanding why it sells, or in other words what's good about it. Then again it's not like I own Conan so it's a really stupid feeling to feel protective or proud over it.

Money is as shy and elusive as the “old time” maiden. It must be wooed and won by methods not unlike those used by a determined lover, in pursuit of the girl of his choice. And, coincidental as it is, the POWER used in the “wooing” of money is not greatly different from that used in wooing a maiden. That power, when successfully used in the pursuit of money must be mixed with FAITH. It must be mixed with DESIRE. It must be mixed with PERSISTENCE. It must be applied through a plan, and that plan must be set into ACTION. -Napoleon Hill #TGR

There are authors like Mark Manson who went from pick up artists to self-help gurus but this connection is kind of faint. Maybe it's the fact that pick-up artists tend to be non-spiritual (perhaps because they subconsciously view spiritualism as feminine), but the root of self-help thinking such as the "law of attraction" is always spiritual.

Sure you can explain away the law of attraction's spiritual roots by claiming that it only works because desiring something induces you to change your behaviour. However to me that feel like a crude post-hoc rationalisation.

"Every failure brings with it the seed of an equivalent advantage." - Napoleon Hill #TGR

Not automatically, of course, just as what doesn't kill you doesn't automatically make you stronger, but if you are creative enough it is possible to turn a disadvantage into an advantage.

It's very faint in my memory but I remember a time when I felt uneasy to know behind the scenes information about anime. I guess I wanted to, as far possible consider those worlds to be real, or at least a realistic simulation that I could learn something from and apply it in my life, rather than a contrived scenario whose every-step was a deliberate choice of the creator to get a desired effect from an audience.

Today, I watched the first episode of the remastered version of Detective Conan/Meitantei Conan/Case Closed, and it's bringing me back to my memories as a seven year old reading the first volume of conan. I was around the same age as conan, so much time has passed but the feelings are still the same, which is a pleasant surprise. If there is something different, it's that I feel a lot free-er as an adult.

Anyway to focus on one thing which struck me is how Shinichi says he doesn't want to be a mystery writer like his dad, but wants to live out the life of characters like Sherlock Holmes. Was Gosho Aoyama projecting his own feelings or the feelings of 5-12 year old boys who were his audience? In any case, as fantastic an ambition it is to be a real life sherlock holmes, I do not think it is wrong.

So many young children get discouraged to do anything by a "realism" which dooms everyone to their lowest expectations of themselves? The cure to stoic presenting "realism" is to realise that it's just a front for cowardice, a mask of "reason" for an abject fear of failure.

Yes, the naïve teacher that told you that you could be anything that you wanted, if you were lucky enough to have such a teacher, was actually telling you the truth. Well it's only part of the truth, because you would have to do a lot of thinking, planning and acting but it is essentially true that you can just do things.

came across what looks like a cherry blossom tree near to the uni library #HFL

Exams are a good method for learning but they are not a good way to test and assess knowledge. This is because they cause unnecessary stress, so if it was unto me I would let people do exams to learn the material but I wouldn't give them a test to ultimately judge their ability. Google notebook llm is surprisingly good at generating multiple choice questions. The podcasts are okay too as long as you keep them medium to short. The exams also might be better when they are short as well. When I say 'better' I mean better at learning rather than 'testing as much knowledge as possible.'

"TWO FORMS OF IMAGINATION
The imaginative faculty functions in two forms. One is known as “synthetic imagination,” and the other as “creative imagination.”

SYNTHETIC IMAGINATION: Through this faculty, one may arrange old concepts, ideas, or plans into new combinations. This faculty creates nothing. It merely works with the material of experience, education, and observation with which it is fed. It is the faculty used most by the inventor, with the exception of the who draws upon the creative imagination, when he cannot solve his problem through synthetic imagination.

CREATIVE IMAGINATION: Through the faculty of creative imagination, the finite mind of man has direct communication with Infinite Intelligence. It is the faculty through which “hunches” and “inspirations” are received. It is by this faculty that all basic, or new ideas are handed over to man." - Napoleon Hill, #TGR

What Hill calls the creative imagination in my opinion is just forgetfulness. In other words when the mind cannot recall the connection between old concepts, it just makes up connections which are not necessarily true, and if you (i.e your mind) keeps on guessing enough times, then eventually you will come up with a new useful connection between concepts. This connection itself will be a new concept.

Another way to understand this view of creative imagination, is to look at how random mutations in our genes, which are mostly harmless and occasionally useful, have led to our evolution simply based on what works in that environment. I imagine that forgetfulness fills a similar niche. It is not that there aren't people who have near perfect memory of their pasts but if they can't forget past ideas and events, then that leaves less space for mistakes in thinking and therefore less potential for growth. This is probably why such health conditions are rare despite not being impossible.

I suppose you could also draw a similar parallel to the way that AI hallucinations work as well, although frankly I don't know enough about AI to make that connection with any certainty. Not that I know much more about how the human mind works. This is just a theory of mine based on my own personal experience as a very forgetful individual. I feel like because I am forgetful I am constantly forced to think on my feet, and so it helps me to make new connections which may not always be the most intuitive but which are creative. The main way that my thinking evolves is by asking questions upon questions, and the reason why I have so many questions is because I often forget what is obvious to others.

#MamoruOshii Lectures on Anime and Film Making. Surprised by the emphasis he puts on delusion. didn't know he was chuuni-pilled.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJFrCxm2Lro

Visited Cake or Dice Cafe in Dundee. Had a nice chat about Soul Eater.  #HFL

"There is something to the idea that hero worship is helpful, provided one worships a WINNER."

"Knute Rockne's spirit of "All the world loves a  winner and has no time for a loser." - Napoleon Hill

This is not a nice sentiment but it's basically true. Nobody really cares if you are a loser, unless they can use you as some kind of tool for their own aggrandizement. Beware of that. As for hero worship, I am aware of survival bias but I don't think there is an alternative, or at least what would emulating failure lead you to? Other than failure? #TGR

Four Instructions for the Organisation of Your Master Mind Group from Think & Grow Rich Chapter 7: Organised Planning  #TGR

(a) Ally yourself with a group of as many people as you may need for the creation, and carrying out of your plan, or plans for the accumulation of money-making use of the “Master Mind” principle described in a later chapter. (Compliance
with this instruction is absolutely essential. Do not neglect it.)
(b) Before forming your “Master Mind” alliance, decide what advantages, and benefits, you may offer the individual embers of your group, in return for their cooperation. No one will work indefinitely without some form of compensation.
No intelligent person will either request or expect another to work without adequate compensation, although this may not always be in the form of money.
(c) Arrange to meet with the members of your “Master Mind” group at least twice a week, and more often if possible, until you have jointly perfected the necessary plan, or plans for the accumulation of money.
(d) Maintain PERFECT HARMONY between yourself and every member of your “Master Mind” group. If you fail to carry out this instruction to the letter, you may expect to meet with failure. The “Master Mind” principle cannot obtain where PERFECT HARMONY does not prevail.

Even if your goal is not necessarily to make money, I feel like this list is true.

Template for Building Character Through Auto-Suggestion

In Chapter 14: The Sixth Sense, of Think & Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill talks about he pretends to talk to people he admired (dead or alive). I took out the names and accomplishments of the people NP used in his version to make a reusable template:

[Name], I desire to acquire from you the [specific quality, skill, or understanding] which distinguished your life. I ask that you make an impression upon my subconscious mind of whatever qualities you possessed that enabled you to [specific achievement or capability]. I ask that you assist me in reaching and drawing upon whatever sources of knowledge are available to this end.

[Name], I request that you pass on to me the knowledge which enabled you to [specific accomplishment or transformation]. Grant me access to the understanding that allowed you to [expand on achievement or impact].

[Name], I desire to acquire from you, by emulation, the ability to [key strength or trait]. Help me develop the spirit of [faith, persistence, courage, etc.] which enabled you to [overcome challenge or achieve success]. [Optional: Title or symbolic description], I acknowledge and learn from your example.

[Name], I desire to acquire from you the [mental trait, philosophy, or approach] which defined your work. Grant me the [freedom, courage, clarity, patience, etc.] to think, act, and express myself as you did.

[Name], I wish to acquire from you the ability to [core method or discipline], especially your capacity to [study, create, lead, or endure] without [bias, fear, hesitation, etc.].

[Name], I desire to build into my own character the qualities you exemplified: [list of traits, e.g., justice, patience, humor, understanding, tolerance]. Help me embody these in my actions and decisions.

[Name], I am grateful for the influence you have had on my path. I wish to acquire a deeper understanding of the principles you used, particularly [organized effort, creativity, leadership, etc.], so I may apply them in my own life.

[Name], I wish to acquire your spirit of [persistence, determination, confidence, etc.], which enabled you to overcome [obstacle or limitation]. Guide me in using these qualities to achieve my goals and help others.

[Name], I place you among those I learn from most closely because of your [specific contribution or influence]. I wish to acquire your spirit of [faith, innovation, resilience, etc.], and your dedication to [effort, discovery, mastery], so that I may turn challenges into success.

Here is the original passage btw:

“Mr. Emerson, I desire to acquire from you the marvelous understanding of Nature which distinguished your life. I ask that you make an impress upon my subconscious mind, of whatever qualities you possessed, which enabled you to understand and adapt yourself to the laws of Nature. I ask that you assist me in reaching and drawing upon whatever sources of knowledge are available to this end.

“Mr. Burbank, I request that you pass on to me the knowledge which enabled you to so harmonize the laws of Nature that you caused the cactus to shed its thorns, and become an edible food. Give me access to the knowledge which enabled you to make two blades of grass grow where but one grew before, and helped you to blend the coloring of the flowers with more splendor and harmony, for you, alone, have successfully gilded the lily.

“Napoleon, I desire to acquire from you, by emulation, the marvelous ability you possessed to inspire men, and to arouse them to greater and more determined spirit of action. Also to acquire the spirit of enduring FAITH, which enabled you to turn defeat into victory, and to surmount staggering obstacles. Emperor of Fate, King of Chance, Man of Destiny, I salute you!

“Mr. Paine, I desire to acquire from you the freedom of thought and the courage and clarity with which to express convictions, which so distinguished you!

“Mr. Darwin, I wish to acquire from you the marvelous patience, and ability to study cause and effect, without bias or prejudice, so exemplified by you in the field of natural science. “Mr. Lincoln, I desire to build into my own character the keen sense of justice, the untiring spirit of patience, the sense of humor, the human understanding, and the tolerance, which were your distinguishing characteristics.

“Mr. Carnegie, I am already indebted to you for my choice of a life-work, which has brought me great happiness and peace of mind. I wish to acquire a thorough understanding of the principles of organized effort, which you used so effectively in the building of a great industrial enterprise.

“Mr. Ford, you have been among the most helpful of the men who have supplied much of the material essential to my work. I wish to acquire your spirit of persistence, the determination, poise, and self-confidence which have enabled you to master poverty, organize, unify, and simplify human effort, so I may help others to follow in your footsteps.

“Mr. Edison, I have seated you nearest to me, at my right, because of the personal cooperation you have given me, during my research into the causes of success and failure. I wish to acquire from you the marvelous spirit of FAITH, with which you have uncovered so many of Nature’s secrets, the spirit of unremitting toil with which you have so often wrested victory from defeat.”

Here is a version based on people I admire:

Osamu Tezuka, I desire to acquire from you the boundless creativity and storytelling mastery which allowed you to create a new world for yourself and a new universe for those after you. I ask that you make an impression upon my subconscious mind of the organisational qualities that enabled you to pioneer manga and anime as a narrative art form. Assist me in drawing upon the imagination and discipline required to create stories that resonate with my generation.

Christopher Hitchens, I request that you pass on to me the eloquence in speech and the fearlessly masculine commitment to your truth which defined your voice. Grant me access to the intellectual rigor and rhetorical precision that allowed you to challenge ideas and people boldly and to articulate convictions with confidence and wit.

George Orwell, I desire to acquire from you, the ability to write clearly and with power. Help me develop the courage and moral clarity which enabled you to confront injustice with almost no partisanship, and to warn against tyranny and slavish obeyance to authority through your writing.

Khatzumoto, I desire to acquire from you the lackadaisical discipline, immersion mindset, love of true learning as opposed to the torture which passes for higher learning, the humour, salesmanship and prolificacy of your blogs. Grant me the persistence achieved through changing my environment rather "motivation," to master first the Japanese language, and then everything else I wish for, through consistent exposure.

Napoleon Hill, I wish to acquire from you the ability to understand and apply the principles of success, particularly your mastery of desire, belief, definiteness of purpose, and organized effort. Help me develop unwavering faith through auto-suggestion, and grant me the mindset necessary to turn my optimistic thoughts into reality.

Hideaki Anno, I desire to build into my own fictional characters the introspection, emotional depth, and the cuteness plus sex appeal  which your bishoujo characters exemplified to the point where thirty years later your viewers are still mesmerised and infatuated. Help me gain your artistic and organisation skills to create my creative work with honesty and courage.

Friedrich Nietzsche, I am grateful for the influence you have had on my philosophy for having allowed me to bring back an appreciation of masculinity into my thought. I wish to acquire your skill at writing to achieve self-overcoming, rebuff my enemies, achieve individual masculine strength, and the courage to question established values even if I may have to stand alone, so I may think independently and shape my own path.

Naotaka Hayashi, I wish to acquire your skill in crafting intricate narratives and scenarios, which enabled you to create deeply engaging visual novels and one of the greatest heroines, romances, and main character at the same time. Guide me in weaving complex plots and meaningful character arcs that leave a lasting impression.

Gosho Aoyama, I place you among those I learn from most closely because of your mastery in constructing long-form mysteries,  memorable characters, and a wide ranging image of Japan which moved my heart and those of millions. You created hopeful characters with heart, with a genuine sense of right and wrong unbound by convention, and some very cute heroines and cool characters along the way, I wish to acquire your creativity, consistency, and ingenuity in storytelling which allowed you to craft one of the greatest and longest continuous adventures in manga and television history.

#TGR

"A mind dominated by positive emotions becomes a favourable abode for the state of mind known as faith. A mind so dominated may, at will give the subconscious mind instructions, which it will accept and act upon immediately."- Think & Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill

Our actions are driven by our emotions which are driven by our thoughts, which in turn are driven by our environment. And our 'environment' often consists of what people around us say, and what kind of words go into our mind. So, honestly, I have been curating the content I read and watch a lot more carefully. I have stopped reading news, even if that makes me less informed, because it's just depressing, and there is nothing I feel like can do about it. I have set up redirects from websites like the bbc to other sites in Japanese. The same goes for discussion forums and youtube comments. The problem with these is that they are like gambling, you might come across a good thread once in a while, which is what keeps you coming back, but there's just too much demoralising content.

I have always worried about being delusionally positive like cult members are, but the opposite problem is far more common, becoming unable to take action due to pessimism. It's just much easier to do things if you fill your mind with positive thoughts, and that's what matters. Just like nobody has tears for a coward, no one cares for someone who just complains about their life. #TGR