““But who can endure the day of his coming? And who will stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire, and like launderer’s soap; and he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi, and refine them as gold and silver; and they shall offer to Yahweh offerings in righteousness.” (Malachi‬ ‭3:2-3‬ ‭WEB‬‬)

Jesus has an aspect of “refiner and purifier of silver”.

When you are in the fire, trust the Refiner to take you out at the right time. He knows when you will be fully purified.

A purifier has to keep his focus on the metal. Take it out one moment too soon and it’s still impure. Take it out too late, and it will be destroyed.

Just like Jesus kept His eyes on Peter the entire time he was walking on water, His eyes are fixed on you too.

The dross of unbelief has to be separated from your heart.

When you emerge from the trial at the appointed time, you shall be like pure gold, perfectly malleable for the Master’s use!

Full series of Hazon vision drawings and accompanying teachings will be made available to “God Every Morning” tier and above patrons on Patreon. “God’s Appointed Time” is also one of the eBooks available for patrons: http://Patreon.com/miltongohblog

用字遣詞的敏感度

快來看Presentality的最新英語寫作分析~

特別敏感的時刻，我們的用字遣詞也要特別小心。今天的「閱讀筆記」，我們來看前一陣子轟動矽谷的事件：知名軟體公司老闆在部落格的一篇 po 文，讓三分之一員工離職。他到底寫了什麼？

📌 總結幾個重點：

1. 在敏感時刻，用字跟語氣，甚至可能比內容還要重要。

2. 用簡短無修飾的句子，會顯得比較強硬，較長而且有修飾的句子，反而比較溫和。

3. 主詞非常，非常重要。你用的是 I, us vs them，還是 "we" and "our"?

如果以後你在情緒高漲的時刻寫文，也不妨寄給英文好而且中立的朋友，請他們評估文字所帶著的情緒，會很有幫助。

★★★★★★★★★★★★

📌 前一陣子，Basecamp 事件震驚美國科技/新創圈。

Basecamp 是一家團隊協作軟體公司，創辦人 Jason Fried 跟 David Heinemeier Hansson 一直都很願意為自己的理想及理念說話。他們寫的 Rework 一書影響了非常多的人，我在台灣認識的好幾位創業家都曾經跟我分享這本書。

但他們四月底在部落格上公告 Basecamp 一系列政策改變之後，引來非常大的反彈。

我第一時間就有去他們的部落格看他們寫的文章，覺得文筆非常好，而且是用說道理的語氣，很 reasonable。但發布不久，公司超過30%的員工，決定離職，其中包括好幾位高階主管！

What happened? 那篇文章，很顯然觸發了一個危機。我回去再把文章看了一次，發現天啊... 那篇文章的語氣，根本沒有我第一次看感覺的溫和。

Changes at Basecamp: https://bit.ly/2SNN6Kr

很多魔鬼都藏在細節裡。

★★★★★★★★★★★★

📌 主要的改變 = 工作時別討論政治或社會議題

讓大家最氣憤的政策改變，其實就只有一個：

No more societal and political discussions on our company Basecamp account.

在這個時空背景下，美國社會立場分歧這麼深，從左右派政治議題，到種族歧視問題，Basecamp 領導人大膽決定，禁止員工在公司內部的線上溝通頻道，討論社會及政治議題。

要去弄社會政治議題，可以，但請別在公司內。

★★★★★★★★★★★★

📌 開頭還算溫和：說服大家把公司當產品看待

一開頭，Fried 就寫：

At Basecamp, we treat our company as a product. It's not a rigid thing that exists, it's a flexible, malleable idea that evolves. We aren't stuck with what we have, we can create what we want. Just as we improve products through iteration, we iterate on our company too.

Hmmm，為什麼要這樣開頭？為什麼要把「公司」跟「產品」劃上等號？

我們可以想像，Fried 肯定為了這篇文煩惱了一陣子。很多想法不斷的在他腦中盤旋，不同的開場，不同的句子...

但這個開頭，是一個很不錯的 framing：因為 Basecamp 的員工肯定很多 product fanatics - 就是最在乎產品好不好的 "builders"。Product lovers 的一個共同點，就是了解產品是會不斷改變的東西。如果說公司也是，就可以理解，公司也會改變。
然後，他非常小心的挑選最正面的說法。每一字每一句都是 product lovers 會認同的：

•flexible
•malleable
•evolve
•we can create what we want
•improve products
•iterate

用了一連串正面的同義字，就是要塑造 change = positive 的氣氛。

★★★★★★★★★★★★

📌 連大改變，都用「改版」來形容

下一步，就是用一個大家理解的方式，來描述「非常大的改變」：

Recently, we've made some internal company changes, which, taken in total, collectively feel like a full version change. It deserves an announcement.

什麼是大的改變？就有點像「改版」的意思。而且注意到，他不是寫 "We're making a full version change" 喔，而是說："changes... taken in total, collectively feel like a full version change."
也就是說，在中間加了很多緩衝的字眼，淡化 "full version change"。

就像你如果要跟一個人說他是混蛋，哪一種說法比較直接：

The way you act sometimes, when people don't know you yet, can feel like you're a bit of an asshole. 或是 You're an asshole.

講完這個，他就要給大家打預防針了。

而且又是從「產品」開始：

In the product world, not all changes are enjoyed by all customers. Some changes are immediately appreciated. Some changes take time to steep, settle in, and get acquainted with. And to some, some changes never feel quite right — they may even be deal breakers.

哇噻，好幾劑預防針啊！

而且他用了三個意思差不多的字，鼓勵大家「耐心的習慣新的改變」：Some changes take time to steep, settle in, and get acquainted with。

Again 他的用字很細心。"Get acquainted with" 就好像跟我們說，

改變其實是我們的朋友，只要我們願意好好認識它。

但他們其實知道，有些改變是一些人完全，完全無法接受的。
所以才有最後一句："They may even be deal breakers"。
They totally knew what was coming...

★★★★★★★★★★★★

📌 溫和就到這裡... 語氣開始轉變

接下來，他選擇美國人非常愛用的寫法，就是引用一位大家尊敬的人的話，來幫自己助陣：

As Huxley offers in The Doors of Perception, "We live together, we act on, and react to, one another; but always and in all circumstances we are by ourselves. The martyrs go hand in hand into the arena; they are crucified alone. Embraced, the lovers desperately try to fuse their insulated ecstasies into a single self-transcendence; in vain. By its very nature every embodied spirit is doomed to suffer and enjoy in solitude."

這裡藏了點玄機。

如果他的目的是說服大家接受這些改變，那為什麼要引用這一段！？

讀起來，這段話反應了他的心情：在做困難決定時的「孤獨」。如果是這樣，那這段話的用途就是「療癒」而不是「說服」。

因為如果目的是說服，為何不引用某個你的員工/讀者都非常敬佩的人的故事，這個人做了一個不受歡迎，但大部分讀者都會認同是正確的決定？

個人猜測：他上面好話已經寫完了。真正的意涵是：We're going forward, alone if necessary。

而且，他們還把自己的決定，frame 成 navigating somewhere，同時把另一邊寫成 circling nowhere

We all want different somethings. Some slightly different, some substantially. Companies, however, must settle the collective difference, pick a point, and navigate towards somewhere, lest they get stuck circling nowhere.

★★★★★★★★★★★★

📌 語氣變的很硬：No More

然後他就開始寫改革本身。

如果把所有改變的第一句話看過去，會發現全部都是 "No more..." 開頭。這個硬到不行了。

完整文章: https://bit.ly/3wT6x3z

圖片出處: https://bit.ly/34wWkO5

★★★★★★★★★★★★

Presentality每天都在追蹤與分析跟英文溝通/寫作有關的文章，如果想要透過我們這些「閱讀筆記」一起學習，可在 FB 追蹤我們：https://www.facebook.com/presentality/

📌 Presentality系列文章:

1. 看貝佐斯致亞馬遜股東的最後一封信，學一些英文寫作小撇步
https://bit.ly/3xCN1cC

2. 英文演講實用的結構與技巧
https://bit.ly/2PHu3Ax

3. 在演講中的四種敘述角度
https://bit.ly/39tNUtv

4. 詩人Amanda Gorman的英文演講技巧
https://bit.ly/39sI3on

5. 從 Most Dangerous Place 文章，看經濟學人寫作邏輯
https://bit.ly/3htqJEs

6. 寫作的終極目標是「提供價值」
https://bit.ly/3yA3gYe

7. 看 Bloomberg學資深記者如何寫文章
https://bit.ly/3i3am1P

▍malleable
-形容詞，形容金屬可延展、不斷裂的特性
也可以抽象化，形容可擴展、變化的感受-

Gold is malleable
Memory is malleable
Time is malleable
(a day can be short; a minute can be long)
Mind is malleable
(through acquiring experience & knowledge)



今天來談談腦神經迴路 malleable 的特性

【podcast 選物】no. 15
◉第三篇 ╏ 聰明是種天賦 延展是種選擇
-- 第一篇的連結在此 https://reurl.cc/Oq2zOy --
-- 第二篇的連結在此 https://reurl.cc/OXXW23 --


上一篇談到在顱骨裡摸黑探路的大腦
她靠著一張身體地圖
不斷打造對應各種功能的新神經迴路
但這些反覆重建的神經迴路
有的容易重塑，有的難以重塑

這就是延展性 (malleability) 的差異
在物理上
鐵的延展性比金的延展性差
在大腦裡
視覺神經的延展比運動神經的延展差
David Eagleman 解釋說
可能是因為與視覺相關的新刺激種類有限
我們不必重複學習新的幾何、顏色
但不斷學習新的肢體協調卻是生存必需
爬、走、跑、跳
腳踏車、滑板、汽車、輪椅
新的刺激需求越高
腦神經迴路的延展性就越強


神經迴路的延展性也有壽命長短之別
例如語言學習神經迴路
最旺盛的關鍵期 (critical window)
大約在六、七歲時就會關閉
但你也可以藉由暴露在新語言刺激中
延長語言學習迴路的壽命


David Eagle 在節目中分享了一個故事
一個修道院的修女們同意
在死後捐出自己的大腦供作研究
專家們剖開這些大腦後驚訝地發現
有幾位修女其實早已罹患阿茲海默症
腦中結構已受到相當程度的侵蝕破壞
但她們生前卻沒有出現明顯認知障礙
研究的解釋說明
也許修女們的生活型態是關鍵
為了服務不同人群、與人交談
她們努力適應迥異的科技與觀念
大腦一面因病剝蝕，一面建立新生迴路
因此保留了重要的 malleability


我們常常把成功定義為舒適
「等到有一天，我不必再這麼辛苦」
「等到有一天，我只要翹腳捻嘴鬚」
但隨著年紀增加，如果希望維持神經成長
就得讓自己持續地不舒服、接觸新事物
一遍又一遍經歷 FFT (fxxking first time)
如果神經重塑性萎縮過頭
年老的我們將變得不能包容
世界自然狹隘


#聰明是種天賦
#延展是種選擇
* 語言選物推薦的是引發興趣的材料內容，想學好英文，我推薦上實體課找老師討論語言使用結構

#語言選物 #podcast選物 #神經科學 #大腦 #brenebrown #unlockingus #davideagleman

**DJI Air 2S Fly more combo**

DJIストア
https://store.dji.com/product/dji-air-2s?ch=DJI%20air%202s%20-Back-up02&from=dap_unique&pbc=mtcpkl&pm=custom&utm_campaign=launch-dji-air-2s&utm_content=Backup-02&utm_medium=affiliate-kol&utm_source=YouTube

Amazon
https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B0919FPGKP?smid=AN1VRQENFRJN5&ref=YT_KOL_232COMBO_3

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Music in this video are from Epidemic Sound.
Check them out and get 30 day free trial using the link below :)
http://share.epidemicsound.com/FQbHC

#1 // Malleable - Cody High
#2 // Non Taken - Cody High

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Website : https://ryoyatakashima.com
Instagram : @ryoya_takashima
Other Youtube Channel : https://www.youtube.com/user/ryoya1983

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Equipments & etc:Camera : Sony A7SIII
Lens :FE 16-35mm F2.8 GM [SEL1635GM]
Mic：SENNHEISER MKE600
Monitor : Atomos Shinobi
Tripods：SLIK carbon 923 pro/ SLIK carbon 823 pro/ SLIK mini pro 7/ RRS TP-243 Ground-Level Tripod
Edit : Adobe Premiere Pro

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#DJI#DJIAir2S#MavicAir2S

These are seven unmissable experiences you need to try in Japan. Marvel at amezaiku (the art of candy crafting) in Tokyo, un-wine-d in a giant pool of vino at the Yunessun Spa Resort in Hakone or check out the Kakunodate Fire and Snow Festival in Akita prefecture.

Home to both futuristic robots and centuries-old shrines, Japan seamlessly blends the old with the new. Here are four experiences you need to cross off your list when visiting.

Around Lunar New Year, in January or February, a snowy corner of Akita prefecture hosts the Hiburi Kamakura Festival, the Fire and Snow Festival. The event, which marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring, involves the welcoming of good spirits, or kami. During the first part of the Hiburi Kamakura Festival, a shrine is constructed in the spirits’ honour, and is decorated with offerings and good luck charms. As the night goes on, a bonfire is lit, and bales of hay and charcoal are tied up with lengths of straw rope. Those participating in the Hiburi dance prepare by wrapping their hair in headscarves and slipping their hands into protective gloves, to stop them from getting singed. Read the full history here: https://theculturetrip.com/asia/japan/articles/hiburi-kamakura-the-festival-of-fire-and-snow/.


Visiting stuffy old temples may not seem like the most exciting activity for kids to do, but there are thousands of fascinating temples and shrines in Japan. Gotokuji, for example, is one of the luckiest temples in Tokyo as it is the birthplace of maneki-neko. Gotokji is home to over 10,000 of these cat figurines, which are believed to bring good luck. A classic maneki-neko looks like a Japanese bobtail cat with a calico coat, but the friendly feline now comes in all types and colours. Typically, one or both paws are raised. They are often called ‘waving cats’ in English because of the position of the paw, but in Japan, this gesture, with the palm facing down, is used to beckon someone towards you. Others see a cat raising a paw to wash itself. For more about cats in Tokyo, read: https://theculturetrip.com/asia/japan/articles/this-is-why-you-need-to-visit-tokyos-cat-town/.

Japan has a reputation for innovation, and that extends to its food and desserts. The traditional candy craft of amezaiku blurs the line between food and art. Using hot, malleable taffy, candy artisans, known as ame shokunin, bring these sugar sculptures to life with colour, shape and texture. To get acquainted with this art form, visit: https://theculturetrip.com/asia/japan/articles/amezaiku-traditional-japanese-sugar-sculpture/.

How about unwinding in a giant pool of wine at Yunessun Spa Resort in Hakone? Yes, you read that right. Merlot lovers have a new way of enjoying their favourite tipple. But if wine isn't your thing, don’t worry. You can take a dip in coffee, green tea or sake instead!

Discover more about Japan and start your wishlist here: https://culturetrip.travel/Japan.

To get more Culture Trip visit:
https://www.culturetrip.com
https://www.facebook.com/culturetrip
https://www.instagram.com/culturetrip
https://www.twitter.com/culturetrip
https://www.pinterest.co.uk/theculturetrip

- - -
? Credits:

Yunessun Spa Resort, Hakone
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC323XYFBzAKaiF5mbxLcC3A
https://www.youtube.com/user/starletshay
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTs8QxH3qupshvspxUXYfeQ/

Pug Cafe, Kyoto
https://www.youtube.com/user/brosharinternational

Nakizumo, Tokyo
https://www.youtube.com/user/RoninDave

No Man’s Sky is an incredibly popular game about procedurally generated planets whose exploration.Super Mario Bros. is a classic platforming game and a malleable template for endless homages, mashups, and commentaries. So if a crossover of the two didn’t exist, we would have to invent it...

《無馬里奧深空》是由ASMB Games製作的一款獨立動作冒險遊戲，說道目的嘛，其實就是吐槽《無人深空》。開發者ASMB Games表示，自己花了72小時就做好了……玩家需要控製馬里奧在“無限的”宇宙里冒險，駕駛飛船從一顆星球到達另一顆星球，遊戲擁有“原創音樂”，“誠實的”物理系統、社交系統和一艘原子飛船……

LIKE & SHARE 如果你還想繼續看下去: D

遊戲下載連接: https://asmb.itch.io/no-marios-sky
關注我的頻道別錯過任何更新 : http://goo.gl/3TVkJT
關注老吳Facebook個人帳號 : http://goo.gl/c0a2DW
其他試玩影片清單: http://goo.gl/HQ51D4