❶ Quote: The smarter you get, the slower you read
Contraposition [1] (CP)
the faster you read → there isn’t enough time to digest/integrate ideas → we don’t get smarter
Proof by contradiction (PC)
Suppose: The smarter you get & the faster you read
Not possible since we need time to integrate our new learning points.
❷ Quote: Happiness is there when you remove the sense of something missing in your life.
- NVC version: Happiness arises when you let go of the judgement that something is missing in your life
- Semi-formal form: when you let go of the judgement that something is missing in your life → happiness arises
- Direct Proof: when you let go of the judgement that something is missing in your life = nothing is missing → nothing more I want → contentment, peace and happiness arise.
❸ Quote: The three big ones in life are wealth, health, and happiness. We pursue them in that order, but their importance is reverse
- Assumption: the pain/pleasure principle is valid.
- We can’t enjoy wealth when we don’t have health. Conclusion: Health is more important than wealth.
- We can’t enjoy health when we aren’t happy.
- “We pursue them in that order” → very obvious
❹ Quote: Money doesn’t buy happiness — it buys freedom
- Suppose money buys happiness, then all rich people are happy; Elvis Presley was definitely rich, but he was so depressed that he eventually committed suicide. QED.
- Suppose person P has money, P is free to work whenever and wherever and can buy the opportunity to buy a lot of things; P is therefore free. QED.
❺ The measure of wealth is freedom
- semi-formal: wealth → freedom; obvious.
❻ The measure of health is lightness.
- semi-formal: health → lightness; someone obese is obviously unhealthy; QED
❼ The measure of intellect is judgement
- intellect → judgement; if P can’t judge, P’s intellect is obviously in question. QED.
❽ The measure of wisdom is silence
- wisdom → silence; suppose P makes a lot of noise, P is obviously not wise.
- the statement is poetically true.
❾ The measure of love is peace
- love → peace
- Suppose someone isn’t peaceful, Love is obviously not present. QED
❿ Better billionaires than kings
- P1: wealth → freedom
- P2: A king is not free. Example: He isn’t free to take a sabbatical as a king because he may then lose control.
- Freedom is very important regardless.
- QED
⓫ The two kinds of people — those who want money, and those who want status.
- money → status
- money → freedom.
- pursuing status → pursuing self-validation
- someone who pursues money is hence wiser.
Footnotes
[1]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contraposition
[2]
https://condor.depaul.edu/ichu/csc383/notes/notes1/Proof.htm
