Elon Musk is a two dimensional thinker

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Elon Musk is a two dimensional thinker  

Elon Musk is a two dimensional thinker.   His thought is like a logic map or PowerPoint map.

He cannot go higher level and turn his two dimensional mindset into  three dimension to think.

A common excuse for such mindset is busy.   They are too busy handling the matters in the business.  They don't have time to go home,   they don't have time to see their daughters and sons.  They don't have time to care for the neighbors.

But busy is not the point.

The point is focusing.

Their focus is on the map.

They cannot see things happening outside the map. Therefore, they are two dimensional.

The following is an example of the older Chinese mindset of eunuchs in one dimension.  It happened  many times in the Chinese history,  it is only recently the mindset is clearer.

Eunuchs are one dimensional. It is in a curved straight line.  And it is same as a two dimensional mindset. They cannot see from a higher level.

And eunuchs are special.  Because they are powered.  Their thoughts are like a powered car.  It can go anywhere without  hindrance.  They will not care about any other factors.  The country was in a battle,  and the battle was going to lose.   But they will not care.   They just let their one dimensional thoughts go astray.  They can kill even the messenger of war news.  They are no concern people.   The two dimensional no concern is different from the one dimension no concern.

The following is only history.  But sometimes histories can become reality.

note:  the following are two older articles about the mindset of one eunach:

#1

This is a major issue. Zhao Gao 趙高was a eunuch serving Emperor Qin Shi Huang秦始皇. After the Emperor's death, a power struggle erupted between Li Si 李斯and Zhao Gao趙高, and the loser was the exceptionally intelligent Li Si李斯. A master of strategy and a remarkable talent, Li Si李斯, the chancellor who governed all of China, was defeated by the eunuch Zhao Gao趙高. How exactly did Zhao Gao趙高 outmaneuver him? What allowed Zhao Gao 趙高to emerge victorious?

This is a chilling question. A bit of reflection sends a shiver down the spine. What theories, what politics, what strategies are of no use? Scholars study for a lifetime, only to find that when a eunuch makes a move, the scholars are bound to be completely defeated. Shi Kefa's史可法 mentor, Zuo Zhongyi左忠毅, was defeated by the eunuch Wei Zhongxian魏忠賢 and subsequently imprisoned and tortured. Confucius’s admired strategist Guan Zhong管仲, originally the advisor to Duke Huan齊桓公 of Qi, was ultimately bested by the eunuch Shu Diao豎刁, who served Duke Huan齊桓公. The power of Duke Huan齊桓公 eventually fell into the hands of the petty men Yi Ya易牙 and Shu Diao豎刁, leading to a tragic end. But this is something the Confucian system cannot address.

Among the many eunuchs, Zhao Gao趙高 is the most renowned for his cunning. His infamous tactic of "pointing at a deer and calling it a horse" successfully captured the ruling elites of the Qin dynasty. After the Emperor's death, Zhao Gao's趙高 methods became even more ruthless and absolute. He did not hold a funeral for Qin Shi Huang秦始皇, treating the Emperor's death as a top secret, and even fabricated an imperial edict to execute the Emperor’s eldest son, Fusu扶蘇.

How exactly did Zhao Gao趙高 think? If wisdom is like a chess game, how brilliant is Zhao Gao's趙高 chess skill?

Another small question is: do eunuchs still exist in today’s world? Is there still this kind of ruthless and absolute mindset? Naturally, the wise know how to answer this.

#2

"That was during the late Qin Dynasty. At that time, the First Emperor始皇 had already passed away. Zhao Gao 趙高was in power. What could such a person do with the chariot of Qin Shi Huang秦始皇? There were constant uprisings across the land, and Xiang Yu's項羽 army was strong. Zhao Gao's趙高 general was Zhang Han章邯, but Zhang Han章邯 suffered repeated defeats in battle. He sent a special envoy to Zhao Gao趙高 to report on the military situation. The situation was critical and should have warranted an immediate audience. However, Zhao Gao 趙高made the envoy wait, not seeing him for three days. The envoy, in panic, took a detour and fled back to Zhang Han's 章邯military camp at night. Zhao Gao趙高 indeed sent people to pursue him, but fortunately, the envoy took a different route and was not caught.

Zhang Han章邯 pondered deeply and realized that all the great generals of the Qin Dynasty had met with bad ends. Those who achieved merit were executed, and those who did not achieve merit were also executed. In the end, Zhang Han章邯 had no choice but to seek refuge with Xiang Yu項羽, weeping bitterly before him.

Today, we can still imagine that those three days were exceptionally terrifying. Zhao Gao 趙高could make a military envoy wait without response for three full days. Anyone who has read a bit of history knows that whether a president or a general, upon receiving military intelligence in the middle of the night, would immediately get dressed and address the matter. Yet, Zhao Gao趙高 did not respond for three days.

The wisdom of that envoy is commendable as well. He knew that Zhao Gao 趙高would not let him off, that he would definitely send someone to pursue him, so he took a detour to escape. He was merely reporting on the military situation and was not guilty of any wrongdoing. But he understood the temperament of the eunuch, and his choice was correct. 'Those who achieve merit are executed, and those who do not achieve merit are also executed.' This is truly one of the most terrifying nightmares in Chinese culture. Under such a nightmare, any constructive endeavor is impossible to achieve.

However, this is still not the most important thing. What matters is whether we can dissect Zhao Gao's趙高 mindset. If we can clarify this negative, cancerous intellectual factor, there may be hope for Chinese culture."

趙高是怎樣用腦的？

趙高是怎樣用腦的？
…………………………………………………*李察
(問到底 No.7434   2009 0622     Monday)
 
                       *周一人物*
 
    這是大問題。趙高是秦始皇的太監。始皇死去之
後，李斯和趙高之間，爆發權力鬥爭，而失敗者，是
絕頂聰明的李斯。精研謀略，雄才大略，一人之下，
管治全中國的宰相李斯，竟然敗給太監趙高。到底趙
高是怎樣用腦的？因何趙高能夠得勝？
 
   這是一個使人不寒而憟的問題。略加思索，使人
心底發寒。甚麼理論，甚麼政治，甚麼策略，全無用
處。讀書人讀書讀了一生，到頭來，太監一出手，讀
書人必定全軍盡墨。史可法的老師左忠毅公敗於太監
魏忠賢，被魏忠賢關押炮烙。而孔子最欣賞的管仲，
本來是齊桓公的智囊，但是，敗於齊桓公的太監豎刁。
齊桓公的權力，最終落於小人易牙和太監豎刁之手，
死得極其悲慘。但這是儒家系統不會處理的。
 
   而在眾多太監之中，以趙高的智謀最有名氣。他
一招指鹿為馬，把秦朝的統治精英，一網打盡。始皇
死後，趙高的手段，更是狠辣絕對。他不為秦始皇舉
行喪禮，把始皇之死，當為最高機密，又假出聖旨，
殺掉始皇的長子扶蘇。
 
   到底趙高是怎樣用腦的？如果智慧有如棋局，則
趙高的棋術，有多高明？
 
    另一個小小問題是：到底今時今日，世間之上，
還有沒有太監？還有沒有這種狠辣絕對的思想方式？
這一點，聰明人自然是曉得回答的。
 
    以下一段文字，是李察去年寫的，當時的問題是：
「章邯的出路在那裡？」(問到底 No.6903  2008
0107    Monday)

   「那是秦朝末期的事了。其時，始皇已經逝世。
趙高專權。這樣的一個人，能夠把秦始皇的馬車，拉
向那裡？各地民變不絕，而項羽兵強。趙高的大將是
章邯，但章邯屢戰失利。章邯派出特使向趙高述職請
示。軍情危急，本應立刻接見的。但趙高任那使者等
侯，三天都不見。使者恐慌，連夜繞道逃回章邯軍區。
趙高果然派人去追，幸好使者繞道，沒被趙高追到。
 
　　章邯思前想後，他想到，所有秦朝的大將，都沒
有好結果。有功亦誅，無功亦誅。最後，章邯唯有投
靠項羽。在項羽跟前，痛哭流涕。」
 
    今天的我們，仍可能想像，那三天，是異常可怖
的三天。趙高可以任令一個軍事使者，空自等待，三
天都不回覆。略為讀過一點歷史的朋友，都可能知道，
無論是總統或者將軍，半夜接到軍事情報，都會立即
披衣起床處理的。但趙高三天都不回覆。
 
　　而那使者的智慧，亦使人激賞。他知道趙高不會
放過他，他知道趙高必定會派人來追，所以，他繞道
逃亡。他只是報告軍情，本身無罪。但他知道太監的
脾性，他的抉擇是對的。「有功亦誅，無功亦誅。」
簡直是中國文化的最恐怖惡夢。在這樣的惡夢之下，
任何建設事功，不可能完成。
 
   但是，這仍是不重要的。重要的是：能夠不能夠
把趙高的思想解剖出來。如果能夠把這一種負面的、
思想上的致癌因子來籠去脈都弄清楚了，中國文化，
或者有希望。