How do the Chinese "think" with a non-spelling language?

 20260416

 How do the Chinese "think" with a non-spelling language?

Can you think without the help of a language?

What if I don't have any language in my brain:  can I still think?   Can a baby think properly? My guess is yes. You can think, even without knowing the exact terms of the situation. Language is only a media which can help in the thinking process.  Many people have the same experience that sometimes they cannot express it, but they knew it.

I believe some people can think in color or think in music.  I believe they are specially talented. If you have learned Chinese poems,  it can help to express it in a better poetic scene.  Your world will be more beautiful with a poem.

There will not be always poems.   But the basic unit of a thought is in words, in Chinese.  I guess the words are moving  within the brain when you think.  Languages could be only a help.   I believe humans can think directly without any help of languages, pictures or scientific tools.   People would say it is intuition.  Most of the time, external help can only hinder, but not help.

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Are the Chinese gifted?

 20260415

Are the Chinese gifted?

Yes, they are.

They are gifted with more than a piece of good land.  They are gifted with a medium size of body structure.

And the most important of all is that they are gifted with a non-spelling language.

That means they are gifted with a special brain different from most other nations.

The non-spelling feature is more than a language ability.

When you don't need to "spell" your language,  you are using the other parts of the brain.

It is not a more advanced feature:   And I need to repeat it as it is not more advanced,  it is only different.

When all languages need to spell a word with lots of  letters,  plus a long string of sounds,  the Chinese needs not to spell.

They can use less brain in producing a word.

Well,  its strange:  "Aren't you using lesser brain in writing and talking?"

And the answer might be yes.

"Using less brain"  is funny,  it seems to be a joke.  But actually it needs more study. There are not enough study about it now.

Allocation of brain energy is a huge subject to study.

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What if you are not gifted?

 20260414

What if you are not gifted?  

There might be only one out of a billion is specially gifted.

All other people are also gifted but not specially gifted.

But I might be wrong.

I might be completely wrong.

Because the gifts are not given.

Gifts are the result of your own effort.

Gifts are taken.

But still I am not sure about that.

No matter you are gifted or not gifted:  Only one thing is important:   You can take.

God can take and god can give...... It is the general belief of old humans.

What they don't believe is they can take and they can give.

Yes, I can take and I can give.  And you can take and you can give.

People never ask themselves:  "am I gifted?" when they are gifted.

They are only working for it.

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How to use a ruler to measure the distance between stars?

 20260414

How to use a ruler to measure the distance between stars?

The above question is only a joke. There is no ruler or any measure tools to measure the universe.

You can imagine.

However,  human imagination is limited.  We have only one tool,  I suppose.   I hope some other tools can be used.   For example, can you use the heart to imagine rather than the brain?

There will be no answer either.

You have been given only a slide ruler.   How can you use a slide ruler to examine the distance?

In this case, it needs a second thought.

You might need to use some other means to farthom the reality.

It remains the eternal question for humans:

Where are we and what are we for?

You'll find wars and many other human behaviors meaningless and childish. 

People will not be stopped until they are lost.

And, questions will remain unanswered if they win.

They will never know the truth even if they win money in the battles.

Joke:

The best negotiation table is on the space.   Invite them to join a party far away outside the solar system.   It will be easier for them to settle down.

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Is it stupid to search for unlimited knowledge through a limited lifespan?

20260413

Is it stupid to search for unlimited knowledge through a limited lifespan?

This is the debate happened in China 2000 years ago.   It has a deep influence in Chinese cultural development.

The anti-Zhongtsz people were against any quest for the universal truth.   They thought everything is included in the holy books.....it has created a bad thinking habit since.

The original is like this:  吾生也有涯，而知也無涯。以有涯隨無涯，殆已！

Its not the idea of Zhongtsz,  but was put into the mouth of Zhongtsz by Anti-Zhongtsz people.  It has created much confusion in the past.

Up till this moment,  there are still lots of people indifferent to any thing other then  entertaining or  money searching.

Therefore, the question always remains:

"Is it stupid to search for unlimited knowledge through a limited lifespan?"

The choice is yours.

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What is the above?

  20260412

What is the above?

Suppose you can fly.   Suppose you can fly high on the sky.   Suppose you can fly outside the sky.  Suppose you can fly far far away.   For how long? 100 years, I suppose.   And of course, you can change that.   If you can manage your spirit and bring it up to another level thousands more,  can the outcome become clearer?  

You have only a little measurement of a hundred years.  

Can the hundred year  measure the unlimited far end of this universe?

I am not very optimistic about this, but still you can try.

This is called the "situation" (勢) of humans.

It is extremely important whether you know this situation or not knowing this situation.(知形不知勢)

You'll be more humble and doing things in a proper way.

If you know you are not equipped with  unlimited power,  if you know you have a limitation for you,  will you dare to do more?

Yes, the human nature brings out an answer:   Yes, we dare.

And a little advice would be advisable:

Yes, we dare and we care.

You can reach a certain goal hopefully with that.

note 

The writer is in Zhong-shan until April 13,  2026  

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Why culture is important?

 20260411

Why culture is important?

Politics is the structure, but culture is the spirit.

If you have a good spirit, you can build a good structure. And nothing can be achieved without the inner strength of spirit.

If a country is strong,  it is strong from inside.

Culture is not easy to explain in simple words. Even though sometimes you can use a few lines or a few words to define the way you want to do.   But the hidden inner feeling can never be expressed simply.

Culture can be a song, a story or a book.   Culture is the soft size of human spirit.  Politics is more like an action taken.

A good culture can make politics easier to carry on. It needs less discipline and less regulations.   People will do things automatically through a good spirit.  And it is ideal.

If you can sing your hearts out,   you don't need to shout, and you don't need to shoot.

Culture is the long term planning of civilization.

Only the problem is people do not know how to do it.

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Why Hong Kong has got the highest fuel price?

 20260410  B

Why Hong Kong has got the highest fuel price in the whole world?

Question:   is it political or  artificially raised?

Based on the available data, here are the places with the highest gasoline prices in the world. The data consistently confirms Hong Kong as having the most expensive fuel globally .

🌍 Top 10 Most Expensive Places for Fuel

Rank Location Approximate Price (USD per liter) Key Context

1 Hong Kong (SAR of China) ~$3.97  World's most expensive; high taxes and land costs drive prices .

2 Malawi ~$2.86  Landlocked African nation with high transport costs.

3 Netherlands ~$2.42  High taxes and stringent environmental policies.

4 Denmark ~$2.36  High fuel taxes, even higher than Hong Kong as a % of price .

5 Norway ~$2.35 - $2.22  High taxes despite being a major oil producer .

6 Germany ~$2.20  Europe's largest economy with high excise duties.

7 Singapore ~$2.17  Regional financial hub with limited domestic market.

8 Finland ~$2.27  Nordic taxation model for environmental goals.

9 Belgium ~$2.23  High VAT and excise duties on petroleum products.

10 France ~$2.19  Significant taxes to fund public services and discourage car use.

Note: Prices fluctuate daily due to global oil prices and exchange rates. This ranking is based on data from late March to early April 2026 .

🧐 Why Is Fuel So Expensive in These Places?

The primary reason these locations top the list is high government taxation, which is often used to fund social services, discourage car use, and meet climate goals . For example, while Hong Kong has a fixed fuel tax, the percentage of taxes in the final price of fuel in European countries like Denmark or the Netherlands can be as high as 50% to 60%, which is significantly higher .

The high ranking of places like Hong Kong and Singapore is compounded by other unique factors, such as extremely high land costs for fuel stations and the fact that they are city-states or cities that must import all their refined fuel .

🏁 A Note on Price Comparisons

It is important to note that the final price at the pump can be very different from the price of crude oil. For example, while the US was experiencing a national average of around $4.00 per gallon (approx. $1.06 per liter) in early April 2026 due to global tensions , this is still far lower than the prices listed above because of much lower fuel taxes .

Why is the Hong Kong fuel price three times that of Shenzhen?

 20260410  

Why is the Hong Kong fuel price three times that of Shenzhen?

It has been lasting  for an extremely long time. Hong Kong transport  are suffering from high prices of fuel. It is directly influential to the Hong Kong economy.    There must be a reason behind it.  Actually the fuel in Hong Kong is from mainland China.  The five oil companies have been raising the price together to an unreasonable high.   Yet there is no control.

Some of the oil companies are from China,   but they are same with the other foreign companies.  They do not offer a lower price. (There might be more complicated reasons behind.)

It is strange,  but it has been lasting for a long time.

Below is a list from an AI machine

目前三地的汽油价格差距悬殊，深圳的油价最低，大约是香港的三分之一，澳门则处于中间位置。

以下是具体价格对比（数据截至2026年3月底）：

· 深圳 (内地)：约 7.7 - 9.5 元 (人民币/升)。按当前汇率折算约 8.2 - 10.2 港币，是三地中最低的。

· 澳门：约 15.05 元 (澳门币/升)。按当前汇率折算约 14.6 港币，价格比内地高，但比香港便宜。

· 香港：21.29 - 23.79 港币/升。这通常是各油站优惠后的价格，挂牌价则在 31.79 港币 左右。

三地油价差异悬殊，核心原因未明。

1. 税负差异

(稅項不是香港油價高的原因。除稅後的計算，香港仍是最高。)

   · 香港：燃油税极高，每升汽油征收约 6.06港币 的消费税。

   · 澳门：燃油税相对较低，每升约 2.0-2.5澳门币，所以油价处于中间水平。

   · 深圳：油价虽含增值税、消费税等，但整体税负比港澳低。加上内地有价格调控（天花板价），避免油价过高。

2. 市场与成本

   · 香港：市场由少数公司主导（如壳牌、埃索），竞争较弱。同时土地、仓储、人工成本，可能进一步推高价格。

   · 深圳：内地炼油能力大，供应稳定。中石油、中石化等国企零售网络密集，区域竞争拉低了终端价格。

3. 定价机制

   · 香港、澳门：由油公司決定，价格随国际油价和成本自由浮动(?)

   · 深圳：实行政府指导价，每10个工作日调整一次，有“天花板价”和“地板价”限制，避免价格剧烈波动。

根据截至 2026年4月4日 的最新数据，香港五大油公司的门市折后价如下。

香港五大油公司汽油折后价对比 

油公司 汽油种类 门市折后价 (港币/升) 零售牌价 (港币/升)

Shell (蜆殼) 标准/特级无铅汽油 $21.89 $32.39

Caltex (加德士) 标准无铅汽油 $25.19 $32.X19

 特级无铅汽油 $25.39 $32.39

Esso (埃索) 标准/特级无铅汽油 $25.39 $32.39

中石化 标准/特级无铅汽油 $25.39 $32.39

中石油 标准/特级无铅汽油 $25.39 $32.39

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