Back to feed
Slow Days·28세 자서전.

The Doctrine of the Mean: Innate Knowledge

NS
normalstory
cover image

The Doctrine of the Mean: Innate Knowledge (困知)

There are three kinds of knowledge: that which comes naturally (生知), that which comes through study (學知), and that which comes through hardship and struggle (困知).

The person who learns through struggle may take the longest path, but their understanding is often the deepest. Pain is a powerful teacher. When we struggle to understand something, that knowledge becomes part of our very being.

Don't despair if learning comes hard. The difficulty itself is forging something valuable within you.

This English version was translated by Claude.

친절한 찰쓰씨
Written by
친절한 찰쓰씨

Pleasant Charles — UI/UX researcher at AIT. Keeping notes on design, planning, and slow days here since 2010.

More on the author's page

Keep reading

Slow Days

With a single thought, a whole world arises.

Apr 30, 2026·1 min
Slow Days

부유함은 상태가 아니라 감정이다

Feb 16, 2026·1 min
Slow Days

Reading a book next to my coding

Jan 18, 2026·1 min