The 22nd of August is the 7th day of the 7th month of the lunar calendar, which is also the Chinese Valentine’s Day. On this special day, I shared my thoughts and feelings with you in a different way than before. This note is not an article full of data and academic theories, but an essay from the heart, a love letter about body freedom and self-confidence. It is a true expression of the extreme pull between the rationality of my head and the romance of my heart.
The Universe and You – A Romance of Stardust
Lawrence M. Krauss, a famous physicist and cosmologist, once said, “Every atom in your body came from an exploded star, and the atoms in your left hand and the atoms in your right hand may have come from different stars. This is really the most poetic thing I know in physics: everything you are is stardust!” This statement was so romantic that it made me re-examine myself and my physical existence.
Our Encounter – Tiny Moments in the Universe
You and I, like two different stars, our atoms from different corners of the universe, met in an eternally fixed moment. We are like a tree, a drop of water, a grain of sand and a gust of wind in the universe, naturally existing, calm and without any emotion or meaning.
Freedom and Confidence – Become the Master of Your Own Galaxy
In this endlessly wide universe, from microscopic quarks to macroscopic galaxies, from the relativity of time to the curvature of space, we are together in pursuit of that ultimate freedom. Above all, at this moment, I want you most of all to be the master of your own galaxy. Please believe that you will always be a unique being, always shining brightly.
To sum up – you deserve all the goodness
You are a unique star in the universe! You deserve love and all the goodness that comes with it. On this special Valentine’s Day, I hope this accompanying love letter brings you some inspiration and strength to show up more confidently and live more freely.
REFLECTION: Which form of content is more popular?
On social media, there are many different forms of content: from data-driven research reports, to quick consumer articles on pop culture, to deeply felt personal essays. But each form has its attractions and limitations.
Academic content: authoritative but hard to digest
Academic content is often highly authoritative, based on rigorous research and data analysis. However, such content often requires readers to have a certain level of background knowledge and expertise in order to fully understand and appreciate it. For the average user, overly specialised and complex content may feel inaccessible.
Networked content: light-hearted but can be superficial
Web-enabled content, such as pop culture analyses and trend forecasts, is usually more light-hearted and easy to digest. This content can quickly grab users’ attention, but it is also easily consumed and forgotten quickly. And, because this type of content usually pursues hotspots and traffic, they may lack depth and lasting value.
Personal essays: sincere but risky
Personal essays or emotionally-expressive articles tend to touch the heart most directly. This form of content is usually more sincere and emotional, and can resonate with readers. However, overly personal content can also be unsuitable for everyone and can even be controversial or misunderstood.
In my experience, the love letter with the most “likes” may reveal an interesting phenomenon: in the fast-paced, diverse environment of social media, sincerity and self-expression often create an emotional connection with readers more quickly. However, this doesn’t mean we should abandon academic and professional content altogether. On the contrary, finding a balanced approach that combines sincerity and professionalism, emotion and rationality, may be the most lasting way to engage and influence readers. But for now, I remain determined to use a mixture of all three forms.
Because, in my project, I seem to be taking on the role of an activist, and that’s something I’ll be thinking about in depth next.
In the days ahead, may you all be brave enough to be yourself, the brightest star in your own galaxy.
Reference:
Lawrence M. Krauss, “A Universe from Nothing: Why There Is Something Rather than Nothing,” Free Press, 2012.