1. Q&A

1. What does entitlement mean? Can u give an example to explain it?

It means speical treatment and privilege. For example, if u believe u should be payed a high salary without making the corresponding effort, u feel u r entitled.

2. What's the point of telling Jimmy's story?

His story is to show the truth that one's self-worth is not measured by how positively they feel about themselves but by how they feel about the negative aspects of themselves.

3. Do u think u r special? What's wrong with feeling u r special?

Sometimes I do feel myself special. The problem with it is that I feel good about myself for no reason and it's actually a mental facade.

4. If u r not special, how can we achieve greatness？

Actually we don't have to achieve greatness. It's not the ultimate goal of life. The first thing we need to do is to accept our mediocrity and the bland truths of life. The knowledge and acceptance of our own mundane existence will actually free us to find what we r willing to struggle for and to accomplish what we truly wish to accomplish. Maybe we will achieve greatness without even knowing it.

2. 感悟

作者用Jimmy和自己的例子阐述了以下几点

1. The true measurement of self-worth is not how a person feels about his/her positive experiences, but rather how he/she feels about his/her negative experience.

衡量一个人的自我价值，不是看他对积极愉快经历的感受，而要看他如何面对消极挫败的经历。

2. It's this realization-that u and your problems r actually not privileged in their severity or pain-that is the first and most important step toward solving them.

解决你人生中挫折与痛苦的第一步也是最重要一步是要明白你不是特别的，你遭受痛苦也不是你‘专享’的。

3. The knowledge and acceptance of your own mundane existence will actually free u to accomplish what u truly wish to accomplish, without judgment or lofty expectations.

了解并接受自己是平凡的存在将解放你，让你能实现你真正想要去完成的事情，不会被外界的评价或虚无的期待所羁绊。

作者擅长用修辞，写的句子太生动形象,原来还可以这么写！

1. None of these ventures ever blossomed into anything.

2. Business and motivational seminars cropped up chanting the same paradoxical mantra

3. ...,arms cradling my head

4. My sweat blossoms like a fungal growth.

3. Words&phrases

he'd name-drop som much it felt like u were talking to a tabloid reporter.

to mention some well-known name to show off

Jimmy was a professional leech, living off his family's hard-won money by spinning them...on false ideas of future tech glory.

leech: parasite, people who live off others

it's Because sb is jealous and trying to bring them down a notch.

bring sb down a notch: to degrade, lower one's level

as if on cue, I gulp.

right at the moment

My friend and I would put his mom's car in neutral

挂空挡