Stickman Charles — Burial
Author's note
This piece was written in May 2025. It is, in the true sense, the first piece of Stickman Charles.
Looking back from September 2026, quite a few problems show: the core argument isn't clear enough; the relationship between effort and results, and what ranking and competition are actually good for, are never properly explained; and some of the arguments don't connect to each other.
Still, this was my first attempt at long-form writing, and some traits of structured writing are already visible. It also seems to remain, to this day, the longest piece I have written.
Author: Stickman Charles (Charles Tao)
Note written: September 19, 2026 (GMT-4), Letters series
My old friend Joey,
This whole letter doesn't follow the standard letter format, sorry 😅
This is maybe the second letter between us, maybe the third. But it is definitely the most formal one we've had.
You can take several days to read this letter, to make sure you've fully understood it.
Because this is the first letter, I should explain it first. There are actually quite a few reasons I'm writing it, but the important one is that I hope to improve together with you. These are all things I only learned recently, and I'm sharing them so we can encourage each other. I hope that many years from now, after the two of us have both become big names in this world, like Charlie Munger and Warren Buffett, we can still smile knowingly when we see this letter again.
This letter is divided into five parts: the main text, a quote, a book list, a tool, and a song. It condenses everything I gained over a whole month. Because you are just like me a few months ago, newly arrived in a foreign country, this letter, which should have reached you at the end of the month, is coming early. I really hope it can help you sooner.
Main Text ✍️
On Laziness 😴
When it comes to studying and living abroad, I think you probably know more than I do. Life abroad stands out for one thing: plenty of time. When I was in junior high in China, I had almost no time to arrange my own life freely; apart from playing basketball every Saturday, there was no other time. The pressure was enormous, and I couldn't get to sleep until midnight every day. The first thing I felt abroad was freedom and ease, and this kind of life is without doubt very comfortable. But the question is, can such a comfortable environment really produce a successful person? The answer is no.
After combining the data and content of 69 websites, I reached the following conclusion. In Canada, students who aren't hardworking end up with lower wages than both hardworking students and local students. I know your ambitions are big, but doing big things requires a bigger store of knowledge and more skills. Among your classmates, most may still be stuck on scrolling short videos and playing games; their ambitions aren't as big as yours. You might feel their lives right now are comfortable and easy, but there is a consensus in the investing world: "Always take the long view." Perhaps ten or twenty years from now, their lives will be left far behind by a hardworking, self-disciplined you. Be patient.
So which direction should you work toward, and how? I think you should start from what interests you most. Rank in the top 10% of any one field, and your life will certainly be abundant. Abundant here could mean spiritually, or it could mean materially. You might say getting into the top 10% of a field is just too hard. True, but after studying 131 websites, I found that ranking in the top 25% of two fields, that is, first out of four people, works about as well. Either can make you a "master".
Your first step is to get clear on your short-term, mid-term and long-term goals. For example, my short-term goal is to pass my school's English test, my mid-term goal is to build a piece of software of my own, and my long-term goal is to build a business empire together with you 😈.
The second step is to make a schedule and carry it out firmly every day. Don't set too many tasks at once, because if one day you don't finish them, the sense of failure will well up and affect the whole plan. I suggest setting fewer at the beginning, then adjusting after you've kept it up for 1–2 weeks.
The third step is timely review. I suggest splitting it into three kinds: the first is reflecting before bed each night on how today went; the second is reflecting each time you adjust your tasks; the third is reflecting each time you complete a short-term/mid-term task you set, and replacing it with a new one. You can review from three angles: completion rate, how you completed it, and what you took away from it.
You're also welcome to write back, share your reflections and talk through whatever confuses you.
Exchange always strikes new sparks.
On Tears 😢
Life abroad always brings many setbacks, so the most important thing is to forge a strong heart. You're already doing well at this, but you can refine it further and become one of that top 25%. Actually, once you know a little about the universe, you'll realize that we humans are tiny within it, like a grain of sand on Earth, let alone those trivial little matters. Only after understanding the whole universe does the angle from which we see problems change. You will know what you should do and how to do big things properly; you won't let small things affect your mood, and you'll look calmly at the things you used to think were a huge deal. Only with a strong heart can you withstand the storms and still have strength to give.
But we should pay attention to both the macro and the micro.
Here are also some fairly simple methods, to show you where you can start:
First, keep a mood journal. Write down the three things that made you happiest each day. Be sure to do it every day; the benefits of keeping it up over the long run are beyond what either of us can estimate.
Second, lower your expectations. Expectations that are unrealistic, or too high and never adjusted to reality, are an important and common cause of disappointment, frustration and unhappiness. Lowering your expectations when things come up is a very good way to avoid getting emotional.
Third, you need to understand that many people in this world are just passers-by in your life. Their words and actions can't really do anything to you. You are the protagonist of your own life; don't let others affect you.
Don't rush. One step at a time. Nobody gets fat from a single bite, and in learning and practice you must never chase speed.
On the Past 🎬
This is the part I most want to share with you, and it's the core of this letter. It may not be the longest, but it is certainly the most important.
For those of us in a foreign land, sinking into memories is a topic we can't avoid. Perhaps on some night, we will all toss and turn in bed, stuck deep in memories and unable to pull ourselves out. But what's the point of that? We can't change what has already passed.
I want to share a view from a school of philosophy called Stoicism. This school has a famous saying: "You only have to live in the present, live in the very moment." We shouldn't focus on things that have already happened and that we can't control, but on the things we can change.
Likewise, here is a method to help you. Keep up some small physical exercise at home, and go out for walks more often. It can make you feel a bit better.
Don't get stuck in the past; create new miracles. Memories are precious, of course, but never let them hold you back.
Quote 🌟
"Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goal. My strength lies solely in my tenacity." — Louis Pasteur, the famous French microbiologist
Book List 📖
- 《高手》 (The Master), Wan Weigang
- 《和这个世界讲讲道理：智识分子2020s》 (Reasoning with This World: The Intellectual in the 2020s), Wan Weigang
Tool 🔧
Note-taking app: Obsidian
A note-taking app that is completely free, stores its data locally, can be configured with AI, and has a linked mind-map view 📒
Let me tell you a secret: this letter was written in it!
Song 🎵
Traveling Light
May you set out freely on a journey of self-enrichment and self-improvement. 🪶
See you in the next letter 👋
(Research source: https://g.co/gemini/share/540848689e06)
(Research source: https://g.co/gemini/share/7f9cf8cd8365)
(Research source: https://g.co/gemini/share/4d87d6f81b93)
(Research source: https://g.co/gemini/share/6a21cfc6454e)
(Research source: https://g.co/gemini/share/ad3a28b6f59b)