Let’s first lay out these few restrictions, then look at two fundamental paths to overcoming depression.

First, let’s talk about the first path - the fundamental mistake made by depressed people.

What is this fundamental mistake?

It is when one believes there is no hope left, and when all the people one believes in and looks up to also believe there is no hope, then one believes there really is no hope.

If depressed people want to walk out of the dark cave where they cannot see any light, then read this sentence one more time, think about it, then read it again, then think about it again, then read it one more time.

Many people think depressed people need encouragement, need comfort. This is wrong. The biggest problem for depressed people is arrogance. It is the kind of arrogance and presumptuousness that needs to be slapped in the face and whacked on the head.

A ladder with steps leading up to a door. The door is labeled "Success." The ladder is labeled "Effort." The student is climbing the ladder, trying to reach the door.

Think about it carefully - on what basis can you determine there is no hope just because you yourself cannot see hope? On what basis is hope really lost just because the people you admire say there is no hope? Who are you? And who are they? If you or these people can dictate the laws of the universe, and have your words become truths, then why have you fallen into this predicament where you feel everyone in the world is stronger than you?

On one hand you feel you are powerless towards everything, on the other hand you feel your superhuman wisdom is enough to determine if hope exists or not objectively - can’t you see the logical inconsistencies here?

The world is not ruled by you, nor by the people you admire. Even if all of humanity from ancient times to present, along with all the greatest in history, unanimously say “it is absolutely impossible”, it would be equally useless.

Before the advent of Relativity and Quantum mechanics, all of humanity certainly believed they were preposterous, but what was the truth?

When Li Zicheng rose up in revolt, no one in the world, including himself, believed he could overthrow the Ming dynasty, but what was the reality?

Just because you believe so, and everyone alive at the same time also believes so, does not mean what you collectively agree on is the truth.

People have no right to lose hope based on their own wisdom.

A student sitting in a classroom, taking an exam. They are focused on the questions and writing their answers neatly. The student knows that if they study hard and do well on the exam, they will get a good grade and move on to the next level.

This kind of despair itself is declaring that you are God. You are representing God to pass a death sentence on yourself. If you do not step down from God’s throne yourself, you really will be executed by yourself.

Despair is actually a punishment mechanism laid down for the self-worshipping. Repent, and you may live; do not repent, and you will self-destruct.

Admit that you do not have the ability to judge even a moment of the future, and you will naturally break free of despair. Believe that you can judge the future, and once you become pessimistic, you will be sucked into the whirlpool of despair. Because the more pessimistic you become, the more you will lose sleep and have scattered attention, so your abilities will further deteriorate, giving you more reasons to be pessimistic. This vicious cycle has no end.

Well, what makes you feel like you can judge the future? It is because people generally have the wrong understanding of “how things really work”.

This comes from profound changes in human life. Since World War I and II, there has been a massive transformation in children’s upbringing - universal enrollment in schools, and ever-lengthening educational systems. In today’s world, people generally go through 10-20 years of schooling. Not only that, due to explosive growth in medical technology and productivity, the age composition and centers of political power in human society have shifted dramatically towards the younger generations. This massive shift is so great that it has silently changed people’s understanding of “how things work” - from a “luck model” to an “exam model”.

A maze with a single exit. The student is trying to find the exit by following the right path. The path is labeled "Knowledge."

What is the “exam model”? It is to view things as a series of set, standardized questions. To believe that success is like taking an exam. As long as you study diligently, grasp sufficient knowledge, keep a cool head during the exam, utilize your prior preparations, hit the right points to score, eventually you will pass the passing grade, obtain excellent grades, and naturally gain social status and matching wealth and experiences - this is the so-called success. In this process, a person’s greatest reliance is their own qualities and efforts. The best strategy for a person is to seek greater knowledge, skills and abilities. Relying on these foundations, make a way when you encounter a mountain, build a bridge when you come to a river;finally eliminate all difficulties and obtain the final victory.

The “luck model” corresponds to the cognitive model based on the lost middle-aged man template before World War I and II. People are in the midst of endless threats that change in an instant. There is no way to foresee whether this year tulip prices will skyrocket, or the South Sea bubble will suddenly burst and bankrupt you, or Spanish flu will suddenly take away half your family’s lives, or a happy family will suddenly be destroyed because the beloved wife dies in childbirth along with the baby. No one knows what will happen tomorrow, let alone take effective preventive measures based on unreliable knowledge. The layers of defenses built tend to prove, in hindsight, to be a waste of money and completely useless. People have no idea where the next disaster will come from, nor how to deal with it.

A maze with a single exit. The student is trying to find the exit by following the right path. The path is labeled "Knowledge."

These disasters are so numerous and frequent, sparing no one, rich or poor, noble or lowly. No one can escape them or control them. Humans have no other choice but to believe there is a large element of luck in things. Although it is not completely unrelated to human effort, it is definitely not only related to effort.

Unfortunately, the “exam model” is just a consequence of modern school education. It inevitably appears in schools and inevitably persists in educated youth before they enter independent stages and decision-making roles.

And the exam model will lead you straight into depression.

Because it simply does not reflect reality. The truth is, real challenges never tell you what the questions are, never simply tell you whether you are right or wrong, and never tell you when the exam will be over. And it really likes to arrange darkness before dawn, and fireworks before destruction.

If you construct your expectations according to the “exam model”, you will definitely encounter unexpected failures again and again.

At this time, you must understand the essence of your predicament -

It is just the end of the road for the “exam model”, not the end of your road.