Summary

Aldric Chen is a reflective and curious writer who grapples with the complexities of life and his passion for writing, despite its challenges.

Abstract

Aldric Chen introduces himself as a writer who is both drawn to and conflicted about writing. He uses writing as a tool to navigate his thoughts and the complexities of life, often delving into intricate topics such as physics, economics, and personal development. Aldric values his individual perspective and emphasizes the importance of understanding rather than oversimplifying. He shares his love for learning, reading, and the pursuit of knowledge across various fields. Aldric is proud of his work, particularly pieces that reflect his genuine beliefs and the effort it took to articulate them. He invites collaboration and meaningful conversations, offering a glimpse into his character through his writing and personal anecdotes.

Opinions

Aldric views writing as a paradoxical endeavor, both a means to clear his mind and a source of new mental challenges.
He believes in the significance of personal thoughts and opinions, advocating for the uniqueness of individual perspectives.
Aldric is critical of oversimplification, preferring to appreciate and simplify the inherent complexities of life.
He is passionate about exploring and writing about complex subjects, finding elegance and satisfaction in the process of understanding.
Aldric is open to experimentation and skeptical of definitive answers or gurus, preferring to find what works for him through personal exploration.
He takes pride in his writing, especially in pieces that were challenging to publish and truly reflect his beliefs.
Aldric values his time and productivity, emphasizing the importance of not wasting time on unimportant matters.

About Me — Aldric Chen

Writer, not a writer. Can write, cannot write. Want to be, maybe. Coherently incoherent. Believer of complex simplicity.

Image contributed by the author. This is me on a family vacation in Bintan.

Let me start with a confession.

I got myself into a flux.

I cannot write yet I do. What attracted me wasn’t the act of writing. I wanted an avenue to extract the mess from my head. Writing helps, or so I thought.

Writing did not clear the mental mess without creating new ones. Great. Now, I have 2 problems. The never-ending mental mess created by writing and a new one which is an addiction to write.

Whoever recommended me to write ought to be shot.

I write, but I cannot.

My tenses are odd. I have an overriding preference for the future while simultaneously incorporating past experiences into my sentences. From that perspective, I choose to write in the now. I am a lazy pea.

Writing more allows me to explore the depths of my mind. The keyboard, and occasionally the multi-colored pen, behaves like a knife peeling layers of an onion. I seem to understand myself more each time I finish writing.

A Proper Introduction

Hi there! I am Aldric.

If there is anything about me, I am curious.

I get stuck in the rabbit hole of curiosity often. First, I think. Then, I think about why I think about what I just did. And then, I think if this whole series of thinking makes sense.

If you happen to read my stories — Thank you. If you wonder why my stories are content-heavy with no writing flair — The above explains.

Because I am curious, I explore a lot when it comes to reading and learning. Complex topics grip me.

Life is not simple. Too many people oversimplify things. Elegance in life comes from the simplification of complexity. Oversimplification of harsh truths is a different matter altogether.

It is like Einstein’s E = MC2.

I can spend years just reading, understanding, and find new applications for that 1-inch long formula. Yes, it is that deep.

Physics, economics, history, finance, building a business, health, and fitness are topics I write a lot because they are complex. The process of understanding them satisfies me.

Most importantly, the cutting-edge of these fields never had a standard answer. That is great. I do not need to bother myself with gurus, experts selling me down their river of snake oil.

I get to experiment, take what works, and toss what’s not.

Random Facts About Me

I love to use ‘I’ to start a statement, and that has nothing to do with a high sense of self. I value my thoughts and opinions without disregarding others’.
Our thoughts and opinions define us. It is sad if all we do is spit out what others say and pretend it is ours. ‘I’ is sacred.
I am an Equator Boy. For those living in countries with 4 seasons, I dwell in Singapore, a city-state where it is summer all year round. It is either heavy rain or hot Sun. I love it!
I love to confuse people with my thoughts. That is why my stories don’t take off. Sigh.
I love to run because it feels like a freedom-fest.
I love to read because it makes me feel so stupid, and I have to buck it up.
I imagine having my name in the Bloomberg Billionaire Index before I die. Sigh.
I am closer to my aunt than my mum. My aunt taught me a lot about business, entrepreneurial spirit, and the need to build something I call mine. I always think she is right. Maybe … Because she is.
I started my professional career as a Technology consultant. Therefore, I know what long hours really mean and how to translate long-form gibberish to short-form, digestible, bite-size gibberish.
I am an editor for 3 publications (accurate as of July 2021). I am pretty lucky in this regard.
I can be entirely commercial when thinking because it suits my character. “What’s in it for me” is easy for me.
I read multiple books at a time because I cross-reference actively. I never finished a book. I finish multiple.
I don’t dwell. I march on.
I believe that we begin life with 100 and move towards 0. Therefore, I don’t enjoy wasting time. It is too short, and I have too many things to accomplish!

These Are Stories I Am Very Proud Of

1 Simple 10-Minute Deep Breathing Exercise That Prevents You from Turning into a Lobster

The 1 Sentence I Routinely Hear from the Top 1% About Life and Investing

Small Business Should Pursue Impact Marketing, Not Attention Marketing

What a 2-Time Ironman World Champion Taught Me About Winning Championships and Writing

A 1-Hour Self-Care Routine in the Late Afternoon Can Do Wonders for Your Evenings

Editorial Op-Ed: We Honor People Demonstrating Great Effort

I wish I am proud of them because they made me $10,000 each, God Damn It. None of them did.

I am proud of these stories because I wrote what I genuinely believed in and took more time to structure messy thoughts into straight-line writing.

I am proud of them because they brought me so much pain just to publish them.

You know, the childbirth thing?

Contact Me To Work With Me

If you believe we can work together to serve your life purpose and mine, please feel free to send me a direct message on Twitter or Linkedin.

I look forward to having a meaningful conversation!

From Me To You

Thank you for reading my stories. If you haven’t …

… they can be found here.

Cheers people and nice to meet you!