I once pondered a question: isn’t chemistry essentially “alchemy,” and isn’t physics essentially “the laws of the Dao”? If our textbooks had been renamed accordingly, perhaps I would have been far more motivated to study back in the day.

Last night while taking a shower, it struck me again. In the world of Xianxia (cultivation fantasy) novels, there are all kinds of cultivation methods. Cultivating spiritual energy internally, tempering the body externally, refining pills with one hand and forging artifacts with the other. Isn’t this exactly analogous to the various professional roles in my work — product management, operations, business development, and so on?

And the geniuses of the cultivation world? Perhaps they are the ones who can both venture outward and cultivate their inner strength.

Some people possess formidable spiritual power. Others combine that spiritual power with being a rare pill-refining master. The more disciplines one masters, the higher one’s “cultivation talent and realm.” And in this system, cultivation talent and realm refer more to diligence, serendipity, the passage of time, and the insights gained from life-or-death battles.

Indeed, all paths lead to the same destination.

Seen in this light, this infinite game grows ever more fascinating — ever more “gamified.”