Book Reviews: Story of Your Life (Arrival) — Ted Chiang
An ultimate question of life
What if, you could know the destination that you will experience? You will accept it? Escape from it? Or change it? Ted Chiang brought this question for us through the Story of Your Life, a philosophical story with a coat of sci-fiction novel.
I watched the movie version “Arrival” before I read the book. The narrative of the movie is impressive and enhanced the story from different angles. The materials of the sci-fi in the novel don’t play a role in it, and the insight is beyond the medium.
There are 8 stories in this book. I focused on “Story of Your Life” and compared the close insight with other stories. Oh, here’s the music from “Arrival”.
On the Nature of Daylight — Max Richter
1/2. The language we use that decides how we interpret this world
Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis or Linguistic Relativity, the principle suggests that the structure of a language influences its speakers’ cognition and viuz. Taiwanese user, for example, uses lí as singular you and lín as plural you. Therefore, he has to be aware of the number that he is talking about. By contrast, an English user may not focus on this.
In the Story of Your Life, after Louise learned Heptapods’ language, there are many unusual memories, the future, flashed in her mind. There are so many scenes implied the secondary narrative depicting the future, but when Louise replied non-zero-sum game to her daughter. I finally confirmed that.
2/2. Something is worthy, though you can’t have it forever
Louise knew her daughter will die at early age and her husband leave because Louise didn’t tell him in the beginning. However, Louise still married her husband and made a baby.
Despite knowing the journey and where it leads. I embrace it and I welcome every moment of it.
Response to Fatalism seems a standard question. But even people have their inevitable fate, we still have to break the situation instead of accepting anything for excuses. Likewise, I don’t believe we can live without regret, because this is part of our journey. We couldn’t gain without effort. A better mindset for the real life is distinguishing what is you can control and what isn’t. Then, embrace the surprise of your life. To find the things that you know the price but you still dive in.
I’m Jerry. A Taiwan based UI/UX designer who’s finding a startup position in L.A. Welcome any invitation or even you just want to say hi =)
