But as I started my career as a research assistant in physics, I started getting interested in all the "whys" of life.
As I studied and thought about various fundamental questions such as, "Why do we use money instead of promises or favors?";
"Why do we live in houses and not boats or cars?";
"Why are there usually 2-4 people in a home and not 10-20?";
"Why do we move away from home?";
"Why do we work until we're 65?"--all while getting assaulted with well-intended "encouragements" that I should make sure to open a retirement account before I was 30 and put 15% of net income into it;
that I should buy a house;
that married homeowners were more prosperous and therefore I better get married too;
that I should buy a new car;
that people would like me more if I wore a particular kind of brand clothing, and
that I would enjoy a beverage more if it came from a certain kind of bottle.
I was beginning to feel that something was wrong.
"Why is the emperor not wearing any clothes?"
I started getting an uneasy feeling that something about the world was not quite right. Nobody explained the "why."
Sure,they could explain how I should first purchase a "starter home," so I could "upgrade" later.
But nobody could or would explain why I should buy a house in the first place.
Nobody could or would explain why I should have a career, only that career development was important.
但当我开始担任物理学研究助理时，我开始对生活中的所有 “为什么 ”产生了兴趣。
在我研究和思考各种基本问题的过程中，比如 "为什么我们使用金钱而不是承诺或恩惠？
“为什么我们住在房子里，而不是船或汽车里？
“为什么一个家庭通常只有 2-4 人，而不是 10-20 人？
“为什么我们要搬离家园？”
““为什么我们要工作到 65 岁？”--与此同时，我还受到各种善意的 “鼓励”：我应该确保在 30 岁之前开设一个退休账户，并将净收入的 15%存入其中；
我应该买房；
已婚房主更富裕，因此我最好也结婚；
我应该买一辆新车；
如果我穿某种品牌的衣服，人们会更喜欢我；如果我喝某种饮料，人们会更喜欢我。
如果饮料是用某种瓶子装的，我就会更喜欢。
我开始觉得有些不对劲。
“为什么皇帝没有穿衣服？”
我开始感到不安，觉得这个世界有些东西不太对劲。没有人解释 "为什么”
当然，他们可以解释我应该先买一套 “起步房”，然后再 “升级”。
但是，没有人能够或愿意解释我为什么首先要买房子。
没有人能够或愿意解释我为什么应该拥有一份职业，只是说职业发展很重要。
As I studied and thought about various fundamental questions such as, "Why do we use money instead of promises or favors?";
"Why do we live in houses and not boats or cars?";
"Why are there usually 2-4 people in a home and not 10-20?";
"Why do we move away from home?";
"Why do we work until we're 65?"--all while getting assaulted with well-intended "encouragements" that I should make sure to open a retirement account before I was 30 and put 15% of net income into it;
that I should buy a house;
that married homeowners were more prosperous and therefore I better get married too;
that I should buy a new car;
that people would like me more if I wore a particular kind of brand clothing, and
that I would enjoy a beverage more if it came from a certain kind of bottle.
I was beginning to feel that something was wrong.
"Why is the emperor not wearing any clothes?"
I started getting an uneasy feeling that something about the world was not quite right. Nobody explained the "why."
Sure,they could explain how I should first purchase a "starter home," so I could "upgrade" later.
But nobody could or would explain why I should buy a house in the first place.
Nobody could or would explain why I should have a career, only that career development was important.
但当我开始担任物理学研究助理时，我开始对生活中的所有 “为什么 ”产生了兴趣。
在我研究和思考各种基本问题的过程中，比如 "为什么我们使用金钱而不是承诺或恩惠？
“为什么我们住在房子里，而不是船或汽车里？
“为什么一个家庭通常只有 2-4 人，而不是 10-20 人？
“为什么我们要搬离家园？”
““为什么我们要工作到 65 岁？”--与此同时，我还受到各种善意的 “鼓励”：我应该确保在 30 岁之前开设一个退休账户，并将净收入的 15%存入其中；
我应该买房；
已婚房主更富裕，因此我最好也结婚；
我应该买一辆新车；
如果我穿某种品牌的衣服，人们会更喜欢我；如果我喝某种饮料，人们会更喜欢我。
如果饮料是用某种瓶子装的，我就会更喜欢。
我开始觉得有些不对劲。
“为什么皇帝没有穿衣服？”
我开始感到不安，觉得这个世界有些东西不太对劲。没有人解释 "为什么”
当然，他们可以解释我应该先买一套 “起步房”，然后再 “升级”。
但是，没有人能够或愿意解释我为什么首先要买房子。
没有人能够或愿意解释我为什么应该拥有一份职业，只是说职业发展很重要。