Have you noticed that many people can spend a lot of time comparing prices while shopping online, but always make sloppy decisions in the critical moments of their life?

你有没有发现，很多人在网上购物的时候能够花很大的精力去货比三家，但是碰上人生中的重大决定却总是很草率。

Maybe you are one of them?

或许你就是其中之一？

Take choosing college major for example.

就比如选大学专业这个事。

Many people choose their current major simply because they “liked” it, or because they had heard that it is a promising industry in this era.

不少人选择现在的专业可能单纯只是因为“喜欢”，或者是因为听说这是这个时代的朝阳行业。

However, few people consider carefully what they do in college, what they will be doing after graduation, and how much they get paid.

但是，关于这个专业的人平常都干些什么、毕业之后的去向是什么、工资水平如何，却很少有人在选专业的时候就仔细考虑。

You can probably imagine that they will be completely overwhelmed after four years in college.

结果可想而知，他们在四年之后完全不知所措。

To explore this issue, we must first understand three concepts: strategy, tactics, and guideline.

要探讨这个问题，我们得先弄明白3个词：战略、战术、攻略。

At first glance, these three concepts seem to be similar, but in fact they are totally different.

乍听之下，这3个概念好像差不多，但其实完全不是。

If you can’t figure out the difference among them, then it’s not surprising that you’ve messed up your life.

如果你弄不清楚它们的区别，那你把生活过得乱七八糟就不奇怪了。

Simply put, “strategy” is “what to do”, that is, to choose a direction.

简单地讲，“战略”就是“做什么”，也就是选定一个方向。

The “tactics” have to be lower than strategy, which means that they decide “how to do it” after the strategy has been established.

而“战术”则要低级一点，它指的是在已经确定了战略之后决定“怎么做”。

The ‘‘guideline’’ is even lower, referring to doing things the way other people have done it.

而‘’攻略”就更低级一些了，它指的是依照别人已经总结好的经验来把事情做出来。

It is sad that the current education system seems to focus only on the “guideline” level.

很可惜，如今的教育体系似乎往往只注重“攻略”这个层面。

From primary school to high school, all knowledge is well-defined, the direction of effort is certain, and we do not need to make choices.

从小学到高中，所有的知识点都是定好的，努力的方向是确定的，我们根本不需要做什么选择。

When it comes to the university, such lifestyle of certainty suddenly collapses. Many people find that they lack the ability to choose.

可到了大学这个节点，这种充满确定性的生活方式却突然崩塌了，许多人这才发现自己根本没有做选择的能力。

Aren’t the “good students” in the eyes of most teachers just like that?

大多数老师眼中的“好学生”不就是这样的形象吗？

Others tell you how to do it, and you remember it, then you make things happen, nothing more.

别人告诉你怎么做，你记住了，然后把事情做成，仅此而已。

These people may be very reliable executors, but they can’t create things.

这些人或许是很靠谱的执行者，但却创造不了什么东西。

When no one helped them make a decision, they could achieve nothing.

在没有人帮他们做决定的时候，他们什么事也做不了。

They are just like those who spend a lot of energy comparing product parameters  when shopping online but don't consider whether they really need those things.

他们就和那些在网购时花大量精力对比商品参数，却不考虑自己是不是真的需要这些东西的人一样。

They are using tactical and guideline diligence to hide their strategic laziness.

他们是在用战术和攻略层面的盲目勤奋来掩盖战略上的懒惰。

Strategy is a ruler’s learning.

战略是统治者的学问。

For each person himself, whether to consider strategic issues determines whether you are the master of your own life.

对于每一个人自己来说，是否考虑战略问题决定了你是不是自己生活的主人。

Maybe you can live successfully according to the guide given by others, but is this life really worth it? Is this life really happy?

或许你能依照别人给的攻略活得很成功，但这样的生活真的值得吗？这样的生活真的快乐吗？

This is not a life, but a performance, because you actually have no dominance in yourself.

这不是生活，而是一种表演，因为你自己在里面其实并没有主导权。

The essence of strategy is making choices, and bearing the consequences for your choice.

战略的本质是选择，以及为这个选择承担相应的后果。