Curiosity & Resilience – Out of the Gobi by Weijian Shan

Key Takeaways

• I want my life to experience infinitely more.
• Persist in learning by any means necessary.
• Even during seemingly meaningless moments in history, remain curious. CURIOSITY adds depth and dimension to life.

Key Opinion Quotes
“All of this is because I’ve never stopped learning. Back when I was in the Gobi Desert, I thought: if this is truly my fate—if I will never leave this desert—then I have nothing to complain about because fate is beyond my control. Throughout history, many people have been unlucky, and many have missed opportunities. So why should I complain?

“But if an opportunity appears before me one day and I fail to seize it, that is on me.”

Selected Quotes

On Knowledge and Learning

• “I realized how ignorant I was, and the only way to overcome ignorance is through continuous learning.”
• “Finance is highly technical and requires no specific cultural background; it’s like studying mathematics.”
• “The flexibility of the U.S. system suited me perfectly. Back home, entering university felt like scaling a mountain. There was almost no freedom of choice.”

On Opportunity

• “Opportunity is open to everyone. I just happened to seize it while others did not.”
• “My life philosophy is to keep learning and stay prepared. That way, when opportunities appear, I can grasp them.”
• “I can’t give up, no matter how great the setbacks. To give up is to commit a crime against myself. I must keep going, keep working hard, and wait for the next chance.”
• “Wasting time is like committing a sin against oneself.”
  • Notes to Self – My life needs both joy and moments of idle time tho. But to abandon curiosity is to commit a sin against myself.
• “Trying something out never hurts—it’s just like another practice exam.”
• “Figure out what the examiner wants—understand their perspective and meet their expectations.”

Building Goodwill and Connections

• “Fame can draw unwanted attention—just as a well-fed pig is always at risk of the butcher’s knife.”
• Practice humility, stay low-key, ‘hide your brightness,’ and quietly make your fortune.
• “People don’t like those who are too different from themselves.”
• “Make many friends—when you have a wide network, it’s harder for those in authority to cause trouble for you.”
• Students pursue top schools not only for knowledge but also for two other vital reasons:
  1. To gain the elite institution’s ‘brand label.’
  2. To build a valuable network of relationships that will serve them throughout their careers.

Dealing with Authority

• “Acting on blind faith or impulse leads to costly mistakes.”
• “Who could refuse a word of congratulations?”

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Background:
These notes are drawn from my reading of Weijian Shan’s Out of the Gobi: My Story of China and America. Shan’s memoir recounts his extraordinary journey from the remote Gobi Desert—a place of exile during the Cultural Revolution—to becoming a successful economist and investor in the United States. His story highlights perseverance, the relentless pursuit of education, seizing opportunities, and the importance of flexibility and humility. Through these notes, I hope to capture some of his key insights and reflect on their relevance in our own lives.