Modern Ronin Reflections is a collection of essays on engineering, learning, discipline, and life from Dr. Jack Yeh, exploring the mindset of a modern-day ronin.
Modern Ronin Reflections
Many people believe success is built on willpower. But the more I observe myself and others, the more I feel that willpower is fundamentally the act of using one part of yourself to suppress another. It is an inner civil war. One part of you wants to wake up early.
Modern Ronin Reflections
I’ve often felt that people tend to talk most about what they lack. That’s why I’m usually skeptical when I see organizations constantly talking about their culture, values, and principles. I’ve noticed something rather ironic: When principles and interests are aligned, everyone seems to have strong
Modern Ronin Reflections
After finishing Vagabond, I found myself reflecting on a fascinating question. Miyamoto Musashi lived during a unique transition in Japanese history—from the chaos of the Warring States period to the long peace of the Edo era. During the age of war, strength had a clear purpose. Strength meant survival.
Modern Ronin Reflections
One of the things I admire most about Japanese culture is its extraordinary level of resolution. As an engineer, I often use the word resolution to describe how finely a system can observe and distinguish details. The higher the resolution, the more information becomes visible. The world itself does not
Modern Ronin Reflections
While reading Vagabond, I often found myself experiencing a strange sense of familiarity. Not because Musashi’s life resembles my own. But because many of the truths he gradually discovers resonate deeply with lessons I have encountered throughout my own journey. In the later chapters of Vagabond, water appears repeatedly
Modern Ronin Reflections
After the Battle of Sekigahara, Tokugawa Ieyasu unified Japan, ushering in more than 260 years of peace under the Tokugawa shogunate. But before that, Japan was in the Sengoku era — a true age of war. In that world, the role of the samurai was simple: * to fight, * to survive, * to
Modern Ronin Reflections
I used to think growth came from effort alone. But over time, I realized that true breakthroughs do not come merely from working harder. They come from finally seeing your own weaknesses clearly. That is what I saw in Vagabond. Every time Musashi truly evolved, it was not because he
Modern Ronin Reflections
From my own experience, I have gradually realized that what truly exhausts a person is often not the external world itself. But rather: * internal conflict * fragmentation * anxiety * excessive concern about others’ opinions * living constantly through a persona When energy continuously leaks outward, the mind becomes unstable, scattered, and psychologically weak.
Modern Ronin Reflections
Each of us is born into a culture by accident. Nationality, ethnicity, religion, and identity are often not conscious choices, but conditions assigned at birth. Therefore, the healthiest relationship between human beings and culture should not be one of obedience or psychological captivity. Instead: Human beings should have the freedom
Modern Ronin Reflections
What resonates with me most about Miyamoto Musashi is not merely his solitude. It is this: He once seriously considered becoming part of the world. As a young man, Musashi also desired: * recognition, * honor, * status, * achievement, * and the possibility of serving a lord. He was not born detached from society.
Modern Ronin Reflections
I have long felt that modern society teaches us a deeply misleading idea: “The inner matters more than the outer.” I believe this is incomplete. The truth is not that the inner is more important than the outer. The truth is: the inner and the outer matter equally. Because your
Modern Ronin Reflections
The older I get, the more I realize that silence is the language of the strong. When a person becomes internally aligned, they begin to feel the movement of energy very clearly. And language itself is a release of energy. You start noticing that whenever you constantly try to explain