I’m excited to share that, starting next week, we will pause on Microstories 微故事 and begin to publish our next serial novel, written at the intermediate level in both Chinese and English: 胡堡胡同 Húbǎo Hútòng. The title of the site will change. More details to come!
基于
我意识到，自己对建议让我感到耐心。在这个微故事中我为什么解释了一部分。
我分享了我的不耐心基于这个想法：首先不要伤害。
经常有人给我的建议是基于经验或者信念，而不是基于科学或者研究。
为什么这让我不耐心？
一个人的经验不能泛化到所有人。一个人的经验只是现实的一部分。人很复杂。对一个人行，对另一个人可能不行。
科学和研究尽量解释现实。有时候它们不正确，但是常常比个人经验或者信念更好。
人类研究用数据试着找到这一点：
对大部分人，在大部分时间里，这个方式通常更好，也比其他方式更好，比什么都不做好，而且伤害的风险很低。
个人经验或者信念没有经过测试。信念可能不现实，也可能不正确。把个人经验或者信念作为照顾，知道或者建议来用可能会让人受伤害。
我知道“首先不要伤害人”是一个信念，不是事实。这是一个矛盾。但是，我不批评所有的信念。我的意思是：有时候把信念当成事实会伤害别人。
对我的不耐心，怎么办？我想根据事实生活。
“谢谢您的建议。基于什么的呢？”
Word List
基于 jīyú based on, according to
未经请求的建议 wèi jīng qǐngqiú de jiànyì unsolicited advice
信念 xìnniàn belief
科学 kēxué science
研究 yánjiū research
泛化 fànhuà generalize, make broadly applicable
尽量 jǐnliàng as much as possible, the best one can
解释 jiěshì explain
正确 zhèngquè correct
试着 shìzhe attempt, try to do something; focuses on the effort while doing
经 jīng pass through
验 yàn test, verify
经验 jīngyàn experience, knowledge or lessons learned from doing things; skills, knowledge, practical experience (what you can do); listed on a CV. (经历 jīnglì experience, what someone has gone through, events in one’s life)
数据 shùjù data
风险 fēngxiǎn risk
低 dī low
测试 cèshì test
现实 xiànshí reality
作为 zuòwéi as
照顾 zhàogù care
指导 zhǐdǎo instruct, give instruction
批评 pīpíng criticize
当 dàng treat as, regard as, take as (当 dāng when, at the time of, during, current, present, be, act as, serve as, work as, assume a role, be in charge, match, face, at)
成 chéng become, turn into
当成 dàngchéng to treat something as, to take something as
Based On
I have become aware that I feel impatient about the topic of advice. I explained part of why in this microstory. My impatience is based on this idea: First, do no harm.
Often, people give advice based on experience or belief, not on science or research.
Why does this make me feel impatient?
One person’s experience cannot be generalized to all people. One person’s experience is only part of reality. People are complex. What works for one person may not work for another.
Science and research try their best to explain reality. Sometimes they are not correct, but often they work better than personal experience or belief.
Human research uses data to attempt to find this:
For most people, most of the time, this method usually produces better results than many methods, other methods, and doing nothing at all, and has a low risk of harm.
Personal experience and beliefs have not been tested. Beliefs may not match reality, and may not be correct. Using someone’s personal experience or beliefs as care, instruction, or advice may be hurtful.
I know that “First, do no harm” is a belief, not a fact. This is a contradiction. But I’m not criticizing all beliefs. This is my meaning: Sometimes treating belief as fact can hurt people.
What can I do about my impatience? I want to live according to facts.
“Thank you for your advice. On what is it based?”
Image: ChatGPT, retrieved 04/28/2026
Notes
1. “I try to live an evidence-based life.”
“我试着过一种循证式的生活。”
- Maia Szalavitz, neuroscience journalist and author, interview, Blacksburg, Virginia, U.S.A., 2016
循证式 xúnzhèng shì evidence-based way
2. I explain in English more about what I mean by evidence in What Are the Facts?.
Microstories 微故事 are short works written at the intermediate level in two versions, one in Simplified Chinese characters and one in English. Microstories 微故事 are written by Anne 安妮 Giles and edited by 侯慧颖 Hóu Huìyǐng “Mary.”
Some words are repeated in the stories in hopes of offering language learners the 3 to 17 exposures (number of times a learner encounters a word in different contexts) that may be needed to learn a new word.
Microstories 微故事 may serve as short reading and discussion texts for busy adult language learners of Simplified Chinese Characters and/or English.
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