Active power

 　　In the GMAT exam, the active voice should be used whenever possible, while the passive voice should only be used when the actor is unknown.

　　Behind this rule lies the concept of an active versus a passive mindset. The cup was placed on the table… He placed the cup on the table; managers need proactive communication skills, actively identifying and solving problems. Therefore, there's a deeper meaning behind the rule.

　　In real life, we engage in a lot of passive behavior daily: scrolling through Weibo, watching videos, reading news, watching dramas, snacking, habitually busy… We know these things are worthless, becoming couch potatoes, wasting precious time night after night, getting used to being led by the nose—our time to be slaughtered is not far off.

　　Psychology shows that the more passive behavior we engage in, the less happy we become. Losing control of ourselves leads to frustration and self-blame, which are extremely harmful emotions.

　　When people lack lofty goals, they are easily held hostage by various trivial matters. I know a private restaurant owner whose restaurant business isn't actually very large. He always tells me he wants to open a chain and asks me to invest, full of ambition… But he's incredibly busy every day. For example, he often makes multiple trips to the supply stores because he doesn't check everything properly. He even tries to manage his employees' gossip. When he has free time, he just scrolls through social media and plays with his kids… His management isn't optimized, his employees are lazy, the service is poor, and with intense competition in the restaurant industry, customers are dwindling. He's busy

　　from morning till night, doing things unrelated to future development, like he's just operating on inertia. Once a person gets caught up in this kind of mindset, they won't grow or expand. And those wasted years are valuable foundational experience; compound interest takes time to accumulate. The difference between persisting for three to five years to grow and persisting for ten years, a lifetime, is enormous.

　　Besides, this owner is over forty; his habits are basically set. A person who's been assimilated won't have much potential.

　　Moreover, the project has low profit margins, high risks, high costs, and is time-consuming. He thinks it's great and stable, but I certainly wouldn't want to do it. All I can say is, thank you.

　　Passive individuals cannot change their destiny. To change your destiny, you must relinquish your vested interests and comforts, and actively embrace life's surprises. It's impossible to never have suffered losses or been cheated. I don't believe in unrewarded effort, but I know the rewards lie in the future, not in the present.

　　Stepping out of a passive state and rejecting unconscious actions isn't actually that difficult. Think of the internet as a gold mine; others are mining while staring at their screens, while you're slowly committing suicide. Are you really content with that?