Eight years ago, Peking University published a book titled "Management Consulting in China." It specifically mentioned two good thinking tools for consultants: philosophy and the game of Go. Philosophy is not a forte of the Chinese. Before the prevalence of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism in China were mainly passed down orally as teachings. It was only due to the prolonged debates among Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism that forced the Chinese to learn the philosophical system and dialectical methods of Buddhism. From then on, there was a Chinese philosophy available for widespread study.
Chinese philosophy does not have an elegant logical system; it lacks the guidance of a "divine" presence and is instead very much grounded in daily life. There's a fondness for experiencing the beauty or impermanence of life in every flower and blade of grass. Ye Dunming believes that Chinese-style philosophy is more suitable for consumer-oriented marketing thoughts. The philosophical thinking rooted in daily life is neither profound nor contrived, following the rhythm of consumers' everyday thoughts, gradually entering and deepening brand communication without the cold imprint of media, turning it into a living dialogue between people. It seems that those in marketing need to pick up the wisdom of Chinese philosophy.
Einstein, seemingly unrelated to marketers, holds an unparalleled position in the field of physics, admired by countless individuals. However, all this does not come solely from pure physical contributions, as his contemporaries Bohr, Heisenberg, and Schrödinger did not contribute any less than Einstein. The familiar concepts of general relativity, Brownian motion, and photons were not solely discovered by Einstein.
Einstein's magic lies in being the sole discoverer of the theory of general relativity. Like brand positioning, uniqueness can generate absolute value. So, why could only Einstein discover the theory of general relativity? The answer is philosophical assistance. While recently browsing through *Scientific American*, Ye Dunming came across an interesting topic: Einstein’s scientific guidance mainly came from philosophical inspiration. Originally, thought processes can dominate one's intelligence, and philosophy is the ruler of rulers.
At the age of 16, Einstein was already contemplating the theory of relativity, but due to insufficient life wisdom, he couldn't break through. Later, he became fond of Hume's and Mach's philosophies and gained decisive inspiration. Their philosophical stance was based on perceptual experience, questioning all viewpoints beyond experience. The final layer of misunderstanding was broken when the concept of absolute time was revealed as an untested assumption. Einstein firmly discarded the consensus of absolute time, reorganized his approach, and achieved his great theory of general relativity.
We have long been overshadowed by Western science, rejecting intuition and pursuing absolute objectivity, narrowly interpreting the wisdom of Chinese philosophy as trivial knowledge. I may not understand everything, but at least marketing is human wisdom, and humans live within perception. Einstein, one of the representative figures of Western science, achieved greatness not just through scientific experiments and logical analysis but also through philosophical depth. As marketers, Ye Dunming advocates revisiting Chinese wisdom, using the keen eyes of the Chinese to interpret the established systems of brands, marketing, and management in Europe and America.
So, where does the philosophical wisdom of marketers come from? It comes from the subtle insights of daily life. Every day, we interact with people, even familiar ones who are constantly changing. If we adopt an open, appreciative, and studious attitude, we will notice these slight changes. We can share their joys and sorrows while stepping back to think about why things are so, thus gradually enriching our understanding of human nature. Only by thoroughly studying a few people around us can we solve the problems of countless unfamiliar people, as there is no essential difference between people. Ye Dunming believes that marketers overly reliant on large-scale surveys and statistical analyses treat people like objects, and research lacking vitality cannot move any living person.
Marketers deal with people every day but do not necessarily understand "human affairs." Judging others by oneself, being blind to the obvious, seeing only goals and not people, all hinder the elevation of human wisdom. Recently, during a company training session at Lianzong Zhida, Ye Dunming proposed the "three releases" attitude: release the self, release joy, and open the soul. When thoughts breathe freely, wisdom will gently enter. Marketers, your wisdom stems from examination and reflection. Chasing only external brilliance cannot demonstrate inner emptiness.
This article originates from: New Approaches to Online Marketing for Building Materials Products_8445 Promotion Secrets - How to Impress Your Boss_23912 Traditional Marketing Faces Challenges, How to Stay Ahead?_8664