Advice to Young People, the Lies I Tell Myself (2024) (jxnl.co)

Jason Liu’s essay offers “advice” to young people framed as the personal lies he tells himself, emphasizing that life is shaped by the choices you make. He argues that “luck” is largely about what you pay attention to, and that jobs often come through referrals, strong interpersonal fit, and clear value to the person hiring. The piece also touches on building competence across time, accepting trade-offs and plateaus, and pursuing goals with psychological safety and endurance rather than anxiety or self-doubt.