Random thoughts: To copy or not to copy

I remember when I was in secondary school, my CCA took up a lot of my time. For 4 days a week, we trained after school till around 7 p.m. (I am not kidding), and for days without my CCA, I would go play basketball or videogame at my friend house.

There were times when I could not finished my homework. In fact, although I was in a top class in a very "neighbourhood" school, none of my classmates except the girls were hardworking. So what did I and my buddies do? We copied the girls' work. When the girls couldn't do it, we told the teacher to go through it.

That is why I find it bewildering so many have problems handing in homework after all the scolding, meeting of parents. Talk about creative solution.

When we copied, we copied and tried to understand, it is actually a short-cut way to learning, the girls didn't seem to mind then, so kind and innocent. We laterally formed copy groups. We did well in our exams. Heaven is blind? Did I hear you say?

When I went to junior college, which I never thought I will make it, I decided to "turn over a new leaf" I stopped copying. I insisted that I do it and learn it the orthodox way. My grades suffered greatly, whereas my friend simply continued to just listen and copy what the teachers write on the board, I tried to figure it out myself, ended up I learned less than my friend. I am too stubborn for my own good. I couldn't figure it out and didn't concentrate when my tutor is re-teaching, double whammy.

It is much later in life, when I heard the concept of copyright. Nah, you cannot take the shortcut, the creators will eat grass. It is the case for some start up, for big corporation like Disney, the copyrights allowed them to eat abalone every meal.

Now, come to trading/ investing. There is no copyright issue if you just buy what Warren buys, or what you favorite "zai qiu" (steady)blogger buy. There is no issue of copyrights.

Convention wisdom says, do not copy from others. There are good reasons why. I took such a long time to figure out the balanced way.

When we are in school, when you copy, do you copy from a single pupil or from many people?

Do you copy all the questions and steps or do you cherrypick what you want to copy?

Do you skip steps/workings unless you totally understand how it work?

SO you copy from a guru, scholar, or do you copy from someone who you know is smart enough to get the answer right and will not "bao toe" (betray) you if you are questioned by the teacher for copying. "We discussed the question and did it together" will not work if you copy from an guru.

Do you insist on DIY on every piece of homework, thinking self-discovery is the only path to learning?

Do you copy every homework? Or you copy when you have difficulty managing your time, and have difficulty in certain topics. Do you understand what you are copying?

Apply these to investing, do you see some similarities in the universal rule of copying? Seem like I am more intelligent when I am in secondary school. hahahah