Hwang Hyun-hee, an investor who achieved financial freedom from a one-time comedian
Jegal Hyeon-yeol, who went from sleeping in an attic to becoming a best-selling author, reveals
The Secret of People Who Overcome Trial and Error to Achieve Greater Success

“Don’t fall into useless pessimism,
You are getting stronger now.”

Authors Hwang Hyeon-hee and Jegal Hyeon-yeol, who received much love for their honest and practical advice in the best-selling economics and management book, “Cowardly Money,” have returned with a new concept called “secondary mind,” which denies the pessimism that comes from failure and achieves explosive growth through trial and error.
Everyone has a second mentality that grows stronger the more they fail and are frustrated, and only those who realize the existence of this mentality and know how to train it can truly succeed.
In Part 1, author Hwang Hyeon-hee candidly shares her personal experience of discovering unbreakable mental strength, while in Part 2, author Jegal Hyeon-yeol introduces a methodology for how to utilize trial and error and the resulting frustration.

The hidden story of how Hwang Hyun-hee, an extremely introverted person who never showed off his talents during his school days, became a successful comedian, and the surprising story of how he, who lost his job and became a washed-up comedian, took on a 180-degree turn in the field of investment and became a billionaire.
In addition, the author Jegal Hyeon-yeol has perfectly summarized the process of 'secondary mind' that he established during his journey from a long period of wandering and frustration to becoming a recognized corporate consultant and bestselling author.
It contains all of their know-how, from stories about the essential goals that trial and error must build upon to success, techniques for maximizing the value of trial and error, to the art of avoiding life's fatal flaws.

Instructor Kim Mi-kyung, comedian Jeon Yu-seong, and Kim Do-yoon of Kim Writer TV, who read this book first and are now on the path to success in life, also did not spare words of praise and recommendation.
Because they are the ones who awakened the ‘secondary mind.’
Now, take a confident step toward the life you want with this book that is bold yet honest, realistic yet practical.

If you're still hesitant to start, if you're cowering in fear of making mistakes, but if you desperately want to do better than anyone else, you've come to the right place.
This book contains the countless trials and errors I made during my countless attempts.
And in the process, it contains what the secondary mind is that is awakened and what the process of creating the secondary mind is.
I want to dedicate this book to everyone who feels inexplicable anxiety and anger in some corner of their ordinary lives.
I sincerely hope that this book will help you, who are constantly hesitating somewhere between comfort and challenge, find the secondary mind you've lost.
--- p.20, from “Prologue_The mindset of people who grow explosively every time they fall”

The reason why I put a story that would be suitable for a diary into a book is simple.
It worked.
I wanted to say that if you try anything, it works.
I, who was nothing special, never did the common things like class president, vice president, department head, or entertainment club president when I was in school, and if I had dreamed of becoming a celebrity, I would have gone on a school trip to show off my talents, but I was too embarrassed to go even once, and yet I ended up becoming a comedian.
What if I had decided I wouldn't introduce myself on the subway because I was too embarrassed and ashamed, so I came home and lay down? What if I had punched Kim Dae-beom in the face and told him never to contact me again? Where would I be now, and what would I be doing?
--- p.47, from “People Who Just Decided to Try”

To make a mistake, you have to start, but surprisingly, most people give up at this stage.
That means you haven't even started.
The reason is simple.
Because they are afraid of making mistakes themselves.
We are mostly afraid of things going wrong.
He is afraid that it will drag him off the cliff.
This is the fear we create ourselves.
We must first confront this fear and fight against it.
The way I faced this fear was simple.
Before starting anything, repeat one magic spell in your head.
'It's natural that things won't go well since it's your first time doing it!'
How can you expect something to go well from the start when it's your first time doing it? It's these absurd expectations that make me afraid.
It's actually strange that things go well from the start.
Isn't it arrogant to think you can drive like a taxi driver from the start when you've never driven before? Isn't it delusional to expect someone who's never been in a relationship to become the lead male character in a melodrama from the start?
--- pp.52-53, from “Two Fears We Must Fight”

It was then that I realized the truth that there is no one in the world who worries about me as much as I do.
So I don't try to look particularly good to anyone.
I'm trying hard to live so that I don't have to worry about what others think.
Now I don't regret not broadcasting.
My curiosity is no longer there.
Of course, if another goal arises, I'll gladly go back and experience another mistake.
--- p.87, from “There is no success in a life without questions”

Now, I'm being honest, I think that a new era has finally come about with the disappearance of "Gag Concert."
Many people say that comedy has no place, but on the contrary, the platform has only grown globally through platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook.
The stage for displaying talent has expanded, and the scope of the stage has also broadened.
A stage open to everyone was born.
Even people who had talent but were unable to demonstrate it gathered in this arena.
From those who failed the civil service exam to those who vaguely dreamed of making people laugh, and even washed-up comedians.
Finally, this place has become an open market for anyone with talent.
--- p.122, from “The Climax of My Life That Started from Frustration”

My relationship with investor Kim Jong-bong, now a bestselling author, also stemmed from this addiction to mistakes.
(…) I poured out my whole story.
There were countless topics discussed, including next-generation investments, real estate, U.S. stocks, and what the future market trends would be from a macro perspective.
He also poured out his knowledge, future direction, and overall market direction.
As his train time approached and the story was drawing to a close, he made a surprising proposition.
“How about publishing a book?”
--- pp.135-137, from “If You Feel Withdrawal Symptoms, You Are Ready for Success”

Everything that exists in the world has a value.
And the values ​​are all different.
The same goes for mistakes.
Not all mistakes are of equal value.
Even if it is the same mistake, its value is different depending on the conditions.
And the essential condition that makes mistakes valuable is always the goal.
The reason many people make mistakes and fail to learn is not because they have a bad attitude or posture.
It's not that I don't have the luxury of reviewing my mistakes.
Because there is no reason.
There is no reason to dwell on mistakes and use them as a source of nourishment.
In other words, there is no goal.
If I want to grow from my mistakes, I need to correct myself right here at this point.
You need to start by setting clear goals.
--- p.166, from “Even if a mistake is made, it is a treasure to be treasured”

As I mentioned earlier, my first major in college was architectural engineering.
Next was the Department of Media and Visual Arts, and last was the Department of Advertising and Public Relations.
I got a job at an advertising agency, which was exactly what I wanted, but I quit and set my sights on a new field: educational consulting.
I currently run a content company, do management consulting (not educational consulting), and have written a total of 11 books.
What would Ayelet Fishbach, a professor emeritus at the University of Chicago and a world-renowned behavioral scientist, say if she saw my life like this? In her eyes, who insists that once you set a goal, you must achieve it, my life might seem like a failure or a life without purpose.
Many would argue, as he does, that goals must be achieved and that consistency must be maintained.
Their arguments may also have merit and merit, but I disagree.
I think we should not ignore the countless possibilities we discover as we move towards our goals.
It's about acknowledging that your goals can change at any time.

--- pp.187-188, from “The Third Secret: Don’t Get Stuck in What You’re Doing”

A Korean startup company also cultivates a secondary mindset through a similar "What If" culture.
When there is a resignation, all C-level executives must attend a meeting.
Here, the management's say is extremely limited.
The topic of the meeting is simple.
It is about listening to the opinions of those who have resigned on the topic, 'If ~ had existed/didn't exist/was possible, I wouldn't have resigned.'
The opinions expressed at this meeting will be documented and permanently recorded in the company.
If a similar reason appears three times, this reason will be set as a task to be resolved for that quarter through a general notice.
It is about gathering everyone's opinions and creating new policies or directions.
This is where the opinions of those who have left the company are reflected for the benefit of those who remain.
--- p.214, from “My Own Microscope for Interpreting Mistakes”

I would like to add one more rule here.
When confessing a mistake, let's try to do it in a 'goal-oriented' manner rather than a 'fact-listing' manner.
A fact-based confession is something like, 'I made this and that mistake.'
For example, it is a way of describing the past.
This might sound like lamenting one's fate.
Because it is a way to convey one's pain as it is.
It may be a bit cruel to say this, but people don't really care about other people's pain.
Beyond indifference, they are reluctant to hear about the suffering of others.
The saying that joy doubles when shared and sorrow halves when shared is wrong.
Joy and sorrow are doubled when shared.
So, I do not recommend confessing your mistakes in a fact-finding manner.
--- p.228, from “Don’t Hide, Proudly Advertise”

I describe this process as 'turning the cycle'.
This entire process is one cycle.
But just waiting for this cycle is too passive.
After making a mistake and improving, you just have to wait for the same situation to happen again.
Some mistakes can be corrected immediately, while others cannot.
For example, let's say you were swayed by the other party's strategy during an important negotiation and ended up reaching a losing agreement.
Let's say that you later realized the importance of a 'BATNA (Best Alternative To Negotiated Agreement)' that can turn this situation around, and decided to approach the next negotiation with a BATNA in advance.
But what next? Are we left with no choice but to wait for the next important negotiation situation to arise?
--- p.241, from “Don’t Wait, Design”

For example, let's say you lose 1 million won due to an investment failure.
What is the weight of this failure? Even if the amount is the same, the perceived weight will vary depending on the seed money.
For someone with 2 million won in seed money, this mistake will be very painful.
But someone with a seed money of 1 billion won will not think much of it.
What if the seed money was 1 million won? This frustration would likely be irreparable.
The weight and impact of failure varies depending on the size of your assets.
This is the unfairness of trial and error.
--- p.261, from “Beware of the Folly of Stopping Because It’s Unfair”

In Finland, traffic fines are being introduced as a 'daily fine system'.
Unlike our country, where fines are not assessed based on the amount of the act, they are assessed based on the person's daily wage.
According to this standard, the case of a Finnish tycoon who was fined about 100 million won for speeding is very famous.
The reason Finland implements a daily fine system is in the same vein.
The purpose of fines is to create a sense of alarm, so to achieve that purpose, the amount of the 'alarm' is calculated differently for each person.
In other words, the poor are charged an amount that would make them feel alarmed by the standards of the poor, and the rich are charged an amount that would make them feel alarmed by the standards of the rich.
So the size of the fine is different, but the ratio is the same.
For example, a speeding violation is determined by the amount of money the offender receives for working for 40 days.
--- p.267, from “Beware of the Folly of Stopping Because It’s Unfair”

In fact, there is only one critical issue.
Not learning how to make money in the market in time.
If you had experienced financial difficulties due to not being able to make a profit at the one-person business stage, you would have been able to learn a lot at that stage.
Debts pile up as mistakes that should have been made in the early stages disappear with unexpected good fortune.
One of the things we must be most careful about as we try to learn through trial and error is the debt that luck creates.
At some point, this debt will consume your entire life.

--- p.293, from "Completing the Secondary Mind: Beware of Luck"