No.0145：Growth Through Compounding - and the Loneliness It Brings
December 29,2025
Compounding is not a concept limited to money.
How we learn, how we work, how we keep our distance from others-these things accumulate quietly over time and eventually create significant differences. That said, such growth can sometimes make a person lonely.
 
The Snowball Called Compounding
Recently, the policy interest rate was raised to 0.75%, reportedly the highest level in 30 years. Savings have become slightly more attractive. That reminded me of an explanation I once heard that compared the power of compounding to a snowball. Interest earns interest, and that cycle repeats again and again. When this keeps going, the result can be astonishing. Here, I want to reflect on the power of this snowball effect.
 
Who Remains Valuable in the AI Era-and Who Doesn’t
Let’s start with academic background and workplace evaluation.
At times, you see highly educated employees falling behind those without elite academic credentials in the race for promotion. One illustrative, albeit somewhat extreme, example comes to mind.
 
A highly educated employee may follow instructions too faithfully, while someone without that background listens carefully but then asks, “Really? Wouldn’t this way be better?”-holding their own perspective. If these two compete in the same environment for two or three years, it’s not hard to imagine the latter pulling ahead.
 
This may stem from an excessive faith in exam techniques-the idea that you only score points by following instructions exactly. Rigid knowledge alone, I suspect, cannot beat sustained trial and error over the medium to long term. This is even more true now that AI is steadily eroding the value of simply “knowing things.” Doubting, taking interest, observing deeply-these qualities matter more than ever. And when they are fused with learned knowledge, they become formidable.
 
Exams have clear answers. Everyday problems often do not-or their correctness can only be judged much later.
 
When Tools Change, the Speed of Growth Changes 
Next, a story about gadgets I love.
In the past, if I wanted to learn something deeply, I had to go to a bookstore and buy a book. Now I search for a Kindle title on Amazon and finish with a single click. The time saved is enormous. If I want related information, I just click again. As a result, creating materials that combine multiple sources has become dramatically faster.
 
Add AI to the mix, and both speed and quality skyrocket. Sometimes I draft an entire blog post on my smartphone during a short break. When writing gets evaluated, motivation grows; when motivation grows, I adopt new tools and further accelerate efficiency. If this creative snowball keeps growing, I’d consider that a win.
 
When Growth Makes You Lonely
As this compounding effect improves personal efficiency, confidence naturally grows as well. At the same time, expectations of others rise-and that’s the trap. Slowness or mediocre quality can become irritating. This breeds resentment. Cooperation from others may dwindle. Instead of compounding, things begin to taper off.
 
Be Strict With Yourself, Kind to Others
-Sadaharu Oh
 
That’s how I want to be, but reality doesn’t always allow it. Deadlines, budgets, and competition make things complicated. As repeated trial and error broadens one’s perspective, a certain degree of loneliness is inevitable. In those moments, I strongly feel both the importance of tolerance and the necessity of speaking up-even if it invites resistance.
 
Otherwise, you risk becoming merely a “nice” but ultimately irrelevant person, incapable of fostering growth in others. So when I believe something benefits both myself and the other person, I want to communicate it-even if it means being disliked. However, when it benefits only the other person, leaving it alone may be the better choice, especially if we aren’t close. Anything more would be meddling.
 
When You Speak the Truth, You Hurt Those Around You
-Noboru Takeshita
 
Is my growth contributing to someone else’s growth as well?
Or has my snowball become something I’m rolling only for myself?