In "10,000 Hours of Play," Yu-kai Chou describes Sun Yat-sen as the ultimate example of 10K HP Alignment. He found his Game (liberating China), developed his Attributes (charisma, persistence, alliance-building), chose his Role (revolutionary leader), built his Skills (medicine, diplomacy, military strategy), formed his Alliances (from schoolmates to international supporters), and achieved his Quest — ending 2,000 years of imperial rule.

On January 1, 1912, Sun Yat-sen stood in the Great Hall of the Nanjing Presidential Palace and was inaugurated as the Provisional President of the Republic of China. He’d been elected 16-1 by representatives from China’s independent provinces. His first act was visiting the Ming emperors’ tombs — a symbol that the Manchu dynasty was finished.

The boy from Cuiheng village — the one who smashed an idol, got shipped to Hawaii by his brother, had his petition rejected, watched his best friend get executed, got kidnapped in London, and spent 16 years in exile — had toppled an empire.

He resigned 45 days later in favor of Yuan Shikai to prevent civil war, always putting China’s unity above personal power. The hall where he took his oath still stands today as the China Modern History Museum. Above the entrance hangs his calligraphy: “天下為公” — “All under heaven is for all.”

📖 Discover the full journey: 10,000 Hours of Play by Yu-kai Chou