The purpose of seeking knowledge is to make a little contribution to society.
Mark Twain once said: "There were two strange people in the19th century, one was Napoleon and the other was Helen Keller." I recently read a book about Helen-If you give me three days of light. After reading this book, my heart was deeply shocked by Helen's spirit!
Helen said in the book: "Knowledge gives people love, light and wisdom. It should be said that knowledge is happiness, because with knowledge, we will feel the pulse of human activities in history, otherwise we will not understand the music of human life! " . Indeed, the power of knowledge is infinite, and it is knowledge that makes Helen create these miracles on earth!
Helen is unlucky, but she is lucky. It is because of her knowledge that she is so lucky. After she lost sight and hearing 19 months, she lost communication and contact with the world. This young life doesn't know how to dispel the isolation. She was eccentric and rude until her Sullivan teacher came into her life and taught her to read, which opened her eyes and made her communicate with others. As soon as lonely Helen came into contact with knowledge, she realized that only knowledge could pave a road to light. When Helen realized the first word she knew, she began to have a strong desire for knowledge and the world, and began to read and read hungrily, drawing knowledge from life itself like a sponge. Her thirst for knowledge enabled her to learn many languages, such as German, Latin and French. In the monotony and boredom that ordinary people can't imagine, I read many literary and philosophical masterpieces and absorbed the ideological essence of those great men and wise men. She compared learning to climbing a strange mountain and a dangerous peak, falling down and getting up again. Every time she makes a little progress, she is encouraged to see the wider world gradually until the bright clouds, the depths of the blue sky and the peak of hope! This knowledge, like a rainbow, lights up the lamp in Helen's heart, illuminates her inner world and builds a bridge between Helen and the world!
In the book, Helen describes the natural scenery with delicate brushwork, which makes it hard to believe that it was written by a blind and deaf person; She went horseback riding, boating, swimming, sledding and even boating alone on a moonlit night to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the lotus pond under the moon. She visited museums, "listened" to concerts and even "enjoyed" operas ... I believe she must feel the world with her heart and enjoy life with her heart. She lives a happier, fuller and more meaningful life than us normal people! It is knowledge that gives her the courage to live, and it is knowledge that gives her the strength to accept the challenges of life, so that she can face difficulties with amazing perseverance and finally find the light of life in the dark. It is knowledge that gives her a new belief: although the realistic environment is terrible, human beings should hold hope and continue to struggle. What is the meaning and value of life? Man's life is short. We never seem to think or dare to imagine the future world. We live and work lazily every day. When we are in trouble, we complain about the injustice of heaven. In this way, year after year, day after day, time flies like water, and the past days will not reappear. When we look back, is it worth nostalgia? Is it memorable? If each of us lights the lamp in our hearts with knowledge, I believe the world will be bright!
Helen explained the meaning of life with her hard and happy life. Her life is a miracle of mankind, and her autobiography makes me feel ashamed and alert.
In this world, why do only deaf people cherish the restored hearing? Only the blind will cherish the happiness of seeing the light of day? Let's cherish every day of our lives, enrich our lives and enjoy them! Helen said: "The purpose of my efforts to acquire knowledge is to make a little contribution to society."
How powerful knowledge is, it can turn a disabled person into a person who is beneficial to human beings and society. If each of us can, like Helen Keller, regard the thirst for knowledge as the pursuit of life in our lifetime, and lead a friendly, energetic and eager life with this pursuit, how much joy and happiness will our life add!
Helen's life is a life of living in darkness, but it brings light to mankind. She proved the courage of human beings to overcome life with actions, leaving the world an unforgettable song of life!
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If you give me three days of light (excerpt)
The first day (1)
Author: Helen Keller
On this day, I will take a quick look at the world, past and present. I want to see the miracle of human progress, the endless changes over thousands of years. How can you compress it into one day after so many years? Through the museum, of course.
On the second day with vision, I will get up at dawn and watch the night turn into a moving miracle during the day. I will look up at the magnificent panorama of dawn with awe, and at the same time, the sun wakes up the sleeping earth.
On this day, I will take a quick look at the world, past and present. I want to see the miracle of human progress, the endless changes over thousands of years. How can you compress it into one day after so many years? Through the museum, of course. I often visit the new york Museum of Natural History and touch many exhibits there with my hands, but I am eager to see with my own eyes the brief history of the earth and its residents-animals and humans depicted according to the natural environment, huge dinosaur fossils and saber-toothed elephants, which roamed the earth long before human beings appeared, and conquered the animal kingdom with their short stature and powerful brains; The museum also vividly introduces the development of animals, humans and labor tools. Humans use these tools to create a safe and reliable home for themselves on this planet. The museum also introduces countless other aspects of natural history.
I don't know how many readers of this article have seen all kinds of living animals depicted in that attractive museum. Of course, many people don't have this opportunity, but I believe that many people who have the opportunity don't make good use of it. There is really a good place to use your eyes. You can spend many meaningful days there with your eyesight, but I can only catch a glimpse of it with my imaginary three-day eyesight.
My next stop will be the Capital Art Museum, because just as the Natural History Museum shows the material face of the world, the Capital Art Museum shows countless aspects of the human spirit. Throughout human history, human beings' strong desire for artistic expression is almost as urgent as treating food, hiding place and reproducing offspring. Here, in the huge exhibition hall of the Capital Art Museum, the spirits of Egypt, Greece and Rome are displayed in their art and presented to me.
I clearly know the gods and goddesses of ancient Nile countries through my hands. I touched the replica in the Parthenon and felt the beauty of the rhythm of the Athens stormtroopers. Apollo, Venus, and Samorius, the god of victory with wings, all make me fondle admiringly. Homer's bearded face is extremely precious to me, because he also knows what blindness is. My hand doesn't want to miss the realistic marble carving in Rome and later period. My hand once touched Michelangelo's moving and heroic stone statue of Moses. I feel the power of Rodin, and I am in awe of the Goths' love for woodcut. These touchable works of art mean a lot to me. However, they are not so much for people to touch as for people to watch. I can only guess the beauty that I can't see. I can appreciate the simple lines of the Greek vase, but I can't see its patterns and decorations.
So, on this day, give me a bright second day, I want to find the human soul through art, and I want to see what I know through touch. Even better, the whole magnificent painting world will be open to me, from early Italian art with quiet religious color to modernist art with crazy style. I will carefully observe the oil paintings of Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, Titian and Rembrandt. I want to appreciate the warm colors of Villone Sa, study the mystery of Al grieco, and re-observe nature from Koro's paintings. Ah, you people with eyes can appreciate such rich meaning and beauty in the art of past dynasties! During my short visit to this art hall, I couldn't comment on the great art world before me at all. I only got a superficial impression. The artist told me that in order to achieve profound and true artistic appreciation, we must train our eyes. People must learn from experience to judge the quality of lines, composition, form and color. How happy I would be if I had the vision to engage in such fascinating research! However, I heard that for many people with vision, the art world is still a world to be further explored.
I reluctantly left the Capital Art Museum, where the key to beauty was hidden. However, people who can see often don't need to go to the Capital Art Museum to find the key to beauty. The same key is still waiting on the shelves of smaller museums and even small libraries. However, in the limited visual time in my imagination, I have to choose a key to open the place with the greatest treasure in the shortest time.
On the second night of seeing the light again, I will spend it in the theater or cinema. Even now, I often participate in various performances in the theater, but the plot must be spelled out by my partner. However, how I want to see Hamlet's charming style with my own eyes, or Falstaff, who wears colorful Elizabethan costumes! How I want to see Hamlet's graceful movements and energetic Falstaff's strutting! Because I can only watch one play, which makes me feel embarrassed, because there are dozens of plays I want to watch.
You have vision and can see any scene you like. When you watch a play, a movie or any scene, I don't know how many people know and appreciate the visual miracle that allows you to enjoy its color, beauty and action. Because I live in a range limited to touch, I can't enjoy the beauty of rhythm. But I can only vaguely imagine the beauty of a chin, although I know a little rhythmic pleasure, because I can often feel the beat of music when it vibrates the floor. I can totally imagine that rhythmic exercise must be the most pleasant sight in the world. I can infer several points by touching the lines of the marble statue with my fingers. If this static beauty can be so lovely, the dynamic beauty you see must be more exciting. One of my most precious memories is that Yue Se Jefferson asked me to touch his face and hands while he was talking and performing his beloved rib Van Wink.
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The next day (2)
I can experience a little drama world, and I will never forget the happiness of that moment. However, how eager I am to watch and listen to the interaction between dialogue and action in the process of drama performance! And how much happiness can be seen from it! If I can only watch one play, I will know how to describe the plots of nearly 100 plays I have read or studied in Braille letters in my mind. So, on my fictional second night of seeing the light again, I didn't sleep well and enjoyed drama literature all night.
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The third day (3)
Today, I will spend my time in the current daily world and go to places frequented by people who are busy with their lives. Where can I find so many activities and situations like new york? So this city became my destination.
The next morning, I will greet the dawn again, eager to find new happiness, because I believe that for those who can really see, the dawn of every day must be a new beauty that will be repeated forever. According to the deadline of my imaginary miracle, this will be the third and last day I can see. I won't have time to spend on regrets and desires, because there are too many things to see. On the first day, I dedicated myself to my friends, both alive and lifeless. The next day, I saw the history of human and nature. Today, I will spend my time in the current daily world and go to places frequented by people who are busy with their lives. Where can I find so many activities and situations like new york? So this city became my destination.
I started from my home, a quiet little suburb of Frost, Long Island. Here, surrounded by green grass, green trees and flowers, there are neat little houses, full of happy voices and activities of women and children, very happy, and it is a quiet rest place for working people in the city. I drove across the steel belt bridge across the East River and got a brand-new impression of the strength and originality of the human brain. Busy boats rattle and rush in the river-fast boats, slow, snorting tugboats. If I can see one day in the future, I will spend a lot of time watching the cheerful scenery in this river. I looked ahead, and in front of me stood new york, a strange tall building, located in a city that seemed to have stepped down from myth. What a great building! These splendid church spires, these huge stone and steel banks and slopes-it's really like God built them for himself. This vivid picture is part of the daily life of millions of people. I wonder, how many people will look back? Very few, I'm afraid. They turned a blind eye to the magnificent scenery because it was all too familiar to them.
I hurried to the top of the Empire State Building, which is a huge building, because not long ago, I looked down at the city with my secretary's eyes, and I was eager to compare my imagination with reality. I believe that all the scenery displayed in front of me will not let me down, because it will be the scenery of another world for me. At this time, I began to travel around the city. First of all, I stood on a busy street corner, just looking at people and trying to understand their lives by observing them. Seeing their smiles, I feel happy; I am proud to see their serious decision; Seeing their pain, I can't help feeling sympathy.
I walk along Fifth Avenue. I look around, my eyes are not on a specific goal, but only on a kaleidoscope of colorful scenes. I'm sure that the color of women's clothes moving in the crowd must be a gorgeous scenery, which will never bore me. However, if I have vision, I may be like most other women-interested in the fashion style of personal clothes and not paying much attention to a lot of bright colors. Moreover, I'm sure I'll become a window customer with a habit that can't be changed, because it must be a pleasure to watch these countless beautiful exhibits.
Starting from Fifth Avenue, I will travel around the city-to Park Avenue, to slums, to factories, to parks where children play, and I will also visit foreign residential areas and make an overseas trip without going out. I always look at all the happy and painful scenes with my eyes wide open, so that I can investigate deeply and learn more about how people work and live.
My heart is full of images of people and things. My eyes never let go of a little thing easily. It tries to pay close attention to everything it sees. Some scenes are pleasant and intoxicating; But some are extremely sad and sad. For the latter, I will never close my eyes, because they are also a part of life. To close your eyes in front of them is to close your heart and mind.
The third day I can see is coming to an end. Maybe there are many important and serious things that I need to see and do in the remaining hours. However, I am afraid that on the last night, I will go to the theater again to watch a lively and interesting drama and appreciate the homophonic sounds in the human mind.
At midnight, my brief moment of getting rid of the plight of the blind ended, and the eternal night approached me again. In those short three days, I naturally couldn't see everything I wanted to see. Only when the darkness came to me again did I feel how much I had left behind. However, my heart is full of sweet memories, which leaves me little time to regret. After that, I touched everything, and my memory will clearly reflect the appearance of that item.
My brief description of how to spend these three days of seeing again may not be consistent with the arrangements you made for yourself when you knew you were going blind. However, I believe that if you really face that kind of bad luck, your eyes will try to focus on things you have never seen before and store them in your memory for the long night ahead. You will make better use of your eyes than before. Everything you see is so precious to you that your eyes will see everything that appears in your sight. Then, you will really see a beautiful world unfold before you.
Blind I can give a hint to those who can see-a piece of advice to those who can make full use of their natural eyesight: make good use of your eyes as if you would be blind tomorrow. The same method can also be applied to other senses. Listen to the beauty of music, listen to the songs of birds, and listen to the powerful tunes of the orchestra, as if you will be deaf tomorrow. Touch whatever you want, as if your touch will decline tomorrow. Smell the fragrance of all the flowers and taste every mouthful, as if you can't smell or taste it tomorrow. Make full use of every sense, and be proud of all the pleasant and beautiful details that the world has shown you through several means of contact endowed by nature! However, among all the senses, I believe that vision must be the most pleasing to the eye.