1

"It's just a matter of expression!"

This is what Confucius said. Of course it should be correct, but the problem is that Confucius also said something The meaning seems to be completely opposite: "Words without words will not go far."

The original meaning of "Ci" is "litigation speech", it also refers to "speech, words", taking into account "form" But thinking about meaning requires hard work and movement of the tongue. The key to precise speech in litigation is to avoid exaggeration when communicating with others. Just express what you want to say clearly - that's all! ——The saint is right.

Let’s look at another sentence of Confucius. The ancients called a Chinese character a word. Obviously “word” here refers to writing rather than speaking. It uses words to express and spread ideas, that is, writing article.

Tai Shigong said that Confucius "narrates without writing", "the ancestors recounted Yao and Shun, and the charter of civil and military affairs" was his "narration". What he recounted and inherited were ancient sage kings such as Yao and Shun, King Wen of Zhou, King Wu of Zhou, and Duke Zhou. The way of governance, Zhang Zai's so-called "continuing the unique learning for the past saints" also talks about this matter.

But Confucius is not completely "narrating without writing". "Spring and Autumn Annals" can be considered as Confucius's "writing". Confucius advocated "not writing", but "Spring and Autumn" is recognized as Confucius's work. , which made the old man feel very uneasy and sighed, "It is the Spring and Autumn Period that destroys me, and it is the Spring and Autumn Period that praises me."

In Confucius’ time, it was not fashionable for intellectuals to write articles (wen), but to teach (ci) with their mouths. Therefore, Confucius felt extremely uneasy about "cutting off the Spring and Autumn Period". He refused to admit that he had written it, and was only willing to admit that he had deleted part of it - "cutting off".

Coincidentally, Lao Tzu, another great sage who was as famous as Confucius in the Spring and Autumn Period, also insisted on refusing to do so. "A wise man is silent as well as a wise man" is his famous saying, to the effect that great wisdom cannot be expressed in words. To express it, what is spoken is not higher wisdom. It sounds like another Zen story about "holding a flower, smiling, and enlightening the heart with the heart", but in the end, when I was riding a green ox west out of Hangu Pass, I was coerced by Yin Xi, the governor of Guan, and wrote a five-thousand-word poem. "Tao Te Ching" was therefore ridiculed by Bai Juyi in a poem:

Those who speak are not as silent as those who know.

I heard this saying from Laojun.

If Tao Laojun is a wise man,

Why did he write five thousand articles?

Bai Juyi was just making a joke on me, but in fact I was really "obsessed", and it was probably not forced to write it down during the little time at Hangu Pass. It's not that he can't write it, it's just that he can't engrave it.

The "paper" in the Spring and Autumn Period was usually "bamboo slips" and "wooden rafts". Such "paper" could only be "engraved", which would make writing a time-consuming and laborious task. , writing is usually only used in major activities such as emperors and princes recording history and ancestral temple sacrifices. Folk activities should usually be passed on orally, that is, "shu". Including Confucius and Laozi's teachings on the spread of knowledge, the word "statement" is used instead of "written". There are probably not many moral factors in this, and it should be due to the constraints of conditions and the atmosphere. This is just a guess on my part.

Confucius said, "Words without words will not go far if they are deeds." The general idea is that articles written without literary grace cannot be spread far away. The method of spread is copying, which is secondarily passed down, and it mainly relies on word of mouth. , which requires both literary brilliance and rhythm, so that it can be easily sung by people. The Book of Songs, Han Yuefu, Tang poetry, and Song lyrics are actually lyrics that can be sung to music.

Cai Lun created cheap and high-quality paper, and Bi Sheng invented movable type printing. These two things improved the communication efficiency of text exponentially, and "writing" became a very low-cost and efficient thing. Gao Shi, novels became popular in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, which can also be regarded as the result of technological advances such as papermaking and printing.

If Laozi and Confucius were born in this era, I believe they would have written special works to spread their ideas. If you still stubbornly insist on "telling without saying anything", even if you shout at the top of your lungs, only a few people will be able to hear you.

But, is "literature" still important?

2

Of course it is important. Without the external gorgeous and glorious form, who would pay attention to that pile of paper? Attracting attention still depends on appearance. Literary color can be regarded as The appearance of thoughts is the same as that of beautiful women's makeup - what they look like is one thing, but how they are "painted" is also important. But makeup is not too much. Su Dongpo said: "If the West Lake is compared with the West, light makeup and heavy makeup are always more suitable." You must first be able to condense your thoughts into a beauty like "West Lake" or "Xizi". If you have the qualifications, it can be "lightly applied" or "heavily applied", no matter how you look at it, it is "suitable".

The chaos of "books" is becoming more and more charming. How many authors' ideas can withstand the "make-up removal"? How many of the best-selling works in the world are "handsome men and beautiful women" created by hype? Real beauty It is what "The Analects of Confucius" talks about as "it is always considered beautiful".

"The Analects of Confucius·Bayi No. 3" "Zi Xia asked: 'The clever smile is beautiful, the beautiful eyes are looking forward to it, and I always think it is gorgeous.' What does it mean? Confucius said: 'Painting is a matter of fact.' Said: "After the ceremony?" Confucius said: "It's time to start talking about the poem."

It's not that I couldn't help but think about "dropping the book bag". Addiction, this passage by Zixia has a profound impact on my writing attitude and aesthetic point of view.

The main idea of ??this passage is: the cute smiling face with dimples and beautiful eyes looking forward to life are all beautiful and gorgeous because of the white background.

Zixia asked Confucius what he was talking about when he said, "I have always thought of beauty."

Confucius said: The color of painting should come after white. White is the foundation, and only on this basis can we draw colorful and gorgeous paintings - this sentence can give people unlimited imagination.

Ten years ago, when I was working on a stamp album business, I went to Beijing to find a high-level design company and saw what the highest level of design is.

What I saw was a photo album designed in black and white, and an invitation, also in black and white. Just by changing the shades and light, I could create a solemn and holy feeling, and there was something deep in my heart. Coming up, I was in awe of these two works before me. I even feel that this is the sacred feeling of the marriage palace in my mind.

“Only true masters dare to use black and white design!”

The boss of the design company said. This sentence unintentionally points out the true meaning of "already considered brilliant".

Zixia realized from this "What is the end of etiquette?" "Etiquette" is just a ritual, it is the "brilliant" behind "prime", so it is called "ritual" in the world. The "prime" before the ceremony is the true nature of "ritual". Without its true nature, "ritual" becomes only a form, which is the "brilliant" behind "prime", so it is called "ritual" in the world. The "prime" before the ceremony is the true nature of "ritual". Without the true nature, "ritual" becomes only a formality, like a disguised beauty who cannot withstand the removal of costumes, and becomes a boring "virtual ritual" with red tape. .

Confucius was pleased with Zixia's enlightenment and praised the student for inspiring him as a teacher to talk about "Poetry" with him. "Poetry" was compiled by Confucius and became "The Book of Songs". It is the same text that "eyes are looking forward to" and "beautiful eyes are looking forward to" and "beautiful things are always considered beautiful" in the hearts of literati throughout the ages.

Not everyone is qualified to talk about it. Only when you have a pure background in your heart can you be qualified to comment on the splendid and authentic beauty of "The Book of Songs".

3

Most of our generation grew up in reading. Reading has accompanied me through my ignorant childhood, youth, and youth, and it is destined to run through my life and career. , accompanied me into the quiet and deep middle age like an empty valley and a quiet spring, and returned to the old age as warm and calm as the sunset... But unfortunately, it is no longer an era of words. Every time on the way home, in the waiting room, in the car, among the many people with their heads down playing with their mobile phones, it is difficult to find someone who is reading with their heads down like me. In the vast sea of ??people, I seem to be a lonely person. Walker.

When writing a book on management becomes a distraction from your true career, when reading and writing a book becomes something that requires careful discussion and consideration of the impact, you will feel a little more lonely in your loneliness... …

I went home early in the morning a few days ago and was waiting for the train at the train station. I accidentally met a girl who was reading with her head down like me. A half-dozen old men who were studying were surprised to see a child who was studying. He was relieved. There was a trace of irrepressible sadness in it. It has been many years since I saw bookstalls selling books in train stations and bus stations. This is the end of an era. Before the curtain falls, another era has already begun...

Two years ago In a stamp signing event, some friends from the literary and art circles are invited to join in. Calligraphers and painters can also write and paint at the event, adding color and popularity to the event. Writer friends are embarrassed. They want to join in, but they have no ability, and they want to buy something, but they don’t have the money. , in the bustling event scene, unable to express one's own voice, unable to find one's own place - this is also the real situation of literature, writing and even literati at the moment.

Even the dignity of "wearing a long gown and standing drinking" has been stripped away.

I first heard the term "image reading era" more than ten years ago when I was working on a cultural project with the Propaganda Department. Under the impact of the commodity boom, and with the rapid rise of the advertising industry, the "graphic era" "Advertising" and "Outdoor Advertising" are like spring after the rain and surging like wind and clouds. It seems that we have really reached the "image reading era" where pictures have to replace words. Words start from pictograms and then return to "images". Ten Thousand The great cycle of the year is not perfect but it is also complete. But this is just a small "flashback". There is no "image reading era" at all. The new media era is coming...

4

People today basically If you don't read a book for a year, you can't say you are uneducated. If anyone is picked out from the crowd and "travels" back to the Spring and Autumn Period, he will probably know more than Confucius.

It is said that the questions of IQ tests need to be updated every ten years, because after decades of changes in times and social progress, even people with moderate IQs can score more than 120 points when tested with the questions of that year. "High IQ". In other words, people's ideological cognition will be upgraded as a whole with the progress of society, and of course those who do not study will be included in the whole.

Reading is no longer the only way to acquire knowledge and understand the world. It is not even the most used one. A few decades ago it was television, and in recent years it is smartphones, text, pictures, and videos. , audio... everything is available on this network, satisfying all aspects of human vision, hearing, and senses in a 360-degree manner without any blind spots. Yes, it is satisfying.

This kind of experience is far from comparable to "words and words", but I am still as unwilling as words. I can do without literature, but I cannot do without thoughts, as Socrates said "The unexamined life is not worth living", I am still willing to be like my master Confucius who "knows the Tao in the morning and dies in the evening", and "knows what cannot be done and does it".

The Internet is indeed the best "system" for learning and obtaining information. I can't even use words like "channel" to describe the wireless Internet integrated network. This is an extremely huge and extremely fast and convenient network. Integrating the system, I have not used a dictionary to look up new words for more than ten years. I have been using my smartphone to write on blogs and QQ space for more than five years. I recently opened my own WeChat public account... Don’t shake your head because everyone is playing with their mobile phones. Sigh, this is the tide of the times and no one can resist it.

Wu Xiaobo, the famous financial writer who wrote "Big Trends", has also turned around and started the "Wu Xiaobo Channel". I am just an unknown person who has published a booklet of management essays. I have neither He has talent to guard the line of defense in words, but he has no good looks and charm to attract fans and become a new media internet celebrity. Luo Zhenyu's "Luoji Thinking" can turn an audio "obtaining" platform into a knowledge integration service platform that brings together many famous people. I have been listening to it every day for three years. I can't learn more with my ears than with my eyes. less.

Sometimes when I think about it, I wonder if there is any value left in words. Words are like homesickness. When I am passing through middle age, my concern for words is like a fallen leaf returning to its roots.

In the early summer of this year, Han Yong from Shandong Province came from thousands of miles away with a book in his arms. He comforted me that "I left my hometown when I reached middle age." There are seven and a half books in which he explains eight Chinese classics.

"I just liked you in the past, but now I start to admire you..."

When I said this to him, there was a trace of "things harm their own kind" that passed through my heart. Bitter, I myself also read and write such articles about classics of thought and life wisdom. I am not loyal to the original authors. I am reading them and writing about myself. Is this the legendary "Six Classics Annotated Me"?

How many people alive are willing to praise and reward someone who is so persistent in digging into the pile of old papers to "check out ghost books"? Most of the thousand copies printed at my own expense will not be sold back, so there is nothing to be ashamed of. I can also think that it is because I have too deep thoughts and high ambitions, and use "highbrow" to make myself look good.

Reading classics is based on the pursuit of truth, while writing articles and publishing books is done with the intention of martyrdom.

November 18th this year is the fiftieth anniversary of my birth. If I catch up on it, maybe it can be used as a birthday gift to myself. The last article "The Use of the Mean" is still one year away. Halfway through, the prologue can’t wait to be released first and “finished”.

In the past, speaking was about "expressiveness and eloquence", but now it has become the principle for writing articles, especially articles about thoughts and life. No matter how beautiful the text is, it cannot compete with the temptation of audio and visual. It is better to give up some glitz and focus on settling some weight of thoughts. In this increasingly fragmented era, it is increasingly difficult for complete and systematic thoughts to find space for display.

Confucius can illuminate the eternal night of human civilization like the sun. I am just a dim star like a firefly. With my faint light of humanity that lights up and goes out, I warm the confused eyes of some who are destined to meet each other.

When the prosperity ends and the tide recedes, the most real thing is the stones crawling silently on the beach. Therefore, I will name this collection "The Collection", which is the preface.

On the evening of September 29, 2018, before going to bed in He Chou Xiaoshe, Dongsheng Weijia Apartment, Ordos