Title: Independence, the foundation of survival

Hu Shi said in his speech at Peking University that you must fight for independence, not freedom. He said that freedom is for external constraints...Independence is your own business. If you are not independent if you are given freedom, you will still be a slave. To be independent, you must not blindly obey, not be deceived, not rely on the family, and not rely on others...This It’s the independent spirit.

There are often children in the rebellious period of youth who loudly declare that they want to achieve independence in life and pursue the so-called personal freedom. But what is independence? Can it be called independence simply by being free from the constraints of others and going one's own way without being restrained? Regarding reality, there is a popular saying: "The ideal is very plump, but the reality is very skinny." It is indeed the case. Reality is a vicious thorn that stings the buds waiting to be released, destroys the wonderful dreams, and festers. There is no place for ideals. We can't change the world, we can only live with it. No matter how skinny reality is, we must be as realistic as possible. This first requires us to have a minimum and clear understanding of reality.

In fact, independence is not the same as freedom. Independence is not a willful behavior that breaks away from the control of parents. Independence is not the legendary walk across the world alone with a sword. Independence is not a willful act like talking on paper. Independence is not as free and unrestrained, as carefree, and as relaxed as imagined. Independence comes at a cost. Striving for independence is the prerequisite for striving for freedom. Independence means self-improvement. Only by having the ability will you not be too deeply bound by reality; independence is the foundation of survival. Today's freedom can only be relative freedom, and only those with capital are qualified to talk about freedom. This capital undoubtedly comes from independence. The pursuit of freedom is also a life goal and a motivation for struggle. The two complement each other.

Only by being self-reliant and self-reliant can we win dignity and rights. This is true for a country, a nation, and a person! You must take your destiny into your own hands at all times. There is an old saying in China: "Do it yourself and you will have enough food and clothing."

Marie Curie once said that the road must be walked by yourself to get wider and wider. Only by knowing how to be independent can you become self-reliant. People who know how to be independent are undoubtedly people with a strong heart. People who know how to be independent are often the most perseverant in the mud of struggle, because from the moment they choose to be independent, they have given themselves unlimited perseverance. Reason gives you the opportunity to achieve yourself and the courage to survive.

Liu Bei during the Three Kingdoms period can be regarded as a generation of heroes. He spent his life conquering the east and the south, galloping around, from selling shoes and weaving mats for a living to becoming the emperor of the Shu Han Dynasty. But his son Liu Chan was a fatuous and incompetent person, and became the "Adou who cannot be supported." During the Three Kingdoms period, another prodigy, Zhou Yu, was resourceful, but his son Zhou Yin was granted a title without merit and relied on his father's merit. Li Shimin, Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, indulged in self-indulgence and political affairs, and was later exiled to Luling County. He was a man of great talent and strategy, and was the best among Chinese emperors. However, none of his 14 sons succeeded, three were killed, and three committed suicide. Three mornings, one was imprisoned. Two were exiled, and the other two were mediocre, incompetent and confused. Kou Zhun, the famous Prime Minister of the Northern Song Dynasty, his descendants relied on the merits of their ancestors and could not stand on their own. Within 30 years, the family declined and they became common people...

The phenomenon of "tiger father and dog son" enumerated by Xiao Sheng illustrates this truth: If you don't seek self-reliance and self-improvement, and blindly rely on the protection of your ancestors, you will never achieve anything.

Independence is a kind of self-reliance, and self-confidence is the primary condition for achieving independence. People who can realize independence are often people who can see the world clearly and believe in their own abilities. They understand that the person who should rely on the most in the world is themselves, and only by believing in themselves can they better achieve independence. The American poet Whitman once said that confidence is the antiseptic of the soul. A confident person will not look at his footprints yesterday and feel sad and regretful. He will not look at his footprints today and sigh with inferiority. He will not lose hope and courage in the face of the future. A confident person is a truly independent person who is open-minded and calm in the face of temptation, unwavering in the face of fame and fortune, and holds his head high in the face of power.

The future is unpredictable. Only by facing the past with the least regret, the present with the least waste, and the future with the most self-confidence and self-reliance is the wisest life.