Thought is the source of the consequences of all actions, and it deserves attention at any time.
However, many times, even if we know a lot of truth or have some ideas, it is difficult to really have a positive impact on ourselves, and even some thinkers can't do it themselves. Does this "inconsistency between knowing and doing" still make sense?
Of course it makes sense. When we say that even if a person has an idea, he doesn't practice it himself. In fact, the real situation is that the party concerned still has a set of hidden ideas that affect his life unconsciously. So he has at least two ideological systems, one in name and the other in practice. These two sets of thoughts restrict his real life.
When a person's life is guided by at least two sets of ideological systems, it is inevitable that there will be different performances. Does this still make sense? The answer is yes.
Like Freud's three elements of personality structure: id, ego and superego, a person's nominal belief is like "superego", which is me in his ideal situation and the upper limit of a person's ideological level, which is difficult to reach; The set of thoughts that actually work, like the self, is the real me, stronger than the original id, but it has not yet reached the superego, and will continue to improve and get closer to the superego with age.
In fact, the set of thoughts that have not yet worked plays such a role: criticizing reality, putting pressure on another set of thoughts that have already worked, and causing anxiety. This is also a possibility of reflection in a sense, which may cause self-change at a certain moment.
"Unity of knowledge and action" is the truth that everyone wants to pursue, but few people do it.
Some people think that what is said and done is the unity of knowledge and action, but it is not. In essence, the unity of knowing and doing means sincerely treating the truth that is regarded as the golden rule. The real "knowledge" is to practice and act according to the truth you believe, not just talk but not practice. Knowing is the beginning of doing, and doing is the achievement of knowing.
So what can be done to achieve the unity of knowledge and action?
First, study. Learning and learning are two processes. Learning refers to inputting new knowledge and establishing initial connections among brain neurons. There are 86 billion neurons in the human brain, all of which are randomly connected, but one of the rules of neuronal connection is that as long as you keep repeating, it will gradually establish a fixed connection from an accidental connection. The more times this connection is repeated, the more stable the connection will be. When encountering a certain situation, a neuron or a group of neurons can immediately establish a connection with another neuron or a group of neurons. The stronger this connection is, the stronger its ability to inhibit other neurons, and the more it has a "privileged cognition"-taking the lead. The initial connection of neurons is learning, and the process of solidification of this connection is learning. The reality is that many people think that learning is not real learning, but learning and lack of learning process. Confucian classics have always attached great importance to learning, such as the Analects of Confucius, which says that "learning from time to time is not a pleasure", and Wang Yangming's Biography.
Again, believe it. We can know a lot of knowledge or truth by heart, but we don't have real practice because we don't believe it and regard it as nonsense. For example, does that person not know that smoking is harmful to health? But smokers don't believe it, think it's no big deal, and go their own way. If someone tells him a true story that "smoking is harmful to health", it's better to happen around him, or when he faces health problems, he will surely realize the seriousness of the problem, start thinking about his health and start quitting smoking.
Finally, be sincere. Treat everything around you with an extremely sincere and even serious attitude, and treat everything around you with critical thinking. Confucius said, "Knowing is knowing, not knowing is not knowing, but knowing." Face your true self and get rid of all colored glasses. Authority is the authority in a specific period, but with the development of the times and the change of the environment, it is likely that authority is no longer an authority. Shu Fenlai, a disciple of Wang Yangming, asked the teacher to write a motto for himself, which was a passage about self-cultivation in Mencius. This seems to be a normal and reasonable request, but in the middle of writing, Wang Yangming suddenly put down his pen and said to the disciples present: "Shu Fen has won the top prize in the senior high school entrance examination. Don't you know the truth of self-cultivation and need a motto to remind yourself at all times? " Hearing this, the children broke out in a cold sweat. Looking at everything with critical thinking and sincere views is an indispensable way to gain true knowledge.
The primary purpose of reading is understanding, and the ultimate purpose of understanding is the unity of knowing and doing. Many of us already know a lot of truth, but we still can't reach the realm of unity of knowledge and action. This is normal, at least those truths can play a self-guiding role. It is important to study and study persistently, believe in the power of knowledge, and treat everything sincerely and even seriously. Look at yourself and work hard on things.