Understanding this sentence should be combined with the background of the times. All the emperors in the Song Dynasty adopted the policy of "emphasizing literature over martial arts" and implemented the strategy of governing the army with literature. When Song Taizu was in power, he used Confucianism and ministers, and declared that "the prime minister needed scholars", and a large number of civil servants were in power. In addition, attention was paid to the selection of scholars in the imperial examination at that time. "Everything is inferior, only reading is high."
At that time, it seemed to be the firm belief of the people at that time, especially the poor. According to legend, the source of the original words is "prodigy poetry". It means that in ancient times, only reading can honor ancestors, and everything else is inferior, so reading can win fame and fortune. In fact, under the background of the times at that time, this sentence was indeed a portrayal of the world at that time.
As we all know, the Song government treated the literati to the highest degree in the history of China. Because the Song Dynasty attached great importance to the quality of candidates, education was also supported by the government. Song Taizu once asked his grandson never to kill the literati, and the status of the literati in the Song Dynasty was promoted unprecedentedly. The ethos of valuing literature over martial arts reached its peak in the Song Dynasty. "A good iron does not nail, a good man does not serve as a soldier" and "Zhu Zigui is a well-read man.
This was a sentence that feudal rulers encouraged literati to gain fame and fortune. At that time, "scholars, agriculture, industry and commerce" and "scholars" were the first of the "four people". Scholars specialize in reading, and they are the reserve team of bureaucrats. The best way to get high salary and honor is to study. At that time, the imperial examination system made a large number of poor literati become literati class, made the government and society have close ties, and opened the channel for civilians to be officials.
By the Song Dynasty, intellectuals who entered the official position through the imperial examination had gained a comprehensive dominant position in politics, economy, law and culture, and also had many privileges in law. As a result, the public regards the promotion of officials as the primary goal of reading, and the society has also derived the fashion of "everything is inferior, only reading is high". ?
Yes, how many people have become famous and praised by the world since ancient times, and how many countries that advocate reading are famous for reading? We know that Jews are the smartest people in the world. Why are they so smart? I think it has something to do with their education. They taught their children from an early age that books are sweet. Why do they love books so much?
Of course, a book beyond reproach is good. It brings us the most precious "wealth", and reading can improve people's literacy, morality and thought. There is a saying in Zeng Xian Wen that "there are fields that don't plow, and there are books that don't read." The granary is empty and the years are short, and the children and grandchildren are stupid and polite. "Of course, since ancient times, many people have been lonely because of the idea that' everything is inferior, only reading is high'.
Just like scholars represented by Jin Fan and Kong Yiji. For many years, this reading thought has been deeply imprinted in our minds and engraved in our hearts. Especially the elders of the older generation, taught us to study hard and make progress every day from an early age. Only reading will have a way out. You see how many families, especially children from poor families, don't study hard. People say, "It is an honor for the whole family to join the army."
Similarly, the appearance of a scholar or college student in some poor mountain villages is also a celebration in the village and the envy of neighboring villages. In recent years, we can also see many news reports that "some college students take care of their mothers all night while studying", 16 girls go to school blindly, hoping to change their lives through study "and so on. ?
Reading is good for us, but as Grandma Bing Xin said, "Study hard, study hard, study hard." In that case, you should study better, especially don't study hard. We should use it flexibly, which is the way to success in reading.
Extended data
"Everything is inferior, only reading is high" was written by Wang Zhu, a prodigy in the Song Dynasty. This poem is very long, and the first few sentences are as follows:
The son of heaven values heroes and heroes, and the article teaches two Cao.
Nothing, but reading is high.
Children must study hard so that the article can stand on its own feet.
Zhu Zigui is full of scholars.
Zhao Kuangyin Chen Qiao mutiny, yellow robe, the establishment of the Song Dynasty. Because of this, Song Taizu, who gained power through mutiny, has always had a bad feeling towards military generals. After he released the soldiers with a glass of wine, he has been implementing the national policy of valuing literature over martial arts, making the military commanders in the Song Dynasty the most aggrieved military commanders in all previous dynasties. Scholars in Song Dynasty continued the glory of Tang Dynasty and wrote many touching poems.
The widespread popularity of the phrase "everything is inferior, only reading is high" also reflected the social atmosphere at that time.
The salaries of officials in the Song Dynasty were generally higher, and the treatment of civil servants was even higher than that of military commanders. At that time, civil servants were very rich and carefree, and they could be very comfortable and chic. Ouyang Xiu's famous Preface to Drunk Pavilion was written by him taking officials to the suburbs to play.
This "article can stand on its own feet" means that as long as the article is well written, you don't have to worry about your livelihood. Being an official in the Song Dynasty is like being a civil servant in modern times. As long as you don't make a big mistake, it's just like being in a safe. The state takes care of your life, illness and death. At that time, Wang Anshi had a difficult political reform and was criticized because he touched the cheese of officials. Of course, officials should unite and fight him together!
If you don't know the background of this poem, it's easy to be misled.
The basic theme of the whole poem is "We must take scholars as prime ministers." In today's words, study hard, as long as you are admitted to the civil service, you will be king and enjoy a carefree life.
Taking reading as a means to get a good job is far from the truth, let alone a universal truth.
After the Song Dynasty, being an official did not have such a high salary, but after being admitted to fame and became an official, scholars gained some power. Some of them became corrupt officials. Therefore, it seems to be a trend that there are many corrupt officials in Ming and Qing Dynasties.
However, people's misunderstanding of this sentence continues to this day. Now this sentence, on the one hand, has become a famous saying to encourage scholars to study hard; On the other hand, it has also become the spoken language of some self-righteous scholars.
In order to let their children "study hard", many modern parents say to their children, "Don't worry about things at home, just study hard." It seems that as long as children read good books, they are not inferior. If he can be superior, everything will be fine. This kind of education has trained a lot of nerds who are superior but ungrateful.
It's not the Song Dynasty now. In modern times, there are many universities and scholars. It is no longer effective to be an official by reading.
Those nerds who only know how to study, graduating from college means losing their jobs, or barely getting wages worse than those of migrant workers. The huge psychological gap has become a pain in the hearts of these scholars. They can't even guarantee their own quality of life, how can they benefit others?
"Everything is inferior, only reading is high" is not true in itself. If you regard what is not truth as truth, you will naturally suffer.
All laws are equal, and there is no distinction between high and low; As long as it appears, it has its own magical function.
Whether a person is top grade or bottom grade has little to do with how many books he has read. Man's quality is determined by his contribution to society. The greater the positive contribution to society, the higher the quality of people.
All kinds of color methods are inferior, and only good character is high.
Reading, if it is for the benefit of all beings, will improve people's quality; Reading, if it is for personal benefit, will narrow the pattern of people. In the final analysis, reading is just a tool, and how to use it depends on people's intentions.