Sample Essay 1 after reading Zeng Guofan’s Family Instructions
At the end of the Qing Dynasty, the warships of the great powers were already wandering along the coast of our country, and the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom movement also rushed towards the Qing government in waves. Opium and Corrupt politics brought the once glorious Qing Empire to a precarious situation. The general situation is over and the heavy weight of the country's demise has gradually crept into the hearts of the world. In the midst of this gloomy situation, a bright light suddenly appeared in the sky. It flashed brightly and quickly, giving people at that time a glimmer of hope and also surprising people. This light was Zeng Guofan.
Zeng Guofan was an important historical figure in modern Chinese history. He was known as the "first famous official" in the late Qing Dynasty. Later generations praised him as "a perfect man through the ages" and a "model officialdom". He rectified political affairs. He advocated Western learning and initiated the "Tongzhi ZTE", which allowed the Qing Dynasty to prolong its collapse for another 60 years. No one can imitate his achievements, and his works and thoughts have also had a profound influence and benefited future generations. Cultivate oneself, manage one's family, govern the country, and bring peace to the world. Zeng Guofan is a famous figure in modern China. He is one of the main idols worshiped by many people from officials in the Qing Dynasty to modern times. Mao Zedong once said in his youth: "If you are stupid than your neighbors, you will only obey Zeng Wenzheng." This shows the great influence of Zeng Guofan.
In a letter written by Zeng Guofan to his son, he said: "Every masterpiece written by a famous artist must have a look, a look, which is completely different from others. From now on, when you read ancient texts and poems, you must first recognize them. After looking at the appearance, you will be able to distinguish the path after a long time. Nowadays, when people point out that someone learns from a certain school, they usually hear it from hearsay and hold on to the candle. A gentleman is more important than knowing himself and does not need to follow what others say. "Zeng Guofan taught his son Zeng Jize to dare to stick to his own opinions when studying. This passage tells the key to reading: dare to stick to your own opinions. Confucius said, "Learning without thinking is nothing." Reading without thinking is equivalent to not reading. When we are reading, or when we are guiding our children to read, we must also learn and teach our children to think independently and have their own opinions.
How to think when reading so as not to take detours? On the one hand, we must strengthen our own knowledge accumulation so that we have enough data and information to support our ideas before asking questions; on the other hand, we must read with questions and do not understand if we find something we do not understand. Pretend to understand, but boldly bring it up for discussion and clarify the truth through communication.
It is better not to read books than to believe them all.