Gu Yanwu said that those who protect the world are inferior to ordinary people.

The phrase "everyone is responsible for the rise and fall of the world" first appeared in Gu Yanwu's "Rizhilu·Zhengshi", with the background of the Qing army entering the pass. It means that protecting a national system from being overthrown is the responsibility of emperors, generals, civil and military ministers, and has nothing to do with ordinary people. The prosperity and destruction of the world is related to the interests of everyone. Therefore, every ordinary person has an unshirkable responsibility.

Gu Yanwu’s famous sayings throughout the ages include:

1. Offending the world.

2. Those who protect the world are responsible for the humbleness of a common man.

3. There is no earth in life, but the heart of the world is always there.

4. If a minister deceives the emperor and harms the country, he will be greedy for goods and bribes.

5. It must be done what the ancients could not achieve, and what future generations cannot do without, and then do it. At the end of the Ming Dynasty, I was eager to establish myself, but I have not been able to try it, and I am still old. However, the ambition to worry about heaven and show mercy to people has not faded away. If it is related to the people's livelihood and the country's fate, we must trace it back to its roots and discuss its reasons.

6. It is our duty to save this people from the ashes and create peace for all generations. Benevolence considers one's duty and will only die after death.

7. Wealth and honor are fleeting in life, but only honor, fame and longevity are the golden stones.

8. There are still remnants in the world, and it is difficult to follow Jiuding during major festivals.

9. I wish to level the East China Sea, and my body and mind will not change; the sea will never be flat, but my heart will never be flat.

10. It still rains at dusk, and the old trees bloom more in spring.

Main sources:

The origin of the phrase "Everyone is responsible for the rise and fall of the world" was first seen in the work "Rizhilu" written by Gu Yanwu, an outstanding thinker in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. The original text is "Whoever protects the world, how can he be held responsible for his humbleness?"

It means that the rise and fall of the world is the responsibility of ordinary people. Why do you say that? Because "protecting the world" is related to everyone's vital interests.

"Everyone" can't shirk it. There are intact eggs under the overturned nest, which is also the meaning of the story. Gu Yanwu expressed this view probably in the mid-to-late 17th century, and Liang Qichao summarized it in eight words: "Every man is responsible for the rise and fall of the world."

It is nearly the 20th century. Although times are changing and hundreds of years have passed, the patriotism of the Chinese people has not faded and they are facing a national crisis.