"There are no eternal friends, only eternal interests." I believe that all Chinese people should be familiar with this "famous saying". If I ask you: Who said this sentence? Many people would say it was former British Prime Minister Churchill.

But this sentence is not what Churchill said. People usually add famous quotes to big people in order to make them more convincing. The person who said this was also a former British Prime Minister named Palmerston. His historical status is similar to that of Churchill.

The original words of this sentence are as follows:

“We have no eternal allies, and we have no perpetual enemies. Our interests are eternal and perpetual, and those interests it is our duty to follow."

The accurate translation should be this, "Allies cannot be users, enemies are not always enemies, but our interests are eternal and continuous, and seeking for our country Interest makes our duty."

This sentence was said in a meeting when he was in the British cabinet. If you take into account the identity and responsibilities at the time, put it in the situation at the time, and connect it with the context, the meaning is very neutral. But when it came to China, the meaning was misinterpreted and misrepresented as a naked pursuit of interests.

Why is this happening?

1. Propaganda taken out of context by the media: Everyone knows that alarmist news is the easiest to relay. Just look at the news. Information and news containing negative information such as "crash", "bubble" and "recession", as well as some controversial content, spread the fastest and most widely. In order to gain eyeballs and gain attention, bad media often see such comments online.

2. Some people who violate morality and harm the interests of others in order to maximize their own interests use "famous quotes" to justify their disgraceful behavior in order to rationalize their behavior.

3. Most people are not good at independent thinking and do not have the awareness and motivation to trace their origins. Everyone says this and understands it this way, so most people just follow the crowd.

When we see some famous quotes, at least we must first judge whether these words and concepts are reasonable, and if they are reasonable, what help and guidance can they give us. If something feels controversial, understand the context in which the words were spoken and relate them to the context so that you can truly understand the true meaning.