Mencius's "born in sorrow and died in happiness" emphasizes that people should not be content with the status quo, but should have a sense of sorrow. For example, China's national conditions, economic development, social progress and people's living standards are all improving, but it should be noted that there are still unstable factors among the people and the international situation is grim. Specifically, as far as individuals are concerned, anxiety represents a kind of pursuit of the future or goals, which can inspire people to make continuous progress, and then achieve better results and realize personal value, while happiness is a kind of conservatism that is content with the status quo, with no intention of making progress, focusing on enjoying life and no long-term planning; For a nation, the spirit of suffering represents the early realization of the Chinese dream of rejuvenation. Although China's economy has made progress, compared with the developed countries in the world, we still have a long way to go. According to the 13th Five-Year Plan, to achieve a well-off society in 2020 is a national development plan. If we just enjoy ourselves and are content with the status quo, China will rapidly decline. Therefore, we must learn to be prepared for danger in times of peace, not to be complacent about the status quo, and we must have a sense of urgency and keep making progress, whether for national governance or personal affairs.