"The Analects of Confucius·Wei Zheng" Spring and Autumn Period: Confucius and His Disciples

Confucius said: "I am determined to learn when I am fifteen, I am established at thirty, I am not confused at forty, and I am not confused at fifty. But knowing the destiny, at sixty your ears will be attuned; at seventy, you will follow your heart's desires without exceeding the rules."

Interpretation:

Confucius said: "At the age of fifteen I was determined to learn; at the age of thirty I was able to stand on my own; at the age of forty I was not deceived by external things; at the age of fifty I understood Destiny; at sixty, you can treat all kinds of opinions correctly without feeling uncomfortable; at seventy, you can do whatever you want without going beyond the rules."

About the author:

Confucius (September 28, 551 BC - April 11, 479 BC), surnamed Kong, given name Qiu, styled Zhongni , a native of Zou Yi (now Qufu, Shandong Province) of the state of Lu in the late Spring and Autumn Period, and a native of Liyi (now Xiayi, Henan Province) of the Song Dynasty, was an ancient Chinese thinker, educator, and founder of the Confucian school.

Extended information:

In this chapter, Confucius recounts his learning and cultivation process. This process is a process in which one’s ideological realm gradually improves with age.

The age of one or thirty is a watershed for people. People of this age group have basically established their own development direction in life, and should be able to rely on their own abilities to independently assume their own responsibilities. This means being able to establish oneself, establish a family, and establish a career.

1. Establishing oneself is to establish one's own character and cultivation, including the cultivation of thoughts, moral cultivation, ability cultivation, and the ability to achieve self-improvement. Among them, self-improvement is the foundation of one's life and the most basic requirement for everyone to stand in society.

2. Establish a career. Establishing a career means establishing the career you are engaged in. People in their thirties should have a relatively stable career. Every career requires a certain amount of ability, which in modern terms is a skill. Establishing a career is a means of survival, the basis of economic independence, and a necessary process to realize the value of life.

3. To establish a family, to establish a family is to have your own family. The fierce competition in today's society has delayed the time for young people to start a family, but from the perspective of human reproduction, this age is just right. Moreover, when people reach their thirties, most of them already understand love and responsibility.

The age of 20 or 40 is an age that remains unchanged in response to ever-changing changes. It is an age at which one can gain insight into all things in the world, and it is a mature age. This is not confused, it is clear-headed, it is understanding, towards oneself, towards others, and towards the world.

Externally, I understand society. People live in society and cannot do without society; the relationship between people and society is the relationship between individuals and groups. An individual is a member of a group. Personal ideals and wishes must be based on the real society, and there should be a calm strength in the heart to deal with the outside world.

Internally, I understand myself. It is the gradual strengthening of the heart through experience, turning external things into inner energy. Forty-year-olds are the most practical age group and should no longer make too many mistakes and take detours.

Understand the responsibility for yourself. The biggest characteristic of a forty-year-old person is that he understands his responsibilities. He must bear social responsibilities, family responsibilities and the responsibilities of filial piety and raising children. The forty-year-old is the glorious period of life and the period of greatest contribution to society and family.

When you are thirty or fifty, you know your destiny. We Chinese people habitually call it fate. When you are fifty, you know your destiny. Fifty-year-old people have reached the mature stage of life; at this time, many things seem to be a foregone conclusion.

At this time, because we understand society and ourselves better, we should learn to face it calmly, without complaining about others, not blaming others, and not slacking off. People who are fifty years old are no longer as healthy as before. They are more aware of the fragility of life and the importance of health. The body is the capital of revolution, and there has never been a time when they realized it more deeply than now. They paid more attention to health than before and began to exercise actively.

A fifty-year-old person can already have an accurate assessment of himself. He rarely bothers with anything anymore. After so many years of hard work and having certain financial conditions, his desire for money is often not as strong as when he was young.

A fifty-year-old person, who has experienced the baptism of time, cherishes the lovers who have been together through thick and thin, the children who have grown up, and the old friends who have been with each other for a long time...family affection, friendship, and love, these have gradually become The most important thing on his mind. Their desire for fame and fortune has gradually dissipated.

4. When you reach the age of sixty, no matter what people say good or bad, no matter what ups and downs you encounter, you can be non-exaggerated, think calmly in everything, and follow the laws of things; be calm about favors and disgrace, and understand life thoroughly. , see through life and be indifferent to fame and wealth.

Sixty-year-old people have seen through life. After retirement, the main role in society will be shifted to the main role in the family, enjoying family happiness. Sixty-year-old people, after understanding this, are happy to accept this reality and know clearly what life should be like for people of this age group.

Sixty-year-old people have seen through life. Sixty-year-old people should live a healthy and happy life, which is also a contribution to society. The meaning of life is that your contribution to society and others is greater than the demand. If you do it, you will have no regrets.

Sixty-year-old people have seen through fame and wealth. A sixty-year-old man has been polished by the years and left behind a wealth of experience. In a relaxed life, savoring the sweet and bitter memories brings a unique feeling, which is the late autumn of life! After retirement, there is only one title left: retiree. At this time, only your body belongs to you, so the most important thing is to exercise and maintain yourself to be healthy and happy.

Fifty and seventy: Follow your heart's desires, which means obeying your own thoughts and doing whatever you want. Let nature take its course; be content with the situation; and stay within the rules. Follow your heart's desires, let nature take its course, and be content with whatever comes your way. In this stage, moral cultivation reaches its highest level. There are reasonable factors in Confucius' moral cultivation process:

First, he saw that human moral cultivation is not something that happens overnight. It cannot be completed all at once or in a sudden attack. It must go through a long period of study and exercise. There must be a step-by-step process.

Second, the highest state of morality is the integration of thoughts, words and deeds, and consciously abide by moral norms rather than doing it reluctantly. These two points are applicable to everyone.

This is Confucius’ summary of his life and a model for Chinese people’s pursuit of a perfect life for thousands of years.

Baidu Encyclopedia - The Analects of Confucius·For Politics