Mencius's

Knowing shame is close to courage

The world is big, and the brave are at the head. If you have no shame, why should you be brave? "Shame" is a word that people avoid, but it is also the only way to success in life. "Knowing shame is close to courage" is the crystallization of Chinese virtues over thousands of years, an inspiring gunshot on the track of history, and the prerequisite for the survival and development of all things in the universe. Therefore, "knowing shame is close to courage" is an unchanging truth since ancient times.

"Knowing shame is almost like courage" is a true portrayal of famous people and people with lofty ideals. A person who can admit shame is like a weak fire that can burn the entire prairie soon. If a person can reach this state, it can be said that this life is not in vain. Li Yu, the later leader of the Southern Tang Dynasty, said that "the motherland cannot bear to look back in the bright moonlight", which became an eternal masterpiece; Du Fu, a poet of the Tang Dynasty, hated that "the flowers in the backyard are still singing across the river", expressing his deep patriotism. Chopin, the Polish piano player, abandoned his leisurely life Heart, create stunning dance music. All three of them are well aware of the shame of a dynasty that has lost their country, and they are brave enough to celebrate their feelings. If you can be calm in the face of "shame", your attitude will be extraordinary.

“Knowing shame is close to courage”, which is the basic condition for social development. "Courage" is like a tractor for reclaiming farmland, while "knowledge of shame" is the source of energy and motivation. Without them, you can't move forward, and their existence makes development everywhere. The appearance of an "oil-poor country" inspired tens of thousands of oil field workers to work hard, allowing Daqing to create China's miracle; the name of fascism made the German people realize their shame and regret, and was admired by people around the world. If we don’t have the courage to admit shame, how can we survive and develop amidst changes?

On the contrary, those who hide in dark corners or take pride in shame will only become the laughing stock of history, and will eventually be drowned in ridicule and contempt. For example, Japan does not dare to accept realistic sanctions. On the one hand, it falsifies the history of its invasion of China, and on the other hand, it pays homage to the Yasukuni Shrine. This can only trample one's own dignity underfoot and push the development of society into a bottomless abyss.

So, "Knowing shame is close to courage" is a stick, rowing the boat of life to the shore of success; "Knowing shame is close to courage" is a bunch of arrows, shooting faith to the pinnacle of light; "Knowing shame is close to courage" is a forest that supports the oath to the boundless blue sky.

"Knowing shame is close to courage" is a true portrayal of famous people and people with lofty ideals, and is a basic condition for social development. Likewise, it is also an unchanging truth since ancient times.

A heart that knows shame is the heart of a brave man.

The eternal monument - Confucius

In the far east, there stands a sage, he is Confucius. He is a giant of history, a giant of culture, and a giant of thought. His words and deeds have influenced the world for 2,500 years.

He is a studious scholar. "When three people walk together, there must be one who can teach me." This ancient saying of his has infected all subsequent scholars.

Since he was a child, he has not been ashamed to ask questions about everything. In order to enrich his knowledge, he became a master of people from all walks of life and became proficient in etiquette, music, archery, driving, and calculation. He admires the learning attitude of "learning without thinking will be in vain, thinking without learning will be in danger", advocates the learning method of "reviewing the past and learning the new", and feels the joy of "learning and practicing from time to time". He taught his disciples to "know what they know, and what they don't know is what they don't know", which was praised by future generations.

He is an excellent educator. His "teaching without distinction" changed the past education method and trained more than 3,000 disciples, among whom 72 were outstanding. He advocated teaching students in accordance with their aptitude and advocated mutual learning through teaching, which was passed down in the education circles.

He is a politician who advocates "benevolence". Benevolent people love others. "A wise person serves his great officials, and a benevolent person makes friends with his scholars." On the one hand, he requires rulers to unite with each other, and on the other hand, he requires rulers to care for the people. When he heard that the people would rather be eaten by tigers than exploited by their rulers, he lamented that "tyranny is stronger than tigers."

He is a "virtuous" thinker. "Those who know are not as good as those who are good, and those who are good at knowing are not as good as those who are happy." "The wise enjoy the water, the benevolent enjoy the mountains, the wise are active, and the benevolent are quiet. The wise are happy, and the benevolent live long." "The deceased is like a man who never gives up day and night. ", "When the weather is cold, you will know that the pines and cypresses will wither"...His philosophical words have influenced generations of people. Another of his contributions was the compilation of the Book of Songs, the Book of Songs, the Etiquette, the Book of Music, and the Book of Changes, later known as the Five Classics. He also compiled the Spring and Autumn Annals based on the history of the Lu State, becoming the first chronological history book. His remarks were compiled into the Analects of Confucius by his disciples and have been passed down through the ages. He created Confucian culture and influenced the subsequent development of feudal society.

He is a historical monument that will always stand in the land of China and the east of the world.

(1) Learning and Thinking

Confucius, an educator more than 2,000 years ago, once said: "Learning without thinking means nothing." In learning, if he only knows to memorize things by rote without thinking and digesting them, he will gain nothing. Confucius' words are very reasonable.

A person's process from receiving knowledge to applying knowledge is actually a process of remembering and knowing, learning and thinking. Learning is the foundation of thinking, and thinking is the supplement of learning. The two are closely linked, and neither can be dispensed with.

Just like the human body's digestion process of food, if you only learn without thinking, it means swallowing the jujube without chewing it; if you apply one example without being able to infer other things, it means that the knowledge you have learned cannot be turned into "oneself" without digestion and absorption. Only by learning and thinking can we integrate the knowledge we have learned and draw inferences about other cases.

The combination of learning and thinking is the only way to master knowledge. The examples of successful people at home and abroad in ancient and modern times all prove this point. When Marxism-Leninism spread to the land of China, the communists led by Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai and others, while absorbing the essence of Marxism-Leninism, combined with China's actual conditions, followed the path of "rural areas surrounding cities", and finally created socialism New China. Just imagine, if the revolutionary ancestors did not learn, think, think and practice, but blindly applied rote and dogmatic methods, how could the Chinese revolution succeed? If Galileo, the great scientist of the Renaissance, had not thought independently while studying, would the experiment of "two iron balls landing at the same time" have been carried out at that time? Can mankind break free from Aristotle's erroneous theory as soon as possible? Learning while thinking, thinking while learning, is the successful experience of these great men, and it is also the source of motivation for human progress.

Today is an era of "explosion of knowledge". The field of knowledge has expanded many times in less than a century. "My life has a limit, but my knowledge has no limit." In the face of such a vast world In the ocean of knowledge, it is impossible to reach the bright shore by just relying on rote memorization. Therefore, the American education community is working hard to reform the original teaching system and strive to cultivate students' thinking and creative abilities to adapt to tomorrow's science; Europe and Japan have not followed suit, and China's education system reform is imminent and imperative. . Tomorrow's creative talents must be cultivated from today's students. Therefore, we should do more: think while studying, put forward independent opinions while thinking, cultivate our own thinking ability, and wait for tomorrow's choice.

Independent thinking in learning is the successful experience of scholars and masters and the source of motivation for human progress. Cultivating this ability in students is the hope for today's China to rise tomorrow.

(2) The one-sidedness of talking about "born in sorrow and dying in peace and happiness"

Mencius said: "born in sorrow and died in peace and happiness." This sentence has been used for thousands of years. It is regarded as a cautionary motto. In fact, this sentence is extremely one-sided.

Yes, there are countless examples of "born in sorrow and dying in happiness". For example: If Gou Jian, the king of Yue, had not suffered so much humiliation in the state of Wu, how could he have suffered so much when he returned home? If you don't work hard, how can you become strong and destroy Wu in one fell swoop? If the Chinese women's volleyball team hadn't suffered so much from being weak against the world's strong players, how could it have jumped up and created the miracle of "five consecutive championships"? These facts show that people can indeed survive and develop in the face of hardship.

However, there are conditions for "being born in sorrow and dying in happiness". What is this condition? That depends on whether you have ideals, perseverance, and the spirit of struggle. As long as you have ideals, perseverance and a spirit of hard work. Then when you are in trouble, you will naturally seek survival and development; similarly, if you have ideals, perseverance, and a spirit of continuous improvement, you will never go to the grave of death even if you are in a comfortable environment.

A person who is troubled by worries and cannot escape from the quagmire of worries, simply breaks the jar, sinks in negativity, and does not fight against the adverse circumstances, then he cannot survive in the "worries". Whether it is "life" or "death", the key lies in what people "do" or "don't do". "For" means "survive" whether you are in sorrow or in peace and happiness. "Not doing anything", whether in adversity or good times, will inevitably lead to "death".

The times have advanced, and the people are moving towards a well-off society. There are fewer and fewer people in distress, and the majority of people are in good times. While emphasizing "survival in the midst of sorrow", we should also talk about "seeking development in the midst of peace and happiness". As long as we treat "well-being" correctly and regard good times as a broad runway for take-off, then we can dominate "life" and "death" and hold the key to success.

There are three factories A, B, and C. Both factories A and B are on the verge of bankruptcy. The competent authorities have shown yellow cards to factories A and B. After receiving the yellow card, Factory A worked together as a team to carry out corporate reforms, boldly appointed talents, strengthened vertical and horizontal connections, and strengthened corporate management. As a result, it turned losses into profits in the first year and made a net profit of 100,000 yuan in the second year. After Factory B received the yellow card, the leader resigned, and the employees went off to find their own jobs, and finally closed the factory. Factory B did not survive the hardship. Factory C is a township enterprise with original fixed assets of only 3,000 yuan and 8 workers. After working for two years, his products were sold throughout the province, with an annual output value of 210,000 yuan and 50 workers. In the fourth year, there were more than 100 employees in the factory, and the annual output value reached one million yuan. Now, Factory C’s products are selling well in Asia. Factory C is becoming more and more prosperous and has not been deterred by good times. It can be seen how important the word "we" is! History shows that whether it is a country, a unit, or a person, as long as you "do" and keep struggling, you can "become stronger" or "become stronger"; if you "don't do", you will just wait for happiness or enjoy peace and quiet. , then, "strong" will turn into "weak", and "weak" will tend to "die".

So, the saying "Be born in sorrow, die in happiness" is only half correct and cannot be regarded as a perfect warning.

“Where there is a will, there is a way.”

This sentence illustrates the dialectical relationship between "ambition" and "achievement": "Aspiration" can "accomplish" things. If you want "things to happen", you must "have ambition"; if there is no "ambition", "things" will not be accomplished. . (Based on the argument, the dialectical relationship between the two is analyzed)

This sentence is very reasonable and can quite express the true meaning of "things come true". No? Please see: During the Spring and Autumn Period, Wu and Yue fought, and Wu won and was defeated. King Gou Jian of Yue became a prisoner. (The historical story of lying on firewood and tasting gall tells the true meaning of "things come true.") But he was unwilling to give in, determined to take revenge, and finally defeated Wu, leaving behind The famous mathematician Hua Luogeng established his ambition when he faced the rebuke of "having no mathematical mind" when he was a child. , although he did not even have a junior high school diploma, he eventually became a giant in the field of mathematics... Many politicians and scientists at home and abroad in ancient and modern times have proven the correctness of the saying "where there is a will, there is a way" with their own actions.

But can “everything with a will come true”? Not really. Because there are certain conditions that play an important role between "ambition" and "achievement". Without these conditions, even if you are "ambitious", things will be difficult to achieve. The key conditions among these conditions are undoubtedly the following two:

First, the "ambition" of the aspiring person must conform to objective reality. (Proposing one of the prerequisites for determination) This means that the "ambition" set by a person cannot be a fantasy or fantasy that is divorced from objective reality; when the "ambition" conflicts with or is divorced from objective scientific laws, then " "Things" can never be "accomplished". For example, some people once determined to develop a perpetual motion machine and spent a lifetime of time and energy on this, but they were never able to develop it. why is that? The reason is simple: his ambition does not conform to objective laws. The knowledge of physics tells us that when a machine is running, mechanical energy is converted into other forms of energy, and the loss of energy during this process is impossible to avoid. Therefore, the "ambition" of developing a perpetual motion machine will never become a reality. It can be seen that meeting the requirements of objective reality is a necessary prerequisite for a successful career for "ambitious people". (It discusses from one aspect that meeting the requirements of objective reality is a necessary prerequisite for the success of "ambitious people" in their careers, and demonstrates the central argument from another aspect)

The second is that the "ambitions" of those with aspirations must never change. "Persistence" (the second prerequisite for determination) and must be put into unremitting and diligent efforts. That is to say: you cannot aspire to be a scientist today, a writer tomorrow, and a politician soon after. If you aspire so often, it will be difficult to achieve it; your ambition must always be directed towards one goal, no matter how the outside world changes. , no matter what kind of setbacks they encounter, they will always be "infatuated". This emphasizes that with a "constant ambition" that never changes, we must also have actions that never change. In order to realize your ambitions, you must not be afraid of difficulties, sarcasm, or setbacks and failures; you must keep working hard, keep exploring, consistently put your diligent feet forward, and keep trekking hard on the winding mountain road to success. Only in this way, and only in this way, can "where there is a will, there is a way." (Discussing that "constant ambition" is another prerequisite for "where there is a will, there is a way", and discusses the central argument from another aspect) Shi Ma Qian, a great historian and writer in ancient my country, determined to write a book when he was young. It is different from other historical works. For this reason, he not only devoted his life's energy to the vast historical books, sorted out fragments and fragments, traveled among the people, and collected rich historical materials. Even after he was imprisoned and tortured, he did not become depressed. Instead, he strengthened his ambition and became stronger and stronger. Inspired by the lofty ideal of "writing history", he worked hard to write. In his later years, he finally wrote a masterpiece that spans more than three thousand years from Xuanyuan to Hanwu - "Historical Records". "Eternal song" (Lu Xun's words), it can be seen that having "persistent ambition" and unremitting diligent efforts are the most important conditions for "things to come true". (The fact that Sima Qian’s unremitting efforts finally completed the "Historical Records" once again strongly illustrates the point of view that "where there is a will, things come true")

In short, "where there is a will, things come true" does not mean that where there is a will, there is a way. It will definitely be possible, but it just illustrates the dialectical relationship between "ambition" and "achievement": if there is no ambition, things will not be accomplished; if there is ambition but is divorced from reality, things will not be accomplished; if there is an ambition that is in line with reality but no "constant ambition", things will be difficult. If you have a realistic "constant ambition" without unremitting and diligent efforts, it will be difficult to achieve anything. Only when the above conditions are organically integrated can "things happen".

My young friends, the flower of success is ready to be given to every aspiring person, but can you get it? It's up to you. (At the end, the central argument is further discussed by analyzing the relationship between ambition and achievement)

Analysis

The title is the central argument of this article, "Where there is a will, there is a way." Full attention is paid to the rationality and universality of the discussion in the full text. It first explains the dialectical relationship between "ambition" and "achievement". Through comparative analysis, readers can feel that "ambition" means "achievement" and "no ambition". Then the principle of "nothing can be done" naturally leads to the following. The stories of King Gou Jian of Yue and mathematician Hua Luogeng were also cited to prove the correctness of this principle. Then it analyzes the two prerequisites for "determination". Finally, combined with real life, the view of "where there is a will, there is a way" is emphasized.