"It is better to believe in a book than to have no book at all. ”
When we swim in the sea of books, it is easy to be attracted by the words in the book, and even superstitions.
Mencius, however, warns us that if we fully believe in the contents of the book and do not make our own thinking and judgment, then it is better to read in this way than not to read.
This is like what the ancients said: "Read ten thousand books, travel ten thousand miles." "Reading is not only for the purpose of acquiring knowledge, but more importantly, through thinking and practice, turning this knowledge into one's own wisdom.
"The wise are unspoken, and the wise are ignorant."
It conveys a deep philosophical thought.
Truly wise people often do not easily express their opinions, because they are well aware of the limitations of words, and at the same time, they also know the truth of "full of losses, humble benefits".
They are more inclined to observe quietly and deliberately, rather than express their opinions lightly.
Those who often talk about and like to show off their knowledge may not really understand and grasp the essence of things.
Really smart people, when faced with certain situations, often choose to remain silent and calm.
So, in what situations can you "sit and watch the clouds rise" and still have a heart like water, which means that you have rare wisdom?
First, when everyone is golden
As the saying goes, "Three people become tigers." This is true, there is a misinformation that he has participated in murder in ancient times, which is a typical case of public mouths of money.
Zeng Shen is a disciple of Confucius, noble character, but some people misreported that Zeng Shen killed someone, the first and second time when it reached his mother's ears, she could still firmly believe that her son would not kill, but when she heard the news for the third time, she also threw down the weaving shuttle in her hand and ran away over the wall.
It can be seen that when the people around you are spreading the same thing, even if the thing is not true, but after hearing it a lot, people will believe it.
In this situation, if you can follow the trend and blindly follow the trend, as Zheng Banqiao said, "you can still be strong despite thousands of blows, and let the wind blow from east to west, north and south", keep thinking independently, do not follow the trend, and do not blindly follow the trend, this is a smart performance.
During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, there was a famous minister in the State of Chu, surnamed Qu Mingyuan, who was a famous patriotic poet in the history of the mainland. Qu was born in troubled times, but he has a noble heart, and his story is a vivid portrayal of "the world is turbid and I am alone, and everyone is drunk and I am awake".
At that time, inside and outside the court of Chu State, the magnates were deceitful and corrupt, corruption was prevalent, and the country was in internal and external troubles. As a doctor, Qu Yuan is not only talented, but also has the ambition to govern the country and level the world. He advocated reforming the maladministration, getting close to the virtuous, staying away from traitors, and trying to revitalize the state of Chu and make it strong and prosperous.
However, there are many obstacles between the ideal and the reality. Qu Yuan's integrity and incorruptibility seemed out of place in that chaotic era. Many of the reforms he proposed violated the interests of the aristocracy and were ostracized and slandered. Above the court, the sycophants are like fish in water, but Qu Yuan has become a loner, and his voice is particularly harsh in the flattery.
"The whole world is turbid, I am alone, everyone is drunk, and I am sober. Qu Yuan used this self-metaphor to express his noble feelings of staying sober and sticking to his principles in the turbid world. Even in the face of the dilemma of isolation and helplessness, he did not change his original intention and insisted on his political ideals and moral bottom line, even if this insistence made him bruised.
In the end, the state of Chu gradually declined due to internal strife and foreign invasion, and Qu Yuan saw the country decline step by step, and his heart was filled with grief and indignation. On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month in 278 BC, Qu Yuan, who was in despair, chose to hold the boulder in his arms, threw himself into the Miluo River, and died for the country, leaving behind a story of loyalty and martyrdom that has been passed down through the ages.
As praised in "Chu Ci": "The whole world is turbid, I am alone, everyone is drunk, and I am sober." "In a complex environment where there are many opinions and rumors, it is the true wise man to still keep a clear head, stick to his judgment and beliefs, and not be swayed by rumors.
Looking at today's people, there are many complex information in the Internet era, and rumors often circulate.
People who can still maintain rational thinking in such an environment and are not easily swayed by online public opinion undoubtedly have valuable wisdom.
Second, in the face of the temptation of interests
"The world is bustling, all for profit, and the world is bustling, all for profit. This sentence profoundly reveals people's pursuit of interests. In the face of the temptation of profits, many people will waver, like a fish that sees the bait and can't help but want to take the bait.
However, a truly intelligent person can keep a cool head at such times.
The truth of "tranquility and nothingness, true qi from it, spiritual inner guard, and illness and safety" said in the "Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon", knowing that inner peace and indifference are important magic weapons to resist temptation. Immediate interests may only be temporary, but long-term interests and principles are the foundation of life.
They know that only by sticking to their principles can they go further.
Just like Zihan in the Spring and Autumn Period, he was unmoved in the face of the beautiful jade offered by others, because in his opinion, although the beautiful jade was good, it was not as valuable as his own incorruptible character. This is the vivid embodiment of "a gentleman loves money and takes it in a good way".
A true gentleman, in the face of the temptation of interests, can stick to his principles and bottom line, and remain unmoved.
Looking at modern society, many successful people do the same.
They are able to keep a clear head and stick to their principles and values in the face of the temptation of huge profits, thus winning more respect and trust.
3. Encountering setbacks and difficulties
Su Shi has been smart since he was a child, he was a high school scholar at the age of twenty-one, and he was unlimited, he thought that he would have a smooth career from then on, but he didn't expect that this was just the beginning of his ups and downs in life. The Northern Song Dynasty was fiercely contested, and Su Shi was involved in party disputes many times because of his outspokenness, and was relegated to remote places several times, from the prosperous Kyoto to the desolate Huangzhou, Huizhou, and even as far as Danzhou (now Hainan), each derogation was a huge test of body and mind.
In the "Wutai Poetry Case", Su Shi almost lost his life and experienced imprisonment, but fortunately he was rescued by many parties to save his life. This series of setbacks and tribulations is enough to make people depressed for ordinary people, but Su Shi has turned these unsatisfactory things into the source of creation with an extraordinary mind and an optimistic attitude towards life.
In Huangzhou, Su Shi cultivated and fed himself, and fishermen, but left behind the famous "Chibi Fu" and "Nian Nujiao Chibi Nostalgia", in which he not only expressed his feelings about history, but also expressed his detachment and open-mindedness to his personal destiny. "The great river goes east, the waves are exhausted, and the eternal romantic characters. This is not only a memory of the heroes and heroes, but also a deep understanding of their own bumpy life.
Su Shi not only did not sink in the predicament, but bloomed in many fields such as literature, calligraphy and painting, food, etc., invented "Dongpo meat", left many calligraphy treasures, and his prose and poetry were even more far-reaching, and were respected by later generations as one of the "Eight Great Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties". His attitude towards life, as his poem says: "Bamboo canes and shoes are lighter than horses, who is afraid? ”
"Nine times out of ten, life is not as expected", this old proverb speaks to the normalcy of life.
Whether in the East or in the West, people will encounter all kinds of setbacks and difficulties in their lives.
In the face of adversity, if you can stay calm and optimistic like "the edge of the sword is sharpened, and the fragrance of plum blossoms comes from the bitter cold", and do not give up easily, this is the manifestation of wisdom.
Thinking of the ancient Oriental Saion, in the face of the dilemma of losing his horse, he did not fall into despair, but looked at the gains and losses with a peaceful mind. In the end, his horse was not only recovered, but also brought back another horse, which is the inspiration of the story of "Seon lost his horse, but he did not know whether it was a blessing".
In the West, the ancient Greek philosopher Thales was ridiculed for his poverty, but instead of being discouraged, he predicted a good olive harvest by observing the stars, so he rented all the local oil presses, and eventually became rich by monopolizing the oil market, impressing those who had laughed at him.
In the face of setbacks and difficulties, he can calmly accept and actively deal with them, as he said in "Zengguang Xianwen": "It is difficult to become an adult who has never been poor, and he is innocent without being attacked." "This kind of tenacity and wisdom that has been tempered in the face of adversity is the real wisdom.
Fourth, hearing the criticism of others
"No one says behind anyone, and no one says anything in front of them. This proverb speaks to a normal state in the world: no matter how we act, we will inevitably be judged and criticized by others.
In the face of these evaluations, either benign or malice, truly intelligent people choose to maintain a peaceful state of mind.
"Tao Te Ching" in the cloud: "The good is like water, the water is good for all things without fighting, and the evil of everyone is better than the Tao." "Water, despite its low position, can contain all things and not compete with the world.
When we hear the criticism of others, we should also keep a low profile and face it with tolerance and understanding.
Thinking that the ancient sages, such as Confucius, traveled around the world and spread Confucianism, there must have been a lot of criticism and doubts during the period. However, Confucius did not waver because of this, but walked more firmly on his own path, and finally achieved the glory of Confucianism.
In modern society, such stories are not uncommon. Many successful people have been questioned and criticized by others in the early days of their business. But they chose to insist on themselves, not to be moved by the outside world, and finally proved their worth with practical actions.
In the face of criticism, we must not only learn to maintain a calm mind, but also learn to draw useful advice from it and constantly improve ourselves.
As the ancients said: "Good medicine is bitter, but loyalty is against the ear." "Sometimes, the criticism of others may be the opportunity for us to grow.
Fifth, facing the pressure of authority
In the face of mountains of authority, many people may choose to go with the flow and follow the opinions of those so-called "experts" or "leaders."
After all, "people speak lightly, people speak carefully", and under the shroud of authority, the voice of the individual often seems insignificant.
Truly intelligent people can still maintain independent thinking and judgment under such tremendous pressure.
They are well aware of the truth in the "Zengguang Xianwen" that "it is advisable to look at the present and learn from the past, and the past cannot become the present", and in the long river of history, countless sages have insisted on themselves under the pressure of authority, and finally proved the correctness of their views.
Galileo Galilei was one of them, and in the face of the authoritative concept of geocentrism at that time, he bravely put forward the heliocentric theory, thus opening a new chapter in the scientific revolution.
His famous quote "The pursuit of science requires special bravery" continues to inspire countless warriors in their quest for truth.
In the face of the pressure of authority, we must have enough courage and wisdom to assert ourselves. This does not mean blindly opposing authority, but making choices that are in line with one's inner principles and true thoughts on the basis of full knowledge and thinking.
As a modern proverb goes, "Don't blindly follow something just because everyone else thinks it's right, but make your own judgment and stick to your principles." ”
In short, "pampering and humiliation are not shocked, watching the flowers bloom and fall in front of the court; ”
In a complex world, being able to maintain a calm mind and not be moved by the outside world is the real wisdom.
May we all be wise men like that, calm and rational in the face of all situations.