When we were young, we would always use examples from "The Reader" and "Yilin" to enhance our writing, as if this would become the focus of the class in one fell swoop. At that time, a small story about perseverance and courage, or an environmental deed, was enough to win the appreciation of our teachers and classmates.
Now that I think about it, is it really right to exaggerate in those stories? Or, how many of these stories that I was exposed to when I was young have stood the scrutiny of time? In today's information explosion, do these views, which were once regarded as golden rules, still hold water? This makes people wonder, how many old understandings do we need to update?
Looking back, we were always happy to talk about the stories from Yilin and The Reader in those years. For example, Japanese elementary school students only wear shorts to run in winter, which is known as exercise; Another example is the Finnish civil service exam, which has answers on the back of the test paper but no one cheats, which is hailed as a model of integrity. These stories are repeated in the classroom and become the truth in our eyes.
Over time, we have come to discover that not all of these beautiful descriptions are true.
For example, the reason why Japan's forests are lush is not because they don't cut down trees, but because most of their disposable chopsticks are imported from China. Behind this superficial environmental protection, it is actually a satire on China's low-end manufacturing industry.
And all that praise for Finnish integrity is an idealized exaggeration. In fact, most civil service positions in Finland are completed through applications and interviews, not just exams.
Over the years, we have also seen many glorified descriptions of life abroad. For example, people in the London Underground are reading books and seem to have a strong cultural atmosphere. However, the truth is only because it is not until 2024 that the London Underground will start to cover 4G networks. Before that, poor internet connections forced people to choose to read books to pass the time.
There is also a story about high-speed rail. In some countries, people once opposed the construction of high-speed trains because they were too fast to enjoy the scenery along the way, and finally had to keep the slow green trains. This seemingly absurd story shows the differences in the rhythm of life and values in different cultural backgrounds.
Between these stories and reality, we are constantly forced to re-examine those ideas that were once held to truth.
For example, what we have long thought of as advanced and perfect abroad often has its shortcomings after a deep understanding of the actual situation. Like the stories about environmental protection in Japan and integrity in Finland, when we move from mere envy to deep thinking, we see that each country's policies and cultural backgrounds have their own complexities. This kind of cognitive renewal from the outside to the inside makes us more aware that there is no absolute black and white, only more layers of gray.
From childhood to adulthood, from acceptance to questioning to understanding, each stage is a process of a more comprehensive understanding of the world. Just like now, when we look back at the stories that we once thought were very shocking, we will find that they may be just a tool for cultural export, or a manifestation of some kind of ideology. This shift in perception makes us more cautious about the information that can easily shock us.
In this age of information explosion, we need this kind of critical thinking more and more. Because the truth and falsity of information are often mixed together, it is easy to be misled if you lack judgment. Just like the idealized foreign scenarios depicted in those stories, if we don't screen them, we may live in a fictional world, and ignore the real beauty and areas that need to be improved.
At this point, it is not difficult for us to find that the stories that we heard and saw when we were young are actually part of our growth path. They have inspired us, they have misled us, but most of all, they have inspired our curiosity and desire to explore the world. As the saying goes, "no one is perfect", neither an individual nor a country can be perfect. What we need is not blind worship or criticism, but a peaceful and objective attitude to face this diverse and complex world.
In the process, we learned a more mature way of looking at the problem – that is, looking at the problem from different angles, trying to understand the deeper meaning and reasons behind it. This is not only a sublimation of the knowledge of the past, but also the key to our future in this rapidly changing world, to be able to stay awake and renew.