[The "Three Fears" on the Fourth Day of the Lunar New Year of June: Looking at the Challenges of Modern Society from the Perspective of Folk Wisdom]
The ancients often said that "the fourth and third days of the first month of June are afraid", which sounds quite mysterious, but it is really interesting when you think about it. Let's talk about this old saying today, see what doorway is hidden behind it, and what inspiration it can give us to modern people.
Let's talk about the first fear first - fear of sudden changes in the weather. Don't underestimate this, in ancient times, it was a matter of life and death. At that time, there was no weather forecast, it was all a matter of experience and intuition. On the fourth day of the sixth lunar month, the weather is like flipping through a book. One moment the sky is clear, and the next moment there is thunder and lightning, which makes people panic. Now that I think about it, isn't this what we often call "seconds change the sky"? It's just that the ancients didn't have high-rise buildings to shelter from the wind and rain, so they were naturally more sensitive.
This reminds me of when I was a child, and every day on this day, the old people in the village were busy collecting the grain that was out to dry. They muttered while busy working: "On the fourth day of the sixth month, Lei Gong is powerful, and he can't hide, so he will be unlucky!" In that formation, I was afraid that if I took a slow step, I would go hungry. Although technology is now developed and the accuracy of weather forecasting is also high, but in the face of nature's temper, don't we still have to be obedient? No, wasn't there a "blue warning for heavy rain" a few years ago?
Let's talk about the second fear - fear of pests and diseases. Well, farmer friends must have a deep understanding of this. On the fourth day of the first month of June, the weather is hot and humid, like a sauna, and the diseases and insects are coming. They are like the New Year, and they burrow into the fields in groups. The ancients said that "on the fourth day of the sixth month, diseases and insects come out of the hole", which is not false at all. I remember one year, the sky over the rice fields in the village was suddenly black, and it was full of rice planthoppers. That scene, tsk, like a science fiction movie, scared people to the point of trembling.
But then again, now that science and technology are so advanced, there are all kinds of pesticides and insecticides, aren't we going to be able to deal with these little guys? But on second thought, isn't this a new problem? The misuse of pesticides not only harms the crops, but also harms ourselves. It seems that whether it is ancient or modern, dealing with nature has to pay attention to a balance.
Finally, the third fear - fear of panic. That's where the fun comes in. You say that the weather changes, pests and diseases are rampant, but you can see and touch them. But people's hearts are panicking, but it's mysterious. Why were the ancients so afraid of this? Think about it, natural disasters are coming, crops can't be saved, and people's hearts will naturally panic. But in the modern world, this panic can come faster and more violently.
I remember a few years ago, on the fourth day of June, a rumor of an "unknown virus" suddenly spread on the Internet, and it suddenly exploded. Everyone hid at home and didn't dare to go out, and the streets were deserted like ghost towns. This is reminiscent of the saying: "Rumors stop at the wise, and panic comes from ignorance." Fortunately, an expert came out in time to refute the rumors, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. This tells us how important it is to remain rational in today's information explosion.
In the final analysis, this "fear on the fourth day of June" reflects the instinctive reaction of human beings in the face of the unknown. But we modern people can't be frightened by these "fears". With the support of scientific knowledge, the help of advanced technology, and the spirit of unity, what difficulties can we not overcome?
So, the next time you hear the words "I'm afraid of the fourth day of June", don't be in a hurry to shake your head and sigh. Think about how our ancestors came up with these experiences, and how we should deal with these challenges in the modern world. Isn't this just the use of the past for the present, pushing through the old and bringing forth the new?
Finally, I would like to ask you a question: in this era of advanced science and technology, do we still have anything to be "afraid of"? And how to overcome these "fears"? Let's discuss how to inherit the wisdom of the ancients and create a better future in the modern society!