Twelve Letters to Youth is a compilation of articles that Mr. Zhu Guangqian contributed to Popular Magazine edited by Mr. Xia Mianzun during his study abroad. The letters are aimed at junior high school students. He won the admiration of young readers with "warm feelings, gentle attitude and rich knowledge" and gave many people inspiration and strength.
In this series, we will share with you the main ideas in twelve letters and some experiences in reading.
This letter is the author's experience in learning Hegel's article on tragedy.
Hegel believes that all tragedies stem from the conflict between two ideals, such as the characters in antigone by Sophocles, the conflict between the duties of a king and his father, the conflict between the duties of a citizen and the duties of a sister, and so on.
Think about it, life is not only a stage for literature or drama, but also an ideal conflict field. The difference is that most tragedies in life are caused by unresolved conflicts.
Li Bai's poem "All roads lead to the present" tells many possibilities of life choice. In fact, in the face of choice. There is only one way to go, you can go or you can give up. "You can't have your cake and eat it." The tragedy of life, in many cases, lies in refusing to give up fish and bear's paw. Just drooling, calculating.
The author gave several examples. One is students who hate exams all day and prepare for them every day. One is a classmate who is opposed by his family and hesitates to complain about his love. A small clerk who spits and writes official documents and goes to see Mao rain or shine.
Since you can't pass the exam, don't be unnecessarily disgusted. Since the family relationship can't be complete, it should be over.
This situation is inevitable, and it is also the origin of life tragedy. The main reasons for this result are "timidity, wandering on the wrong road", bitter mood, unsuccessful career and so vague life.
So "getting rid of" is a top priority. This is what we usually call "affordable" and "affordable". Now that you have set a goal, you should concentrate on going there and ignore everything else. This is the secret of success and the secret of avoiding troubles.
Think of some people's success because they are simple-minded and unfocused and insist on doing one thing. Compared with those who are hesitant and worried, they are more able to let go of negative fetters and actively do what they think is right.
The author lists many examples of characters in ancient and modern times, at home and abroad. Qu Yuan and Wen Tianxiang, who died calmly in order to maintain their own personality, can not only get rid of the life desire that ordinary people can't get rid of, but also be frank and stubborn. The ancient Greek Diogenes advocated the philosophy of desire, except for cups and rolling barrels. One day, he saw the boy holding water in his hand, and he broke the cup into pieces. Zhuo Wenjun fled from the comfort of a rich family to sell wine with Sima Xiangru, or he could abandon everything for love. English novelist Scott devoted himself to reading Byron's works after reading poems in his early years. Knowing that he couldn't make great achievements in things, he gave up melody to do his novels.
Look at these bold and decisive figures above. They went into battle light, simple and innocent, and won the respect of the world. Many people envy them, and when it's their turn, they will still be indecisive and hesitant. As everyone knows, "I waited for tomorrow, and everything was in vain", and the days passed in such a hesitation. Especially some talents with good qualifications, because they don't know how to choose, they are greedy and have a little taste, and they have achieved nothing in their lives.
The author's teacher once warned the author that "the spear and the halberd have their own uses, but one of them is enough to win, so you are biased and don't have to be lenient."
I think many of us are the same, talking a lot of nonsense, reading a lot of useless books and doing a lot of useless things. I have walked many aimless roads, tried many times, but rarely succeeded. There are also some people who are doing boring work every day, saying that they pretend to deal with friends who know boredom. These many "obsessions" constitute the tragedy of life.
The author's view nearly a hundred years ago is similar to the "breakup" and "minimalist life" advocated today. Life needs to be streamlined, and life goals need to be streamlined. Life is short, with less unnecessary entanglements and more determination and calmness. Even if you make the wrong choice, you have no regrets.