Confucius' favorite disciple is Yan Hui, who often praises him: once eating and drinking, living in a mean alley, people can't bear to worry about it, and they won't change their fun when they go back. It's good to go back. It means that Yan Hui eats vegetable leaves, drinks cold water and lives in a broken house all day. Others are worried about how he will live, Yan Hui is still very happy. Yan Hui, that's great! Confucius said about himself: drinking water, bending your arms and resting on your pillow, being unjust and rich and expensive, is like a cloud with me; It means that you can have a simple meal when you are hungry, and sleep with your arms on your back when you are sleepy. Is this not good?

During the Song and Ming Dynasties, Neo-Confucianism often studied Confucius and Yan Hui. One of them wants to be an official, while the other is starving. Why are they all so happy? This has almost become an eternal proposition.

The worst time for Confucius was when he starved to death, and everyone who followed him was too hungry to get up. At this time, the grumpy Luz rushed over and said to Confucius: Is the gentleman poor? (Can a gentleman be so poor? At this time, Confucius was playing the piano. When he heard Luz ask, he stopped and told him: gentlemen are poor, villains are poor. A gentleman can have his integrity even if he is poor; Once the villain is poor, it is not without its extremes. )

Therefore, no matter developed or poor, Confucius' calm inner joy can't be changed. This is the ability to be happy.

Then how can we exercise this ability to be happy?

"Learn from Confucius!"

"Wow, is this too difficult?"

"You need to read the Analects of Confucius carefully and carefully understand the growth footprint of Confucius."

"This method is not generally difficult!"

"Here is an improved four-quadrant method. Let's study together. "

The first quadrant is happiness now and misfortune in the future. A lot of people do. For example, a smoker knows that smoking is harmful to health, but for the sake of immediate happiness and regardless of the risk of cancer in the future, he still insists on smoking. He can't help himself, just eat, drink and be merry.

The second quadrant is unfortunate now and will be unfortunate in the future. This kind of person is like walking in a dark tunnel, never seeing the light and fun, and feeling that everything is boring. This is the helpless type. Where does this helplessness come from? I learned it in life! For example, I am a road idiot, don't tell me the route; I'm face blind and can't remember other people's faces. These are all manifestations of unconsciously falling into learned helplessness. In fact, many things can be improved if we are willing to change.

The third quadrant is misfortune in the present and misfortune in the future. Many people often say: I just want to buy a house, I just want to save enough 5 million, and so on. Such people have set themselves a future goal, so they can bear the burden of humiliation and work hard. But will they be happy in the end? The answer is never! Because one goal is achieved, there will be another goal, and no one will stop pursuing it.

The fourth quadrant is happiness now and happiness in the future. Attractive target, isn't it? How? For example, I'm working now, and it suddenly occurred to me that I'm going on holiday tomorrow. My heart flew there at once and I felt very happy to go on holiday. So will I feel happy at work at this moment? I feel particularly painful when I am tempted on holiday. Excuse me, can I suddenly leave and stop working? No, since I have decided to work today, although I am looking forward to the holiday, I can still feel the happiness of work at the moment. This kind of happiness is different from the happiness of a holiday. This is the ability to be happy. If you are happy now, you will be happy in the future.

These are the four quadrants of happiness. It tells us what we should do to be happy. We are happy now and will be happy in the future. We are all working hard for the future now, thinking of the future is very happy, and we can still feel the happiness of our efforts at this moment.