Chinese virtue

Chapter 21 Contentment
In the previous chapter, we learned that Chinese people have a very strong tolerance for illness and disaster. This ability can be regarded as a kind of psychological contradiction, which is really difficult for us to understand.

Facing the desperate situation, the Chinese did not show any disappointment, nor did they show the slightest struggle. It can be said that they have never had any hope.The Chinese don't have any impatience or restlessness, and people of many ethnic groups in the world have such emotions.Especially at the end of the nineteenth century, people expressed this sentiment very clearly.The Chinese are not aware of "the arrival of a beautiful era", and they have not even thought about it at all.

"Patience" and "tenacity" are just two of the many Chinese virtues.Chinese people can often maintain a peaceful state of mind and a comfortable mood in adversity. This kind of spirit is "the contented person is always happy" in the oriental saying.The main purpose of this chapter is to call attention to this virtue, and hopefully eventually to understand it.

When we say that the Chinese are "satisfied", it does not mean that they are satisfied with everything they have now and do not want to change.Just like what we said before, the Chinese are conservative, and their "satisfaction" is limited to China's current system.Many Chinese do not want to break the system, and have no idea of ​​improving it.Generally speaking, conformity to the old ways is not unique to Chinese people. Many ethnic groups have this complex, but Chinese people are more prominent in this respect.The old-fashioned concept takes root in the minds of the Chinese people, controls the Chinese people's thinking, and makes them content with the status quo.It is precisely because this old-fashioned concept has been deeply rooted in the Chinese people's minds that no one wants to establish a new system, because every Chinese is under great pressure.In China, the intellectual world dominates people's thoughts and actions, which is not the case in other countries, and even if there is, it is not as prominent as the Chinese.The intellectual circles in China have instilled in every Chinese the idea that the current system is already the most perfect system and there is no need to make any changes.

And citing classics as evidence, this gradually makes Chinese people become conservative and stubborn, believing that this system is really the best.

The Chinese believe in fate very much, and many people do not understand this.In ancient Chinese books, there are many sayings about "Mandate of Heaven".People also often say that "there is God's will in the dark".

This statement is very similar to the Western theory of God, but there is a big difference in the core idea.For Westerners, God is a concrete existence, everything in the world is created by God, and everything is arranged by God.The Chinese so-called "heaven" refers to a kind of hazy thing, it is not a person, nor is it a god or something. It can be said that the "heaven" in the eyes of the Chinese refers to the fate of people.The "good elves" and "evil elves" in Western fairy tales are said by Chinese people as "good fate" or "bad fate".

In the eyes of the Chinese, it seems that fate is omnipotent.

Divination is called "fortune-telling" in China. It is a very profound and mysterious theory. Many Chinese believe in it and follow the instructions of fortune-tellers to live their lives.The influence of this superstitious activity in different regions is also different, but it is undeniable that every Chinese has been more or less affected.So there are always some unlucky Chinese who hang their heads and say: "This is my life." Treating life with such negative emotions will definitely lead to more disappointing results.

People who expect their fate to turn around for the better, especially the Chinese who have this kind of thinking, are like a dying patient, just blindly waiting for death, and then they are freed.Maybe the "fate" that the Chinese call is not the same as the "destiny" that the Turks call, and the Chinese don't believe in the so-called "destiny" like the Turks, but the Chinese still don't think about changing their own destiny. Fate will not fight against the arrangement of fate, because the Chinese believe that people's fate is already arranged.

The ancient Greeks had a saying: "History teaches the world with facts." We have said before that the Chinese are conservative because they respect the ancients too much. For the Chinese, Chinese history is the teacher who taught them to grow up .People in other countries do not receive education by knowing the history of their own country. For people in these countries, history and systematic education are two different things. understood.The shortcomings of the Chinese in this regard are very obvious.Except for their own country, the Chinese don't care about the history of other countries at all. The Chinese people don't know anything about the Western Renaissance, the Christian Reformation in Europe, the discovery of the New World, the birth of science, and other major world events.

Because of these incidents, countries around the world understand each other and make progress with each other, and gradually emphasize the importance of "human rights".But the Chinese are still sticking to the rules and standing still.

The Chinese always have some thoughts of the previous dynasty, and talking to them about improving their living environment is undoubtedly playing the piano against the cow.The theoretical application of political economy has brought great benefits to every country.But to the Chinese, these things mean nothing.Their understanding of political economy is not even as good as that of the ancients in the era of the Western Crusades.Of course, even if they understand, they are not interested.Only when they see the excellent living conditions of others, will they think about changing their living environment.Chinese people don't know anything about other countries, so they don't know how much better the living conditions of other countries are than they are.There are also some people who have a little understanding of the lives of some foreigners, but their conformist nature prevents them from further understanding.In China, only large-scale improvements can make people's lives better, but those who have the strength to do these big things don't want to do it.Although the people will be dissatisfied, but this dissatisfaction will not be revealed on the surface.So on the whole, Chinese people's contentment hinders their development.

As I said before, the reason why the Chinese do not want to improve their living conditions is because of their experience.Foreigners who are familiar with Chinese history know that migration can alleviate the misfortune of Chinese people.

Although we know that once the Chinese people accept this method, they will surely succeed, but the Chinese will never abandon their ancestors and go far away to relieve their own pressure.According to the theory of Confucianism, people should guard the tombs of their ancestors in their hometown.The Chinese don't like to travel far away to make money unless they are forced to do so.The ideal life of the Chinese is: grow in the soil like a plant, bloom, bear fruit, and finally wither on this land.

Chinese people who have left their homeland are eager to finally return to their roots.From the moment they leave home, the idea of ​​returning home has always been in the minds of Chinese people. Every Chinese hopes to be buried in the grave of their ancestors when they die, and be with their ancestors. The idea of ​​"burying bones at the feet of children and grandchildren" dominates the emotions and behaviors of Chinese people. It will make Chinese people give up those effective methods of relieving pain, and become a resistance for Chinese people to improve their quality of life.Unless it is the "mandate of heaven", the Chinese will not emigrate to other places for a better life.Although they will also be dissatisfied with the status quo, an invisible force makes them hide their dissatisfaction in their hearts.

Westerners do not have the corresponding characteristic of "contentment", so this characteristic of Chinese people has not been explained in such detail.The contented character of the Chinese is like a fish with long fins to swim faster, and a bird with wings to fly. This is an innate nature.

The Chinese are born to know how to bear hardships and stand hard work, live in peace and order, and abide by social order.In addition, the Chinese have unprecedented perseverance and tough patience.They know that the suffering they face is irresistible, so Chinese people are very optimistic and will not be as nervous as foreigners.When the Chinese face adversity, they will protect themselves very well like an ostrich.For things that cannot be solved by themselves, the Chinese will choose to obey without complaint, just like the Chinese know that "hit your head against the wall, and the wall will not move away".There is a saying in China: A disease that cannot be cured can only be endured.Chinese people know how to realize their ideals, and also know how to make money to change their lives. The most valuable thing is that Chinese people know how to "satisfy" under any circumstances.

The Chinese are very optimistic, which can be regarded as one of their characteristics. In fact, the two characteristics of contentment and optimism are closely related.Chinese people always get happiness beyond their expectations, because they are easy to satisfy and always try to keep themselves happy, which is different from Westerners.Chinese people are never picky about anything. They don't care where they eat or what they eat. They are definitely a typical example of good guests.What surprises most Westerners is that even those poor Chinese always look contented.

The optimism of the Chinese people is inseparable from their love of making friends.The Anglo-Saxons, on the other hand, are melancholy and aloof.Chinese people like chatting very much, whether they are friends or strangers, they can chat with each other.Chinese people can relieve a lot of stress and pain in life through chatting.

One thing is worth mentioning: Many Chinese like to plant some flowers or some trees to decorate their residences.There is a vague saying in China that makes perfect sense: We have very little, but we can make the best use of it.

Although we have criticized our Chinese servants more or less in the past, they almost never complained. Even if they were given some tasks outside of work, they would not be dissatisfied, and they didn't think there was anything worth complaining about.

Chinese servants don't complain about their fate, because they will be laughed at by their companions, and they will be used as a joke.In the previous chapters, we mentioned that Chinese people are very hardworking. Some textile workers often spin from morning to night, and they do not light oil lamps, but work in the dark to save a little money.They work tirelessly, never complain, and take it for granted.There are also some people who are engaged in physical labor such as coolies and coachmen. They often use their rest time to work and never complain. A meal can make them feel very satisfied.There are often some observant foreigners who find this characteristic of Chinese laborers.The British Consul Mr. Xie Lishan once described the scene of the upper reaches of the Yangtze River in "Three Years in West China": "The trackers are very worthy of attention. Except for musicians and divers, almost all strong young men are pulling on the river bank. I finished my meal, but I never saw them getting emotional." Mr. Li De also wrote a similar description in the book "Through the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River": "Five trackers put their hands and feet on the rough stones, Bit by bit, they dragged the boat upstream. The perseverance and patience of these poor coolies cannot be described in words. They only have one yuan of income per month, and they only rely on brown rice and a little fried cabbage to maintain their bodies. nourishment, they work from dawn to dusk for a living."

I know a Chinese coachman who is a servant of foreigners and often pushes his cart for several months.Throughout the year, no matter what the weather is, he sets out early, transports goods across mountains and mountains barefoot, and does not rest until late.When he arrived at the post station, he had to prepare board and lodging for his master.He was paid very little for these labors, but he never complained.His master said that he has never been awkward or lost his temper after working for several years.I think readers who have had this experience will tell many similar stories.

The optimistic nature of the Chinese is especially evident when they are sick.The Chinese can maintain an optimistic attitude in the face of all things, and he also hopes that others will remain optimistic about his own situation.

We all know that many extremely poor Chinese people do not receive proper nutrition when they are sick, and they have no relatives around them. Even if they have relatives, they will alienate them indifferently.There is no hope for the future at all.But even so, they can still maintain an optimistic attitude.

And if you are an Anglo-Saxon, you will be particularly restless.

I believe that most Chinese people have an optimistic personality, and everyone who travels in China will meet Chinese people with this quality.If the historical teaching of "survival of the fittest" is correct and credible, then the future of the Chinese nation must be bright.

(End of this chapter)