My Soul's Autobiography: Years and Temperament

Author: Zhou Guoping
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-07-01
Features: The book is divided into four parts, arranged chronologically, covering childhood and youth, university years, the period after graduation working and training in the countryside, and the time returning to Beijing for graduate studies and engaging in philosophical research. When a person recalls their life, they are often governed by a principle opposite to perspective. They may find that even the smallest childhood events seem significant, while recent major events appear relatively minor. The first part focuses on trivial memories from childhood, but childhood holds no small matters. The earliest impressions in life are particularly vivid because they are written on white paper, and seemingly insignificant details may have played a significant role in shaping one's character. The second part constitutes the largest portion of the book, with considerable dedicated to Guo Shiyin, as he was a person who profoundly influenced my life, and the direction of my spiritual pursuits was determined under his influence. If readers wish to know how a person with a strong spiritual instinct spent their long years of solitude in the countryside, they might find answers in the third part. The fourth part spans a wider time frame but has a smaller volume, with a somewhat rushed tone. My defense for this is that many events are still in progress, lacking the necessary distance for reflection. However, it is here that my life's path has found its fundamental destination, and thus I have focused more on expressing my mature understanding of myself and the world in this part. Sensitivity and detachment—or perhaps persistence and transcendence—constitute the two poles of my temperament. This book describes the process of their coexistence and growth, which is also my journey of temperament.