Wise human relationships

Author: Qian Liqun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: The title "Worldly Wisdom and Human Feelings" was "borrowed" from Mr. Zhu Ziqing. According to Mr. Zhu in the preface to "Shiyu and Other Essays," he originally planned to write a book about the "and other" section, naming it "Book of Worldly Wisdom." The term "worldly wisdom" literally means "worldly wisdom and human feelings." To speak of worldly wisdom and human feelings yet to become "and other" itself is quite meaningful. I remember during the Cultural Revolution, newspapers often followed reports of a long list of prominent officials attending a meeting with a phrase like "and someone like X"; this "and" is "and other," probably implying "incidental," "not mainstream," or "not worthy of a seat." So, worldly wisdom and human feelings might just be "not mainstream" in serious (formal) writing, but it also gains a special value: it’s great material for "chit-chat." Upon closer reflection, this is indeed the case. Among three or five close friends, a rare gathering, talking about all sorts of topics, rambling and chatting, apart from "chatting" (for pleasure), one inevitably talks about "worldly wisdom." Such topics, beyond life experience, often reveal a touch of wisdom and can be amusingly funny—just as people can’t help but smile when they hear "and" or "and other." According to Mr. Zhu Ziqing, behind this lies an underlying "detached perspective" on life with a "playful flavor." This enters a certain "realm," which we might call the "realm of prose" or the "realm of the sketch." In truth, prose (sketches) are the product of "chit-chat"; the wisdom, wit, and ease of casual talk all constitute the essential elements of prose (sketches) and reveal their nature. During the May Fourth period, when defining the prose sketches heavily influenced by British essays, people emphasized that "sketches use a light and casual tone to talk about life" (Liang Yuchun: Preface to "Selected Sketches"). Translating this into formal academic language, we can say that the exploration, excavation, and analysis of "worldly wisdom and human feelings" in the daily life of modern Chinese society constitute one of the fundamental ways in which modern Chinese sketches and writers connect with their real lives; naturally, this is an artistic connection: it not only determines the content of artistic expression but also its form."—You see, after this academic treatment, "Book of Worldly Wisdom" has become the "orthodox" of prose (sketches), and "not mainstream" has turned into "mainstream": there is no strict, insurmountable gap between the two. Worldly wisdom and human feelings are primarily a form of life wisdom and political wisdom. This is indeed a "specialty" of the Chinese people. Some say that the Chinese nation is not good at dialectical thinking or artistic imagination but is skilled in worldly wisdom and human feelings, and this may be true. We rarely evaluate a person based on whether they have a philosophical mind or imagination but rather say that someone is "not worldly" or "understands human feelings" based on their grasp and ability to deal with "worldly wisdom," that is, life wisdom and political wisdom. Chinese traditional culture, whether Confucianism, Legalism, or Taoism, has a keen and unique insight into worldly wisdom and human feelings, enough to make people admire it. Guo Moruo, in "Ten Critiques," once praised Han Fei’s "Sayings of Difficulties" and "Sayings of Hardship" for their "precise psychological analysis of human feelings and worldly wisdom," believing that "his analytical skills, appearing over two thousand years ago, must be considered astonishing." Lu Xun, while studying the history of Chinese fiction, also excavated the genre of "human feeling novels" from the Ming and Qing Dynasty novels. He commented that such novels often "depicted the social world, revealing its warmth and coldness, hence they are sometimes also called ‘books of worldly wisdom’"—perhaps Mr. Zhu Ziqing’s "book of worldly wisdom" originated from Lu Xun. Of course, one could also say, "great minds think alike": an entire generation simultaneously noticed (or made an effort to uncover) the political wisdom and life wisdom in Chinese traditional culture, and this fact itself is thought-provoking. The sages long ago said that Chinese history is a "history of mutual slaughter," which crystallized worldly wisdom and human feelings in traditional culture. As history entered this century, rapid social reforms led to great changes in people’s hearts, and the turbulent political struggles forced people to deeply understand worldly wisdom and human feelings. Naivety, simplistic and linear thinking, a disconnect between perception and reality, could even lead to disaster. The famous prose writer Sun Li in the essay "On Stubbornness" included in this book mentioned how, during the "Cultural Revolution," his lack of worldly wisdom led to great suffering. This is an undeniable fact: the Chinese nation learned to understand worldly wisdom and human feelings through blood and tears. Therefore, if someone takes pride in the political wisdom and life wisdom of the Chinese people, they should first consider the price our nation paid for it: the blood and tears behind "books of worldly wisdom" should not be forgotten. But if this leads to extremes—constantly remembering, being attached, and unable to break free—it would also prevent the creation of "books of worldly wisdom." Mr. Zhu Ziqing once said that the "Zuo Zhuan," "Zhan Guo Ce," and "Shi Shi Xin Yu" were "three classics of conversation" in Chinese tradition. It should be said that both the "Zuo Zhuan" and "Zhan Guo Ce" contain rich life wisdom and political wisdom, but they are "foreign diplomatic language" and "persuasive rhetoric," respectively, and are not what we call "books of worldly wisdom." The only one that truly qualifies is the "Shi Shi Xin Yu," which reflects the "freethinking" style of the Wei and Jin periods. The key here clearly lies in the author’s (speaker’s) heart, temperament, mindset, and observational attitude. Lu Xun once said that the "Wei and Jin style" had not only "refinement" but also "transcendence." "Transcendence" means "casual"; if "playfulness" sounds unpleasant, it can also be called "open-mindedness." "Open-mindedness" is "seeing through" followed by "enlightenment." This is both complete clarity and a form of transcendence, with a clear and carefree demeanor. This is what we usually call "humor"—a higher level of wisdom and a higher level of aesthetic appreciation of life. In my view, the only ones who truly reached this realm, besides the literati of the Wei and Jin period, were the May Fourth generation. Of course, their cultural backgrounds were different: May Fourth intellectuals were deeply influenced by Western rationalism and had modern concepts of science and democracy internalized as their own survival needs, yet they were surrounded by traditional customs, and the strong contrast between their inner desires and the external environment made them not only feel uncomfortable as if wearing damp underwear but also constantly produce a sense of absurdity. In a sense, this is a clear and conscious awareness of the absurdity of their (and the nation’s) way of life, making it deeply moving; yet when expressed, it is as light as possible. But sensitive readers can sense from the tone of "amused yet helpless" that the author is mocking and even scourging certain weaknesses of Chinese culture and the Chinese people while also self-mocking. And it is precisely this latter aspect that makes the "critique" in such essays lack the fiery and sharp edge of youth, giving it instead a "subtle and satirical" charm, which is, in turn, close to the aesthetic style of traditional Chinese culture. Readers who read Feng Zikai’s "Words of a Traveler" and Lin Yutang’s "Murder on the Winter Morning" and Liang Shiqiu’s "Guest" included in this collection will find it easy to appreciate the humor in the "books of worldly wisdom" written by the May Fourth generation, which arises from the reflection of modern "rational light" on traditional "social realities," making its "modernity" very clear. Humor naturally contains a touch of "playfulness"—after understanding worldly wisdom and human feelings, it seems inevitable. But here there seems to be a line: if "playfulness" goes too far, it can turn into "sycophancy" or even "collaboration." This is also a "tradition" in China; Lu Xun long ago pointed out that to reduce the cruelty of a butcher to a laugh is absurd; "finding leisure in bloodshed" is fundamentally unacceptable. Lu Xun was right when he said, "The world is truly a difficult place: to call someone ‘not worldly’ is not good, but to call them ‘too worldly’ is also not good. ‘Worldly wisdom’ seems to be like ‘reform is necessary but not too much reform,’—it must be understood but not taken too far." The humor in "books of worldly wisdom" lies in its precise grasp of the "balance" between "worldly wisdom" being "necessary but not taken too far," that is, "moderation." In terms of life attitude, it is to see through life without clinging to unrealistic fantasies while remaining proactive and earnest, preserving an innocent heart. Beneath the mocking tone of "playful indifference" lies a touch of indignation and persistence, forming the rich flavor of this modern "book of worldly wisdom," and this is also why it is so enduring. Reading such essays, no matter how much the author mocks or makes witty remarks, you can touch the passionate heart and feel the earnestness, which is also the "character" of Chinese intellectuals and literature of this century.