The Philosophy of Life for Young People - A Letter from a Diplomat to His Son

Author: Wei Ran
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-05-01
Features: The 26th Letter - The Value of a Man's Life
The value of a man lies in fulfilling his mission. Our responsibility is to take the torch from one person's hands and pass it to the next. And it is in this process, from receiving the torch to passing it on, that our life's value is realized. My dear child, you once asked me: What is the value of life? I remember, at the time, I answered that the value of life lies in happiness. You surely couldn’t understand that statement then, and it wasn’t your fault. I felt you were too young then and didn’t answer you very seriously. Now, it is time for you to understand this question.
Throughout history, humans have been pondering this question until today, yet no one has been able to provide a definitive answer. It is a too serious and profound issue. Generally, philosophical questions cannot provide a certain answer like scientific questions. Through reasoning, one arrives at what they believe to be correct and promotes this reasoning. I suppose this is what philosophers do! Without a clear answer, we must reflect and contemplate.
Humans are the highest animals on Earth. What makes humans superior to all other animals is their mind and their ability to think. Yet, what is happiness? Why is it said that happiness is the value of life? In truth, I cannot give you a precise answer because I am no wiser than a philosopher. Here, I can only share with you my thoughts on life’s value based on my decades of life experience and wisdom. Of course, I hope you can form your own opinions and put them into practice, even if it means sacrificing your life for these beliefs.
The pitiful ones are not those who fail to find the value of life but those who never think about it. The value of life lies in fulfilling one’s mission. Some compare life to a torch relay race that began the day humans appeared, and there is deep wisdom in this analogy. Each of us can only participate in one leg of the race. We come from darkness and return to darkness. Our responsibility is to take the torch from one person’s hands and pass it to the next, and our life’s value is realized in this process.
Ensuring the torch does not extinguish due to wind and rain during our race, or making it burn brighter, means we have fulfilled our life’s mission and embodied its value. If a person never questions their mission, they are like a ship without a captain, drifting aimlessly in the vast sea, tossed by waves, rising and falling. Such a life is meaningless and worthless. A person without a mission is not truly human. The difference between humans and animals may lie in that humans have a conscious mission, while animals only have the instinct to survive.
A person’s moral corruption stems from their lack of a correct mission, while greatness comes from having a great mission. A person’s mission is a life ideal, one that is nurtured and grows in their heart, but it must ultimately be put into action. The value of life is truly realized only when the mission is completed.