Be an Outstanding Teenager - The Eight Honors and Eight Shames Education Stories for Teens

Author: Wang Xingfan / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-07-01
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Patriotism is the guiding light for the growth of young people.
Loving the motherland is a traditional virtue of the Chinese nation and a sacred duty of young people. Our personal future and destiny are closely linked with the future and destiny of our country, so we must cultivate a patriotic spirit, taking pride in loving our motherland and being ashamed of harming it. We should be determined to contribute our own efforts to our motherland. The "Eight Honors and Eight Shames" first proposed "Taking pride in loving the motherland and being ashamed of harming it," which is powerful and resonant. For thousands of years, the Chinese nation has endured internal and external hardships, yet today it still stands independently in the world and continues to develop and grow. A very important reason for this lies in the relentless struggles of generations of righteous and dedicated people, even those who sacrificed their lives for the country. It also lies in the unbroken tradition of patriotic spirit and national integrity, such as the saying, "If serving the country demands life or death, why should one avoid or pursue fortune and misfortune?" However, now there are many young people who do not know the origin of the five-starred red flag or how they should feel about the national flag, which is a cause for concern.
Many young people living in today's peaceful environment tend to naively believe that there is no need to be patriotic. They think that since there is no war, no turmoil, or no ethnic division, there is no need for a strong sense of patriotism. Dear friends, this idea is wrong. Patriotism does not mean spending every day fighting against reactionary forces. In fact, our daily words and actions are also closely related to patriotism. For example, saving a drop of water saves the country's resources; protecting the environment preserves the country's ecology.
Some self-assured young friends may think, "We hear about loving the motherland all the time, but we haven't seen the country do anything for us." These friends can reflect on the famous quote by former U.S. President John F. Kennedy: "Don't ask what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country."
Yes, patriotism is loving oneself. The more we contribute to our motherland, the more fulfilling our lives become, and the broader our future prospects. We must understand that our sacred duty is to seek well-being for our country and its people.
Regarding patriotism, the late Soviet educator V. A. Sukhomlinsky once said: "Loving the motherland is a pure, acute, noble, strong, gentle, affectionate, tender, severe feeling. A person who truly loves the motherland is a true person in every aspect." Today, however, such sincere emotions are rarely felt, and some even claim that one cannot truly experience the feeling of patriotism without leaving the country. But is that really the case? The late renowned Chinese writer Ba Jin once said: "I love my motherland and my people. Without her, without them, I cannot survive, let alone write."
From this perspective, discussing whether we "love our country" or "where we should love our country from" has no meaning today, because many great figures have already set the best example through their words and actions. From the moment we are born, patriotism is like a seed that takes root deep in our hearts, becoming our lifelong mission and constant responsibility. The core of national spirit is patriotism, which is a tremendous force driving the progress of our society, a common spiritual pillar for all ethnic groups, and a guiding light for the growth of young people, preventing us from losing our way in life.
Every young person should firmly establish the concept of loving the motherland, uphold the principle that the interests of the motherland come first, and consciously align their personal future and destiny with that of the country. They should transform their love for the motherland into boundless strength for building the great cause of the motherland.
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