Hidden Pain and Hidden Ills (Another Interpretation of Modern Literati)

Author: Wei Bangliang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-05-01
Features: In 2003, my university classmate Zhang Jun asked me to contribute an article. In a highly free state of mind, I wrote the short essay "To Sing High Notes or Low Notes: It's a Question." This article was later selected by Mr. Hu Changming of the magazine Book House and published in the same year's issue of Book House, and was by the widely known Reader the following year. The success of this article made me realize a simple truth: to make writing a joy, one must learn to write for oneself. For a long time, I have been immersed in reading due to doing nothing. However, lengthy and tedious reading can be exhausting and tiring, so I had to take a break in my reading journey—a quiet rumination over the texts I had read. In my view, this rumination is what is called reflection and thought. As Confucius said, "Learning without reflection is lost; reflection without learning is idle." Without rumination and thought, extensive knowledge is merely a superficial robe that looks good but offers no substance. I particularly love a famous quote by Shen Congwen: "Reflect on me, and you will understand 'me'; reflect on me, and you will recognize 'humanity.'" Here, I dare to add my own concluding remark: "Reflect on me, and you will truly understand 'books.'" A life without reflection is not worth living; reading without reflection is not worth mentioning. In my opinion, the purpose of reading is not to make oneself a walking library; nor is it to turn one's mind into a battleground for others' ideas. I believe that reading means "stealing" a few suitable "weapons" from others' "arsenals" and using the light of others' thoughts to illuminate one's own life journey. Another saying I admire is: "There are others beyond oneself, and oneself is among others." Since "there are others beyond oneself," one should "extend oneself to others"; and since "oneself is among others," one should not beautify oneself. Mr. Liang Shuming once said, "Thought or a principle is originally an answer to a problem. The lack of thought is because there are no problems. Conversely, a person's learning is precisely because they are good at discovering problems. They can perceive even the slightest differences in opinions and viewpoints, pursue them earnestly, and not overlook the past. Problems are the roots, and great learning is like a great tree that grows from these roots. The environment and experiences (including reading) and life practices are its nourishing materials, gradually forming a large system over time." Someone of my limited talent naturally dares not to aspire to possess great learning "like a great tree," but discovering the "roots" of problems was the initial motivation and greatest purpose behind writing this book. Understanding others is difficult; understanding oneself is even harder. In this sense, rather than saying that the author analyzes one after another in this book, it is more accurate to say that the author self-examines one after another in this book; rather than saying that the author diagnoses others' "hidden pains," it is more accurate to say that the author explores their own "dark illnesses." This is the preface. Understanding others is difficult; understanding oneself is even harder. In this sense, rather than saying that the author analyzes one after another in this book, it is more accurate to say that the author self-examines one after another in this book; rather than saying that the author diagnoses others' "hidden pains," it is more accurate to say that the author explores their own "dark illnesses."