As Socrates approached the end of his life, he turned to his assistant and posed a question, "Could you assist me in finding an exceptional successor?"
Although the assistant consented and diligently searched for suitable candidates, none of them met Socrates' high standards.
Socrates, perceiving the assistant's discouragement, gently proposed, "Have you ever considered that you might be the most suitable person yourself?" The assistant, initially embarrassed, found solace in this suggestion.
In reality, many individuals, like the assistant, often grapple with self-doubt and underestimate their capabilities, inadvertently passing up numerous opportunities.
In Mo Yan's work "Frog," he quoted, "A person must learn to uplift themselves; if you don't value yourself, how can anyone else?"
Facing setbacks without succumbing to feelings of inferiority
Yu Minhong once remarked in a speech, "If you consistently belittle yourself, you'll find that all the doors in the world remain closed to you." Everyone encounters various setbacks and challenges since dealing with difficulties is an integral aspect of life. Continually diminishing your self-worth only exacerbates your suffering and makes it more challenging to recover from low points. The key to changing your circumstances lies not only in enhancing your skills but also in shedding inner sensitivity and timidity.
In his book "Words," French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre recounted his own youth. Sartre lost his father at a young age and, at four years old, developed a corneal opacity that resulted in the loss of sight in his right eye. Due to this physical imperfection, his playmates and classmates subjected him to relentless mockery. He endured a prolonged period of feeling inferior, isolating himself from others on a daily basis, and gradually becoming more reclusive. To cope, he grew his hair long in an attempt to conceal his right eye, but this only attracted more ridicule, further diminishing the quality of his daily life. However, upon hearing his grandfather's wisdom, Sartre felt as though he were awakening from a dream. He promptly cut his long hair and ceased being concerned about others' opinions. Overcoming his self-doubt, he ardently pursued his philosophical aspirations and committed to daily reading. Ultimately, Sartre emerged as one of the most prominent philosophers of the twentieth century, a testament to his unwavering faith in himself and perseverance.
Facing setbacks without surrendering
We have all encountered or are currently facing the darkest moments of our lives, regardless of our backgrounds. It resembles a long, dark, bleak, and depressing tunnel.
No one is immune to life's challenges in the world of adults. Succumbing to them only prolongs the agony, but enduring them can lead to transformation through the crucible of fate.
Xing Qingjie, hailing from humble beginnings, had to abandon his education after completing junior high school and work tirelessly to make ends meet. Despite these challenging circumstances, he never relinquished his dream of becoming a writer. Following his daily work, while his coworkers engaged in idle chatter during breaks, he would immerse himself in reading. Even on exhausted evenings, he would dedicate some time to writing. During trying times, such as when he worked as a butcher selling pork, he would seize the opportunity of a quiet moment at his pork booth to jot down his thoughts and ideas. His unwavering commitment eventually resulted in the publication of over 20 novels, establishing him as a renowned novelist and enabling him to lead the life he had always envisioned.
Life resembles a marathon, and those who readily give up are eliminated early on. Only those who persist until the end reap the rewards. When faced with a pitch-dark path, some individuals halt and become trapped in adversity, while others employ setbacks as stepping stones, continuously refining themselves in the face of challenges until they ultimately break through.
Enduring hardships and self-reliance
In his childhood, John F. Kennedy would ride in a horse-drawn carriage with his father. During one sharp turn, he was thrown out of the carriage, prompting him to cry out, "Dad, come help me." He expected his father to rush to his aid, but after a brief pause, he observed that his father remained seated in the carriage. He called out to his father again, to which his father responded, "You must stand up on your own." Kennedy had no choice but to muster the strength to rise and gradually make his way back to the carriage. Seeing his son's helplessness, his father conveyed a valuable lesson in a gentle tone:
"That's the nature of life: you fall, you rise, you run; you fall again, you rise, you run, and you fall once more, only to rise and run again." No one will always be there to extend a helping hand; you must learn to rely on yourself.
"When you teeter on the brink of surrender and seek someone to lean on, you'll realize that some mountains are cloaked in thorns, and others are inhabited by wild beasts." That's why you must become your own mountain. Dependency on a mountain can result in its collapse, and relying on others can lead to their departure. Confidence and resilience can only be achieved through self-reliance.
In summary, destiny rests in our own hands, and life provides the canvas for us to paint our unique stories. Entrusting others to paint that canvas is neither practical nor empowering. Unforeseen challenges will inevitably arise in our lives, and it is only through our own efforts that we can forge paths through these obstacles.
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