Chapter 61 times of turmoil

times of turmoil This is a time of turmoil.Everything is in flux, and everything is changing at any time.It is difficult for people to calculate their future, even the shortest future.This makes ordinary people depressed; this kind of depression covers the whole of China more or less deeply, and also permeates the whole world more or less thickly.Two years before the end of this world war, the disillusionment generally expressed was pointed out.This disillusionment felt even more pronounced in the year after the end of the war; especially so in China. After eight years of arduous war of resistance in China, most people are struggling to live.When the victory came, we took a breath and couldn't help but pictured in our hearts a moderately prosperous era that might be realized in three to five years.We also understand that the era of peace is still far away, so we only hope for a moderately prosperous era.But the cheers of victory passed like lightning, followed by bursts of muffled thunder.This change is too fast, and disillusionment is too fast. When ordinary people are disappointed, they can't help but feel that the turbulent situation before them seems to be more turbulent than during the War of Resistance.Besides, this turmoil is worldwide, and a country like China probably does not have enough power to control this turmoil; we cannot calculate, or even estimate, when this turmoil will be stabilized, and when will there be a moderately prosperous era .So the average person is even more deeply disillusioned.

China has always had a historical philosophy of governance and chaos.Few people believe in the mechanical cycle theory in modern times. However, in a broad sense, the ups and downs of governance and chaos seem to be a historical fact. The so-called broad sense means that it is not limited to politics, such as economic panic. A turbulent situation.The so-called relative means that there are great chaos and great chaos, and there are small chaos and small chaos; the situation of each country and each society is different, but they all have their ups and downs of governance and chaos.The ups and downs of governance and chaos are mentioned here, which means that human beings are walking a tortuous road; although they are walking a tortuous road, they are always moving forward towards their goals.I believe that humans have purpose and therefore progress.Every time there are ups and downs in the chaos, when it comes to liquidation, there is always some progress here and there.

But people generally want to rule rather than mess.In a turbulent era, we look to a well-off era, and in a well-off era, we look to a peaceful era-the real "peaceful" era is actually just an ideal.Human beings are walking towards this ideal with twists and turns; the twists and turns are due to the conflict between reality and ideals.Both reality and ideals are created by human beings. In the process of creation, trial and error are inevitable, and conflicts are inevitable.Reality and reality conflict, reality and ideal conflict, ideal and ideal conflict, everything has.From one perspective, life is full of contradictions; from the other perspective, there are similarities in the contradictions.Human beings develop in various conflicts.

In times of turmoil, there are more conflicts, and people feel uneasy, hesitant, disappointed, and almost disillusioned.Disillusionment Although disillusionment, but still have to live.Although I live on, I am tired and cursed.So he shook his head, frowned, "No way! No way" and said, passing by day by day.However, if this is a normal middle-aged man, he still has considerable energy, and he will not be willing to keep muddling around like this; he wants to live a more interesting life.So he was decadent - smoking, gambling, drinking, women, enjoying himself to the fullest.On the one hand, he devotes himself to the cause of speculation, regardless of all principles, as long as it is beneficial to him.Anyway, all principles are shaken, who is afraid of whom?Just grab the present, grab yourself, whatever society and country!An ancient poem said: "I bow and don't read it, let alone sympathize with my queen!"

can be used to describe these people. Some people live on despite being disillusioned, but with hatred and anger.They are not afraid of disillusionment, but build a new ideal on the remains of disillusionment.They want to transform this country and the world.These people are probably more young, full of energy, and less scruples. They hate traditions and principles; but now that these traditions and principles are being shaken, they simply want to kick them away.They want to create new traditions, new principles, a new China, and a new world.They are also desperate, but not just for themselves.Of course, they are not immune to trial and error.The result of trial and error, will the unrest continue, or will it end?This depends on the power of correction and stability in society, that is to say, whether they can grasp the reality or not.

There are also some people who are also living in disillusionment, but they are aware of and adapt to the reality.Gradually they are able to understand this turbulent era and accept this turbulent era.They were probably middle-aged men with only enough energy and courage to hold their posts and carry on their work.These people are unwilling to be decadent, but they can't take on the task of transformation. They are just some small people in the big era.But they carefully adjusted the various traditions and principles, and faithfully maintained those.Those traditions and principles, although some people want to kick them out, but most of them have their own reasons for their existence.Because society is coherent, history is coherent.A new society cannot drop from the sky, it has to grow from the soil of the past.The stability of society is of course in the basic necessities of life, especially the peasants in China; but these small people also contribute somewhat to the stability of the upper social institutions.They may not be able to withstand the impact of the trend of the times and eventually lose their jobs and even their lives, but some things they hold will still exist.

The above three types of people are just what the author sees and knows quite well, so naturally they cannot cover everything.But all three groups seem to be major players in these turbulent times.The author hopes that the description of these three types of people can somewhat explain the situation of this era.They have more or less recognized the reality, and more or less grasped the reality; on the one hand, the latter two types of people have ideals that are near or far, small or large.It is these two types of people that are useful.Those who are decadent are just consuming and wasting, both for themselves and the society.The speculator disturbed the order of society, and finally returned to consumption and waste.People who go around shaking their heads and saying "I can't help it" are not helpful, these people are simply harmful.Reformers are naturally the leaders of the times, but I hope they will not go too far and make more haste.The adjusters can be used in conjunction with the reformers, but I hope they will not be too conservative and stick to the rules.In this way, the balance of life is maintained, and we can hope to enter a moderately prosperous era relatively quickly.

Made on July 12-13, 1946. (Originally published in Nanjing "Central Daily" on July 21, 1946)