Chapter 12 Thesis writer

A literati can be commended, because he is modest, knows how to make progress, does not take status, and does not rest on duty.Indeed, a literati sometimes regards himself more contemptuously than others; he only hates himself for being a literati, and he does not hesitate to waste words, energy, time, and paper to prove that he is not willing to be a literati, and is not satisfied with being a literati.In this day and age, is this still a hero who doesn't know the times? The so-called literati, logically, should refer to all those who contribute manuscripts, write books, and write articles.However, in fact, the application of the term literati is limited to authors of poems, prose, novels, operas, etc., as the ancients called "ci Zhangjia", "useless literati", and "one is a literati, and there is nothing to look at".As for experts in social sciences and natural sciences who are proficient in practical knowledge and do not engage in empty writing, even though they have published large articles, they absolutely disdain to call themselves useless literati-although they are not qualified as warriors.I don't call myself a literati, perhaps out of self-knowledge; because writing in black and white on white paper does not necessarily count as an article.When it comes to usefulness, it can be roughly divided into two types.The first is waste utilization. For example, cow dung can be used as firewood, and as Tao Kan said, both bamboo and sawdust are useful.The second type is necessary for daily use. For example, when it comes to toothbrushes, hair toilets, etc., we also have the idea of ​​"you can't live without this gentleman for a day".There are so many uses of things in the world, but some literati still wear useless emblems, and feel inferior to bamboo heads, sawdust, toothbrushes, and hair toilets. Do you think they are pitiful?For useful characters, we might as well give them a title so as to distinguish them from literati.For example, call them "employers". The word "employer" is the abbreviation of "useful person", which is more comparable to the word "literati".Such concise and mixed nouns should not be exclusive to old women, little girls, and chartered drivers.Moreover, this noun has two advantages.First, it is full of the spirit of democracy and equality. Expert consultants and servants share the same title and stand on the same line.Second, it does not violate the principle of China's overall Westernization: I heard that there is a president of the United States who calls himself a "public servant", that is, a servant who is ordered by everyone; During the French Revolution, the party members called the servants "Freres servants" (Freres servants); the president equaled the king, and the Pope equaled the father (Papa).

It has been true since ancient times that employers look down on literati, and it is not news in today's newspapers.For example, "Han Gao Zu Ben Ji" records that the emperor is not good at literature, and "Lu Jia Biography" even uses Gao Zu's own words to explain: "It is the male who will win the world immediately, and the poems and books?" decree.People who oppose literature from ancient times to the present have thousands of words, but in the final analysis they are nothing more than these two sentences. The two sentences "Ju Ma" are even more intimate and interesting when I read them during the Anti-Japanese War.Plato's novel rejects poets and literati, how can there be such a cut and majestic tone?Plato is full of poetic sentiments, and Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty once made poems and sang "Great Wind Song". The two of them still despise poems, let alone those vulgar and healthy primates.Theophile Gautier once said in "Les Grotesques" (Les Grotesques) that businessmen and rich men often suffer from strange diseases, which are called "po sophobie".The cause of the disease is as follows: the rich man occasionally opens his son’s desk drawer and sees a pile of white paper full of words, which are neither bookkeeping nor accounts. The first word of each line is capitalized, and the last word does not end. Because of this, anger rushed to the top of his head, his chest burst with anger, and he deeply hated the misfortune of his family. After such an unscrupulous and rebellious son, his nerves suddenly became abnormal.At that time, the disease was not only of a strange origin, but also highly contagious; every year, it was as prevalent as cholera in summer and cold in winter.As for the prescription, I heard that there is also one: burn all ancient and modern Chinese and foreign poetry anthologies and swallow them as ashes.It is said that as long as it is done in the same way, the anger in the chest will naturally disappear, and the thorn in the eye will be pulled out. From then on, the country will be strong and the people will be peaceful, the politics will be bright, and the martial arts will prosper!As for the same grand theories of contemporary celebrities, they have already been published in large-scale publications that are widely sold, and everyone is familiar with them, so there is no need to repeat them.

Literature must be destroyed, but literati might as well be rewarded—reward them not to be literati.Pope (Lisp in numbers) and Bai Juyi had no knowledge. After all, such incorrigible innate literati are a minority.As for ordinary literati, to be honest, they are not interested in literature, and they are not good at it.They engage in literature, just like the women of good families in old novels become prostitutes, it is said that they have no other choice but to do so out of necessity.As long as there is a chance for them to jump out of the fire pit, all of these talents who can be created will waste their books and write pens, and change their careers to good ones.Literature is an unlucky business with the fewest prospects, hunger and cold, and disease.We only hear that there are hackers; there have never been titles like beggars, beggars, beggars, beggars, and merchants.The most stupid and stupid people will never engage in poetry and novels unless they have nowhere to go.Therefore, not only others despise literature and writers, but even the literati themselves are full of self-pity, and completely lack faith and respect for literature.For example, Yang Xiong, a full-fledged literati, said in "Fa Yan": "Carving insects and seal carvings is not for a strong man." It can be seen that he would rather be a strong man than a literati.Therefore, we see a special phenomenon: all scholars are majestic, pompous, and have 120% confidence in the subjects they study; Bragging, talking about "national calamity literature", "propaganda weapons", etc., are like water-soaked skin drums, beating silently.Goethe was reviled for not writing patriotic poems, because he complained in his "Quotations" (Gespraceche mit Eckermann), saying that he was not a sergeant, and how could he sit in his study and sing battle songs before he went to the front line. (Kriegslieder schreiben und in Zimmer siteenl).Under the current situation of being good at making heroes, a small number of literati can talk about strategy, make political comments, and make statements, or they can consider themselves mentors and advise the people.Such a versatile person should not be buried in literature.As long as there is a chance to make them change, they can immediately abandon literature and art and stop making a living.

Shelley said in "A Vindication of Poetry" that literati are "human legislators" (legislator), and Carlyle said that literati can be regarded as "heroes" in "On Hero Worship".Those literati with special materials just want to be heroes, hoping to become legislators or whatever.To claim to be a hero or a legislator is an exaggeration; to want to be a legislator and a hero is to be ambitious.Aspiring to make progress should be rewarded.Aspiring to make progress, expressing dissatisfaction and shame with the actual status.Knowing shame is almost brave.Courage should be encouraged, let alone in this period?

To put it simply: we should destroy literature and reward literati—reward them not to be literati, not to engage in literature.