On the Composition of 500 Words in Chapter 12 of The Analects of Confucius

On the Twelve Chapters of The Analects of Confucius

Let's talk about Confucius' self-summary in his later years, that is, "I am determined to learn five out of ten, stand at thirty, not be confused at forty, know my destiny at fifty, follow my ears at sixty, and not overstep my bounds at seventy."

This sentence should be said by Confucius in his later years. It is a summary of Confucius' life experience, not a requirement for others. Now we often quote and quote this sentence from beginning to end, misinterpreting Confucius' meaning. Especially at the age of 30, many of us have a wrong understanding of it now. Some people think that they should achieve their career at the age of 30. Some people think that at the age of 30, you should be able to stand on your own feet in society; Some people think that you should start your own business at the age of 30; Some people think that at the age of 30, they should leave their parents and make their own living. There are many similar statements, but none of them conform to the original intention of Confucius.

Confucius summed up his life from the age of fifteen, taking every ten years as a time point. Nine times out of ten, I am determined to study, that is to say, I began to study at this time and made learning my main life content. Confucius' father died shortly after he was born. He grew up in a single-parent family. Later, his mother died again. Nine times out of ten, when Confucius was determined to study, he had already established himself in the society. He decided to study after solving the problem of survival. According to Historical Records, Meng, a doctor of Lu, praised Confucius for being young and eager to learn, and told his successor Meng to learn from Confucius. At this time, Confucius was only seventeen years old, and he was able to get such affirmation from the ruling doctor, which showed that he had established himself in society and made considerable achievements. So the next 30 years old doesn't mean that you will start to stand on the society or make achievements at the age of 30. At the age of 30, I made a clear goal and started my future career with this goal. Having goals does not mean that career development will be smooth sailing. In the process of development, especially in the early stage of career creation, there will be many unexpected difficulties, and there will also be all kinds of so-called opportunities to tempt him to give up his established goals. Maybe Confucius wavered. But by the age of forty, Confucius had set a goal and would not be shaken by difficulties and temptations, so he was "not confused". At the age of 50, I have a profound understanding of the history of society and the fate of life, and I have also learned a lot of laws from it. This is called "knowing the destiny". Confucius is actually a very emotional person, and he may be a little extreme when he was young. As a saint, Confucius knows his weaknesses and has been trying to overcome them. At the age of 60, people have experienced many things, the secretion of androgen has also decreased, and their mentality has become peaceful, so they naturally begin to "listen". Life is seventy years old, there is nothing to see through, so I will do what I want, but I must pay attention to obeying the law, that is, not to exceed the rules.

I have a special understanding of the sentence "do whatever you want, don't overstep the rules", and I will share it with you here. There used to be a popular word called "chic". At that time, people wanted to be chic and thought they were chic. Later, the word gradually faded out of our daily language, and now almost no one mentions it anymore. Because we are beginning to feel more unhappy now, happiness has become our buzzword now. But what is chic and what is happiness has not been made clear. I think Confucius inadvertently made the best comment on chic and happiness, that is, doing what he wants from the heart.