There are “good” and “bad” in everything. The classifications of “good” and “bad” are all man made (伪). They make us view reality as being divided in a binary manner, which of course is inaccurate. We can always learn something from the “good things” as well as the “bad things” if we keep an open mind rather than being fixated on one school of thoughts, thinking that we are right and others are wrong. Nothing is absolutely right and nothing is absolutely wrong, but a diverse of things can be not-wrong at the same time, and a diverse of things can be not-right at the same time. There may be various ways to reach the same logical conclusion. Not-wrong doesn’t mean it is right, not-right doesn’t mean it is wrong. We should be happy to be not wrong and not right, lest we will be tortured by the desire to be “right” or suffering due to misconception that we are in a “wrong” position. To have a better understanding of any matter, seek to know the “good” and “bad” of it, and how to turn the “bad” into “good” use, and prevent the “good” from being twisted as something “bad” to discourage us.
World War II caused undesirable disruption to the world; it was unpleasant, but the Nature quickly recovered to a new state (which is stronger in one way and more unstable in another way). We are grateful for a more comfortable life and better equality worldwide today, but at the same time we wish World War II never had happened. The debates of right and wrong, good and bad, will never end. Conventional classification of things into kinds according to their typical human uses, in the ordinary vocabulary, will not give an accurate understanding of the things. “Peace is not an absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice.” – Baruch Spinoza.
Many people are afraid to say politically-incorrect words, because saying them is not popular; but politically-incorrect doesn’t necessarily mean it is wrong. There are many politically-incorrect ideas in this blog; including wanting to be not-right. Wanting to be right is arrogant. Many people will say I am not right. However, since I don’t want to be right, so that’s OK, as long as I am not breaking any laws of the land.
Zhang Liang (张良) (250-186 BC) was the most important strategist who helped Liu Bang to topple the Qin dynasty and established the Han dynasty (after which he soon retired and became a practitioner of Daoism). Before he joined the forces of Liu Bang, he was a rebel himself against Qin’s rule to seek revenge for the destruction of his family and State. He failed in an assassination attempt to kill Qin Shi Huang and went into hiding. One day, when he was walking near a bridge at Xia Pi, an old man suddenly took off his shoe and dropped it under the bridge. He then said to Zhang Liang: “Young man, go down and fetch the shoe for me.” Zhang Liang was dumbfounded. However, he controlled his emotion because he sensed something unusual about the old man. Without saying a word, he went down to fetch the shoe. The old man then said: “Put it on for me.” Zhang Liang complied. The old man then went away with a laugh. After going some distance, the old man turned back and said: “You can be taught, young man! Meet me here five days from now at dawn.” Zhang Liang’s curiosity was aroused, and he knelt down and answered: “I will.” Five days later, Zhang Liang went back to the bridge at dawn. However, the old man was already there waiting for him. The old man said angrily: “Why are you late for appointment with an old man? Come earlier five days from now.” With that he left. This time Zhang Liang got up early, but still the old man was earlier than him. The old man was angry and said: “Late again. Come earlier five days from now.” With that again he left. In the third time, Zhang Liang got up at midnight and went to wait at the bridge. The old man came shortly. He said approvingly: “That’s right.” He took out a book and said: “Read this book and you will become the teacher of a king. Ten years from now you will become a hugely successful person. Thirteen years from now you will see me again as a yellow rock at the foot of Mount Gu Cheng, north of the River Ji.” Without another word he left and did not appear again. The book was The Art of War of Jiang Tai Gong (太公兵法) (which was a collection of answers by Jiang Tai Gong to the military questions from the founding King of Zhou dynasty). He read it again and again. After the establishment of the Han dynasty, Liu Bang said: “Zhang Liang was able to help me win a war from a thousand miles away from the enemy. He is one of the Three Pillars of my victory, along with Han Xin, the grand-general of Han forces and Xiao He, the first chancellor of the Han dynasty.” The old man would not have given the book to Zhang Liang if he couldn’t pass the test. He would not be the right student if he couldn’t sense the good intention of the special old man who wanted to teach him something. An extraordinary book is meant for an uncommon person.
RESILIENT KID 