Life, Liberty and The Pursuit of Happiness: How? 穷则兼善天下,达则独善其身
TJKCB Notes:
Today is World Kindness Day - an international observance on 13 November. On Saturday, wear a kindness t-shirt or sweatshirt. We also love the idea of wearing a cardigan in honor of Mr. Rogers. Be sure to take photos on World Kindness Day and tag @inspirekindacts or #worldkindnessday!
"Be Kind Wherever Possible" got me to the following post, prompting me to jot down:
Liberty? Can you handle it? It is too hot to handle for the majority of ordinary people. Aha, you don't think so? Read on below to see if you can fit it into the situation of sacrifice. ARE YOU READY ?
In reality, everyone counts in the butterfly effects of Life, Liberty and The Pursuit of Happiness (below).
Counter-argument: 「窮則獨善其身，達則兼善天下」意思是，不得志時要修養好自身，得志時要努力讓天下人都能受益。 精煉地表達了儒家入世與出世的政治選擇和人生態度，成為從古至今眾多知識分子立身處世的座右銘。 這既蘊含了進退之間深刻的內在矛盾，也彰顯了儒學通權達變的思想方法與精神氣度。
However, I argue in favor of "窮則兼善天下, 達則独善其身," as Jesus Christ praised the 2 penny poor woman for wanting to help others. Why?
In poverty, one should cultivate oneself and be considerate of the world, as such, expanding one's horizons and lifting up spirit; in prosperity, one should focus on self-cultivation to refrain from doing evil, greedy, and dangerous things with one's huge resources, as history's riches and fame backed up Adolph Hitler of Germany in WW2.
In the context of the Christian teaching about the "two-penny poor woman"[a way for The Pursuit of Happiness], we can argue that even in a state of poverty, individuals can exhibit a remarkable spirit of self-cultivation through acts of generosity and kindness.
The story of the "two-penny poor woman" is often associated with a biblical account in Mark 12:41–44 and Luke 21:1-4. In this narrative, Jesus observes a poor widow putting two small copper coins into the temple treasury. Despite her poverty, she gives all she has, demonstrating a selfless and generous spirit. Jesus commends her action, emphasizing that her small contribution is more significant than the larger donations of others because it represents a genuine sacrifice.
Drawing a parallel, the argument could be made that individuals, whether in prosperity or poverty, can embody the spirit of self-cultivation through acts of kindness, generosity, and consideration for others. While the phrase emphasizes personal development during prosperity, the example of the "two-penny poor woman" illustrates that even in poverty, individuals can cultivate virtues such as generosity and selflessness.
Basically, both parts of the phrase stress how important virtue and moral behavior are, no matter how good or bad things are. They also stress that personal growth should go hand in hand with a sense of duty to others, which is a universal moral principle.
• 中国人是有信念的。穷则独善，达则济世。最近在看唐宋八大家，都心忧国事，曾经抗争，曾经被贬，非屈于君权之辈。 - 朱之谓 - ♂ 
(0 bytes) (0 reads) 11/23/2023 08:12:4
*** references:
• APAD: Life, Liberty and The Pursuit of Happiness - 7grizzly - (6099 bytes) (2251 reads) 11/12/2023 10:14:11
• 三公理。据说美国宪法是按牛顿力学的原则建立在这三个公理上的。 - 方外居士 - ♂ (0 bytes) (1 reads) 11/12/2023 11:03:01
• 还有这说法？：）） - 盈盈一笑间 - ♀ (0 bytes) (0 reads) 11/12/2023 11:34:41
• Any reference for this claim? - 7grizzly - (0 bytes) (1 reads) 11/12/2023 11:35:23
• The founding fathers were so great that - 盈盈一笑间 - ♀ (0 bytes) (1 reads) 11/12/2023 11:40:37
• they defined these three most important rights - 盈盈一笑间 - ♀ (0 bytes) (0 reads) 11/12/2023 11:41:33
• in the Declaration of Independence. - 盈盈一笑间 - ♀ (0 bytes) (0 reads) 11/12/2023 11:42:04
• The ideas that formed the Constitution, Part 17: Sir Isaac N - 方外居士 - ♂ (333 bytes) (1 reads) 11/12/2023 12:19:04 
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• +1 Such elaborate machinery of the three ideals. - 7grizzly - (0 bytes) (0 reads) 11/12/2023 13:20:56
• Superb:Balance and order. All very Newtonian-1776-now - TJKCB - ♀ (4183 bytes) (1 reads) 11/12/2023 13:23:57
• Wow ~ ~ thanks 4 sharing ~ ~ - 盈盈一笑间 - ♀ (0 bytes) (0 reads) 11/13/2023 06:07:04
• The Pursuit of Happiness: It focuses on a process of action - TJKCB - ♀ (0 bytes) (1 reads) 11/12/2023 13:25:25
• I'd be careful. The process could be unhappy&it can kill:-) - 7grizzly - (0 bytes) (3 reads) 11/12/2023 14:03:09
• missing the point: "The Pursuit of Happiness" goal - TJKCB - ♀ (0 bytes) (0 reads) 11/12/2023 15:14:38
• Missing the point is what I do best :-) - 7grizzly - (0 bytes) (0 reads) 11/12/2023 15:18:23
• The people who wrote this were slave owners. - waterfowl - ♂ (0 bytes) (2 reads) 11/12/2023 13:32:18
• A good reminder. - 7grizzly - (0 bytes) (0 reads) 11/12/2023 14:05:29
• not really historical: the founding fathers were slaves UK - TJKCB - ♀ (0 bytes) (0 reads) 11/12/2023 14:55:28
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Pay to play: Dare to join? tap a pen rhythmically on the table
In the film, repeating the scenes many times prompts you to visualize the scene through descriptive language.
Imagine a dimly lit room, perhaps with shadows dancing on the walls. Mark Felt sits at a sturdy wooden table, bathed in a pool of soft light. The air is tense, and you can almost feel the weight of his thoughts. His eyes focused, Mark taps a pen rhythmically on the table, creating a persistent and deliberate beat. The sound echoes in the room, each tap resonating with a sense of determination and purpose.
As the taps continue, you can sense the building tension, like a crescendo in a musical composition. The repetitive beats of the pen on the table become a metaphorical drumroll, symbolizing the persistence and dedication Mark Felt brings to his pursuit of justice. It's a quiet but powerful moment, foreshadowing the impact of his actions, which will eventually contribute to tearing down the walls of deception and corruption—which brought down President Nixon!
Conceptually, it came before:
In the context of Mark Felt tapping a pen on the table, it could symbolize the idea that consistent and persistent actions, even if initially small, can lead to significant outcomes or changes. It's a metaphor for the idea that seemingly minor decisions or events can have a ripple effect, influencing larger events or outcomes.
The concept you're describing, where a small, seemingly insignificant action (like tapping a pen on a table) can have far-reaching and profound consequences, is reminiscent of the "butterfly effect." The butterfly effect is a term used in chaos theory to describe the sensitive dependence on initial conditions in which a small change in one state of a deterministic nonlinear system can result in large differences in a later state.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1s-jGFKzfY&t=4003s
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Mark Felt - The Man Who Brought down the White House
Mark Felt - The Man Who Brought Down the White House centers on the true story of “Deep Throat”, the notorious whistleblower for one of the greatest scandals of all time, Watergate. The true identity of the secret informant remained a mystery and source of much speculation for over 30 years. Until, in 2005, special agent Mark Felt shockingly revealed himself as the tipster. This powerful true story chronicles the life of the brilliant and uncompromising Felt, who sacrificed everything—his family, his career, his freedom—in the name of justice.
Plot Summary:
The movie focuses on the true story of Mark Felt, also known as "Deep Throat," who played a crucial role as a whistleblower in the Watergate scandal.
The central theme revolves around the mystery of Deep Throat's identity, which remained undisclosed for over 30 years until Mark Felt revealed himself in 2005.
Mark Felt is portrayed as a brilliant and uncompromising individual who made significant sacrifices, including his family, career, and freedom, in the pursuit of justice.
Historical Context:
The movie is set against the backdrop of the Watergate scandal, which is considered one of the greatest political scandals in U.S. history. This suggests that the film explores historical and political aspects of that era.
Character Focus:
The main character is Mark Felt, and the narrative seems to revolve around his life, decisions, and the impact of his actions on both his personal life and the larger political landscape.
Themes:
The themes of justice, sacrifice, and the pursuit of truth are likely central to the narrative.
Narrative Style:
The description implies that the movie tells a powerful true story, suggesting a focus on realism and authenticity in portraying historical events.
颂圣等于甩锅：论中国式反思
颂圣，是指一种思维：所有的好都是因为明君。
甩锅，是另一种思维：所有的坏都是因为昏君。
这两种思维其实是一种思维：事情的好坏都是由“皇上”决定的。
这两种思维都默认群体中权威的决定作用与统治功能。
相应地，这两种思维也默认P民无功，无过，只能接受权威所加给他们的。
说白了，就是默认自己啥也不是，把自己定位到泥土里。
可笑的是，这正是现代当“反思”中国的中国人的集体无意识。
他们恨中国落后，甩锅给皇权和儒家思想这两个权威。
他们仰慕西方，就把科学、思想和制度当成另一个权威。
何以知道？
因为他们对自己在这两个权威之下的定位一模一样，他们对这两个权威的表现出的行为逻辑也一模一样。
典型的表现就是他们特别地依赖权威，这说明权威这个“带头大哥”在他们的思想中的地位。
他们太需要带头大哥了：不批判旧的带头大哥，他们就不知道如何表示自己已经弃暗；不歌颂新的带头大哥，他们就不知道如何表达自己已经投明。
甚至如果不说带头大哥，他们就不知道如何表达他们的思想与观点。
他们对带头大哥的需要是这样强烈以致于带头大哥成了他们的自由的保障。
如果不说带头大哥，他们就无法享受他们的思考的自由与表达的自由。
所以，我们就看到这类反思者在“自由思考”的时候会在两端之间奔跑：一会儿捧新大哥，一会儿踩旧大哥，一会儿兼而有之。
燃鹅，自由与文明，只能是这样的吗？
