Original link: https://www.ntiy.com/1815.html
The so-called “spiritual aristocracy” refers to a group of people whose thirst for culture is not limited to low-level needs such as making fun or earning a living, but is interested in pursuing high-level questions that are detached from or dominate real life. The rich man of the year will never rush to get a rough meal, but will be more eager to enjoy the brilliance of jade and diamonds.
“The Joy of Knowing Fish”
The term “spiritual aristocrat” discussed in this article has the same meaning as mentioned in the above quotation, and should not be confused with the meaning of “spiritual middle class”.
The word “spirit” mentioned in different places in this article may have different meanings, and it is not to change the concept. Readers are requested to understand and distinguish according to the context.
This article is written in Chinese, if you see this paragraph in another language, it is recommended that you stop reading immediately, as it may give you the wrong message by misinterpreting the author’s meaning.
“Why are almost all people in today’s society animal people, but not spiritual people?” This is a question raised by a group friend I saw yesterday. It happened that I had thought about this question a long time ago, so I gave mine by the way. Answer: Because the spiritual world of the spiritual nobles is very rich, there is no need to pursue them in society. So it is difficult for you to see spiritual nobles in society, just as it is difficult for you to see women in the men’s toilet.
Chatting with a friend last night, I learned that he is not doing well and has been taking psychotropic drugs for the past year. I am in the same city as him, and there have been some big jokes in this city recently, which makes it very difficult for him to go out and buy medicine now. And because he works on the Internet, working from home during the epidemic is more tiring than when he works normally in the company. Also because he was locked at home for nearly two months, many entertainment activities under normal circumstances could not be carried out. Many factors led to his increasing mental stress.
If you suspect that you have developed a mental problem, the wisest thing to do is to go to the hospital rather than listen to anyone on the Internet. Mental illness is not simply “unhappy” and cannot be “cured” simply through self-regulation, so medical intervention is necessary.
The appearance of mental illness is more or less related to the stress people endure in life, and maybe also related to the lack of a healthy spiritual life. If you feel that you are under too much pressure or are not satisfied with your spiritual life, then you may need to adjust your mentality in time to prevent mental illness or temporarily relieve the pain caused by mental illness.
Why are mental illnesses more common?
There is a “strange” phenomenon in modern society: almost everyone is after money. It’s “strange” because this phenomenon was hardly seen in ancient times, at least not in any dynasty in China’s thousands of years of history. The quotation marks are added because the phenomenon seems so normal these days that if someone claims that they are not after money, they will be considered “abnormal” instead.
As modern people, we all understand the importance of money. Clothing, eating, housing, transportation, water, electricity, internet… Sometimes it feels like breathing is not free, so the task of “making money” has become a task on every modern person’s “life task manager” Permanent mission.
Over time, “making money” has almost become the only pursuit of many people. And they believe that as long as there is enough money, everything is there. As a result, their pursuit of money takes precedence over all other pursuits, so much so that they see everything they do in life as a means to pursue money, not out of love for that thing. It tires them out.
They dare not imagine that they have any choice but to earn money; they dare not admit that they have gradually become subordinates of their possessions, rather than their masters. Maybe they have realized the richness of material life through their own labor, but the spiritual life is very lacking.
Of course, money can also be exchanged for some spiritual enjoyment in certain scenarios, such as giving people psychological pleasure, a sense of security, respect and recognition from others. But this kind of person who needs to obtain spiritual enjoyment through money is not a real spiritual aristocrat, but a typical spiritual poverty (relative to spiritual aristocracy, the same below).
While material life is getting richer and richer, what have you lost?
The more you have, the more you lose. This is not some internet sentimental text, but a fact. When you have something, you also lose the ability to “live well without it.” The more things you have, the more you depend on them, the harder it is to let them go, the harder it is to lose them pain.
Lower plants only need sunlight and water; higher plants need suitable air and soil in addition to the above; lower animals also need plants for food, a certain range of activity space, and suitable climate in addition to the above; higher animals except the above There are also animals that can be used as food, a larger range of activity space, and a living environment that is more suitable for habitat, hunting, and mating… By the time of modern humans, the number of external conditions that must be relied on for survival has become unimaginable. And we have reason to believe that the situation will continue to deteriorate.
Just like decades ago, we used postal mail to communicate with people. Then came the e-mail which is much more convenient than the traditional letter, and the use of e-mail must rely on the network, computer and certain computer skills. Later, instant messaging software such as WeChat appeared, and the normal operation of these software depends on a larger area of network coverage, more time, and the normal operation of the company behind the software. In the future, there will be more efficient communication methods than the current instant messaging software, but also rely on more external conditions. And after we have these things, it is very difficult to go back to where we were before we had them.
We can never really get out of this, because we’re already in it. The people who really get out of it all are often the ones who never got involved.
What is the world of the spiritual aristocracy like?
It is difficult for you to see the real spiritual aristocracy in the society, because the spiritual aristocracy does not need to gain fame and fortune in the society. The life of the spiritual aristocrat is not as “elegant” as we think, but it will make many people feel that their life is simply terrible.
To give two examples: the first is the Spring and Autumn Period, Confucius’ disciple Yan Hui.
A basket of food, a scoop of drink, in a mean alley, people can’t bear their worries, and they don’t change their joy when they come back.
“The Analects”
Yan Hui’s family was very poor. People thought that he lived a very hard life, but he himself felt very happy. It’s not that he can endure such harsh conditions, but that he doesn’t care whether he eats well or lives well, just like a tree doesn’t care whether it draws rainwater or river water, or whether it is planted. The scenic area is still barren.
The second example is the ancient Greek philosopher Diogenes.
Diogenes is said to have lived in a barrel (a urn for the dead), and all that he owned consisted of the barrel, a cloak, a stick, and a bread bag. Once Diogenes was basking in the sun, when Alexander the Great came to visit him, asked him what he needed, and promised that his wish would be granted. Diogenes replied, “I want you to step aside and not block my sunlight.”
Wikipedia
Diogenes is a representative of the cynic school. According to legend, he wore no clothes, packed himself in a wooden barrel, and had sex with his wife on the street, mating like a dog.
Diogenes’ actions now seem not only absurd, but even illegal. And what he did was definitely not “sick”, but he didn’t care whether he liked him or not and what others said about him behind his back.
Spiritual aristocrats do not need to improve their spiritual life by improving their material life, nor do they need to satisfy their material desires through outsiders, because they do not have such desires at all.
Of course, I have absolutely no intention of asking you to imitate the above two sages, and most of the spiritual aristocrats in modern society are not so extreme.
Most of the modern spiritual aristocrats are secluded, rough, and rarely interact with people. Such people are extremely rare to see in society, but there are many pseudo-spiritual aristocrats who post their exquisite and precious tea sets, fishing gear, neatly manicured landscape plants, and books that cannot be read in the first half of the year on various social platforms… … Those who disguise themselves as spiritual aristocrats and show them to others in order to gain praise and recognition from them to make themselves happy are the typical mentally poor people.
What is the mentally impoverished world like?
Compared with spiritual life, we are more willing to pursue material enjoyment. If you ask me why, I don’t know, but others are doing it. If I don’t do it, I am worried that I will lose something.
We are more comfortable indulging in sensory stimulation than inner peace, and you have to ask me why, I don’t know, but everyone else is doing it, and if I don’t, I’m worried that I’ll miss something.
We prefer to be praised by others than to be self-satisfied. If you ask me why, I don’t know, but everyone else is doing it. If I don’t, I’m worried that I will offend something.
We study hard, not because we like it, but to find a good job after graduation.
We work hard, not because we like it, but because we want a higher salary.
We work hard to make money, not because we like it, but because we like everything that money can buy.
Sometimes, I’m so tired and I want to stop and take a break, but the burden is on my shoulders and I can’t catch my breath.
Sometimes, when I’m depressed, I want to make myself smile, but I can’t let go of my thoughts.
Sometimes, I’m confused and I want to talk to someone, but I’m so sneaky I can’t say it honestly.
Why am I so tired, but I often can’t sleep?
Why do I feel so empty when I am so busy?
Why do I work so hard, but I am still unhappy?
Because we are mentally poor.
Because we are mentally poor.
Because we are mentally poor.
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