Concepts of the individual
There are no two equal people in the entire world. Every person represents a unique personality which is somehow different from millions of the same mankind. To win this world or at least to be satisfied with yourself you should attempt to be exceptional and original. Nobody will remember that red rose in the flowerbed filled with the same flowers, but the one that is notable for its red colour with yellow of tint will surely arrest everybody’s attention. The concept of the individual is a passionate and very important subject which deserves to be carefully discussed.
Every individual should at first be a gentleman. However, well-bred behaviour and politeness will not be enough. It turns out that in order to achieve such status you have to do a lot of tedious work and exert every effort. Sometimes you should even sacrifice your own dreams and self-interest for the common weal. It is incredibly hard to learn to see every situation as an advantage for the whole society and only after that as your own benefit. In the world full of injustice, meanness and obsession for acquisition it seems almost impracticable. Though, no matter how unrealizable the task can look like at first sight, there is nothing impossible in this life. The first step is always the most difficult one and the understanding of the problem is nearly fifty percents of its solution. If you decide for yourself what kind of person you are going to become and what things you want to respect it will be much easier to choose the right path of life. The first step of becoming a gentleman is surely a deep longing to make the world better place to live in, if not for yourself then at least for the future generation. If you learn to distinguish good and bad deeds and respect moral thing you will be able to call yourself a real gentleman. Confucius believed that “the quality of gentleman is not measured by his invariable position for or against anything but by his ability to take the moral side in every small matter” (Confucius). You should differentiate here between a gentleman and a small man. The last one will always pick out something which will be profitable for him and will not put moral on the first place. You won’t be able to trust such person or rely on him in trouble as he will certainly betray you in any possible moment. If there appears more advantageous offer a small person will take the tide. He could not be able to resist the temptation of earning more money or the possibility of increasing his social status. Maybe in deep corners of his soul he realizes that he doesn’t behave properly but greediness and gulosity surpass all other feelings. A small man lives according to his own rules. If the gentleman keeps within the law and “cherishes a respect for the law, the small man appreciates only generous treatment” (Confucius, 1983). He could fully enjoy the life without peace of mind. The worst thing is that those people do not notice their shortcomings and furthermore are not going to correct errors or remedy their defects. All people appear in your life for some reason. Some of them show in the moments of joy, others in mournful times. You should look at every person as an unknown book. At the end of each book you will probably find some lesson. The same happens with all the strangers that come across. Try to read them as an open book and get at the heart of it where you will find the clue. Confucius considered “meeting better people than you as the opportunity for improvement and meeting people weaker than you as the implication to examine your own self”(Confucius, 1983). Only when you learn to recognize your errors and will be able to transform them into your benefits will you achieve success and make first steps in the transformation of your personality to the more gentleman one.
The second stage every individual should undergo is connected with the idea of benevolent man. Every wise man is surely settled in benevolence. The simple truth of life is that without benevolence you will not be able to survive in this difficult world. Every day you are faced with challenges and the necessity to make serious decisions. It is hard to solve the problems without anybody’s help or at least moral support. By nature all people are very emotional creatures who not only trust their eyes and ears but also rely on their hearts. The feeling of benevolence opens person’s soul and “frees him from evil’. Thanks to benevolence people “are capable of liking or disliking other men and finding balance in the world’ (Confucius, 1983). If a person is rational and intelligent he will search benevolence in every simple action. Everywhere he goes he will try to hold to such feeling and give it to other people. People adjust to something good very quickly and the moment they got used to it everything else escape from their eyeshot. It is actually the benevolence that helps people to hold on themselves, to forgive others and to give everyone a second chance. Without benevolence anyone can not endure hardships for a long time as well as live long in easy circumstances. It is really a kind of home or even refuge for every rational person because he finds there everything to his benefit. Only benevolent person is patient enough to think about every possible variant very carefully before making any decision. He takes into consideration the fate of other people and puts his words into action before abrupt action could actually surpass the common sense.
The third stage that is very important for the formation of every personality is filial respect or love. There could not actually be bigger and more affectionate love in the entire world than the love of parents to their children. Parents are those fairies who open you the magical world of adventures and support and help you in every difficulty you can encounter. For all their endless love and care you should at least learn to respect them and be ready to return their kindness in the future. During the life a person undergoes different stages of development. At early stages the children are related to their parents with lasting relations. However, as the time passes the relationships can become more and more remote. Only in old ages people begin to understand how bad their behaved with their parents instead of all love and esteem they should give them.
First of all the filial love does not allow the children to desert their parent for a long time. “Until your loving ones are alive you should not go too far in your travelling and should always be there for your parents” (Confucius, 1983). If the situation forces you to do it, your location should always be known. Do not forget to visit your parents and give them a chance to be proud of your achievements. Nowadays for a man to be filial t is not enough to provide his parent with food and means of existence. Your task is to provide them with the necessities of life and concern that they were given you in your childhood. Parents will be happy to realize that they are needed and reverenced by their children. Your presence in their house is more important to them than any expensive gift.
You should remember simple rule of life that lies in the duty of repayment. The way you will treat your parents in their old age will surely be the same your own children will repay you. If you really want to be filial, “ give your father and mother no other cause for anxiety than illness” (Confucius, 1983). Even if they are not right or seem a little old-fashioned in their beliefs do not hurry to argue or blame them. Sometimes it is necessary to yield and give them moments of joy.
Mencius in his works stated that there are four types of people who are deprived of any people’s happiness and “have no one to turn to for help. Here he mentioned old men without wives, old women without husbands, old people without children, young children without fathers” (Lau, 1970). Do not bereave your parents of such precious things and do not miss a chance to give them your love every free time you have. Execute the wishes of your parents and comply with the rites in serving them when they are alive. However, when the time comes and they will leave you bury them sticking to their traditions. You are thankful to them for all the knowledge you obtained, so present them eternal rest the way they deserved it.
The formation of individuality is really a difficult process. You should undergo a lot of challenges in order to achieve some result. No matter how complicated the path could be you should never give up and continue to work hard. Only strong desire to change and enthusiasm will show you the right way. So, take into consideration the knowledge of the past generation, enjoy and profit by your present and strive for sunny future. Only then you will become benevolent person everyone will surely ape.
Works Cited
Confucius: The Analects. Hong Kong: The Chinese University Press, 1983. Print
Lau, D.C. (trans.). Mencius, New York: Penguin,1970. Print.
