What do the thoughts of Sun Yat-sen and Kennedy have in common?
If we only focus on the present or our own lives, we may not need to think too much about many things. Once we adopt the perspective of civilization and history and view the world as a relay race, we may have different views on many things. Are there some things among them that are worth “knowing they are impossible to do”?
Author: GUDORDI | 2023-10-16
Sometimes, committing to something without hesitation and without hesitation may inspire some unexplainable but real power. (Wikimedia Commons)
…All this will not be finished in the first one hundred days, nor will it be finished in the first one thousand days, nor in the life of this administration, nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet. But let us begin.──President John F Kennedy
The above sentence is excerpted from the inaugural address of President Kennedy in 1961. It is thought-provoking and echoes the slogan of his 1960 presidential campaign, “This is Time for Greatness.”
Suddenly looking back, Kennedy was living in a great era, and he was also a man with a deep sense of historical mission. Judging from his words, he seemed to firmly believe that historical responsibility and focusing on matters that were important to the overall situation did not require hesitation or too much discussion. Probably in his mind, no matter how big the problem is, the most important thing is to take the first step to try to solve it. As for whether the problem can be solved in the foreseeable future, it is not that important. Kennedy once said, “A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.”
This also leads to a question, that is, does everything in this world need to be calculated? If we only focus on the present or our own lives, we may not need to think too much about many things. Once we adopt the perspective of civilization and history and view the world as a relay race, we may have different views on many things. Are there some things among them that are worth “knowing they are impossible to do”? Sometimes, committing to something without hesitation and without hesitation may inspire some unexplainable but real power.
The case of Dr. Sun Yat-sen and Buddha
Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s revolutionary cause is a case worth pondering. Judging from the factors at the time, I believe many people concluded that the chance of the revolution’s success was almost zero, because not only did he have little funds, but he also had no troops at all. It was probably not until 1926, when the Nationalist Government received foreign aid and established the Whampoa Military Academy, that it really began to have military strength. Before, it only relied on enthusiasm and belief, as well as the support of people with military strength. But what is the result? Without Mr. Sun Yat-sen’s perseverance and perseverance, how could the history of the Chinese nation be rewritten?
Another case worth pondering is that of Buddha Sakyamuni. The Buddha abandoned everything to pursue what some people consider to be impossible, which is to completely solve all the problems faced in life, which is far more difficult than most people imagine. At first, the Buddha followed the path of asceticism and hatred. Not only could he not achieve any results, he almost lost his life. But the Buddha still did not give up. Instead, he made up his mind to think hard under the bodhi tree, and with the determination of “If you don’t succeed, you will become virtuous” and vowed to find the answer. He probably succeeded in the end, right? According to records, after seven or forty-nine days of hard thinking, Buddha finally achieved enlightenment, which has benefited human spiritual civilization for thousands of years. But just imagine, what would happen if Buddha chose to give up on the 48th day? And what will history say?
To us, what they were trying to do was unbelievable. It was more difficult than climbing the Himalayas with bare hands, and ordinary people would never even think about it. Since they are the only ones who bear the risks and consequences, and as outsiders, they may not know more than they do, why are they not allowed to try and must make a decisive judgment? As for Hong Kong’s international financial center, the author suggests that Hong Kong should only be a fair and impartial platform and allow all parties to try to do what they think can be done. This can be understood as complying with market requirements and is not a suggestion that Hong Kong should take risks. What’s the risk?
Let me reiterate that the current situation in Hong Kong may not be as bad as many people imagine.
“Hong Kong’s Legendary Future” Series 40
Contact the author: Gudordi@proton.me
