Lin Yutang: Life is like a poem.

I think from a biological point of view, life reads like a poem. It has its own rhythm and beat, as well as its own internal growth and decline cycle. It begins with innocent childhood, followed by rough youth, which is a rough attempt to adapt to mature society, with youthful enthusiasm and stupidity, ideals and ambitions; Later, when I reached adulthood, my activities were intense, I benefited from experience and gained more experience from society and humanity.

In middle age, the tension is slightly relieved, and the personality is mature, such as the maturity of fruit or the mellow maturity of wine, and gradually embraces a more tolerant, playful and kind attitude towards life; In the future, when we get old, the activity of endocrine glands will decrease. If we have a real philosophical concept of old age and adjust our lifestyle according to this concept, then this period is a period of peace, stability, leisure and satisfaction in our minds.

Finally, the fire of life goes out, and a person sleeps forever and never wakes up. We should be able to experience the beauty of this rhythm of life, like a grand symphony, and appreciate the main theme of life, its conflicting melodies and the final decision.

These circular motions are roughly the same in normal life, but the music must be played by the individual himself. In some people's souls, the discordant tone becomes increasingly grand, and as a result, the formal tone is drowned out. If the discordant key is too loud to continue playing music, that person will shoot himself or jump into the river.

This is because he lacks good self-education, so that the original theme is covered up. On the contrary, normal life will keep serious movement and progress, and move towards normal goals. Among many of us, sometimes there is too much tremor or excitement, so it sounds harsh; Maybe we should have some great rhythms and magnificent sound waves, just like the Ganges, flowing slowly and forever to the sea.

A person has a childhood, a mature age and an old age. I don't think anyone will think this is unsatisfactory. There are morning, noon and sunset in one day, and spring, summer, autumn and winter in one year. This method is not much better. There is no difference between good and bad life, only the question of "what is good in that season". If we live by season with this biological outlook on life, no one will deny that life is really like a poem except arrogant idiots and hopeless idealists.

Shakespeare expressed this idea very clearly in his articles about the seven stages of his life, and many China writers also said similar things. It is strange that Shakespeare did not become a man full of religious thoughts, nor did he show great concern for religion. I think this is his greatness; He regards life as life, and he does not disturb the configuration and organization of everything in the world, just as he does not disturb the characters in his own play. Shakespeare is similar to nature itself, which is our greatest compliment to a writer or thinker. He just lived in the world, observed life and finally left.