Chinese Culture

Not praising the worthy prevents contention,
Not esteeming the valuable prevents theft,
Not displaying the beautiful prevents desire.

In this manner the sage governs people:
Emptying their minds,
Filling their bellies,
Weakening their ambitions,
And strengthening their bones.

If people lack knowledge and desire
Then they cannot act;
If no action is taken
Harmony remains

I am attempting to study for my Chinese Culture exam tomorrow, which could possibly be one of the most intimidating exams of my college career to date because it is not all multiple choice! It also has fill in the blanks, short answer, and essay questions! I haven't taken an exam like that since my AP days and I am quite nervous. I am pretty fascinated with Chinese history so far, which is incredible because I am NEVER fascinated by history. I love learning about their different religions (the above poem is a Taoist poem) because you get a better understanding of why they are the way they are today and what events and thought processes influenced them.

That being said, some of this stuff is pretty scary to think about. Taoism is all about non-action. Meaning it is best to just accept what life has offered you because striving for something new distorts your own nature. I can't imagine having that kind of outlook on life. I can't imagine simply accepting my circumstances and not striving to be the best I can be in everything I do. Ambition is a driving force in my life, not necessarily for my own selfish gain, but hopefully for the good of those around me. I don't know what I want to do with my life, but I hope I can do something that changes the circumstances of those around me for the better. That is why I am in school. To gain knowledge that will feed my desire to do something. Because, "If people lack knowledge and desire, they cannot act."