Latin Americans often say: "Walking alone is fast, walking together is far." A single person acting alone, without burdens and ties, may move quickly, but many people working together can overcome difficulties and go further. Therefore, the disdain or lack of support for solitary action has always been widely accepted, but I personally believe that walking alone should be equally important as walking together.
“Life is like a journey against the current, and I am also a traveler.” This saying by Su Shi constantly reminds people that life is like a journey upstream, and everyone has the power to choose how to spend their brief life like a traveler. Therefore, some choose to walk together, lighting a bonfire to warm each other, while others prefer to walk alone, enjoying solitude and freedom. This is a personal choice, with no superiority or inferiority.
Solitary walkers, unburdened, act freely and lightly. They can focus on their own goals and thoughts, rarely disturbed by others. With fewer constraints, they can run without reservations, just as Wang Yangming said: “The heart is reason, and knowledge and action are one.” Solitary walkers can better understand and realize their ideals.
We have always criticized solitary walking precisely because of the lack of constraints, which leads to the only and most fundamental requirement for solitary walkers—caution in solitude. By reflecting on oneself, understanding oneself, and being cautious in solitude, one can cultivate virtue. The freedom that solitary walkers cherish should be built on the foundation of caution in solitude. Caution in solitude means maintaining carefulness and adhering to one's inner moral principles. The "Book of Rites" states, "Nothing is more hidden than the hidden, nothing is more subtle than the subtle; therefore, a gentleman is very cautious when alone." This means that even in private, when no one is around, one should be mindful and cautious in subtle matters, with words and actions restrained, while also being self-disciplined and self-respecting, reflecting and warning oneself. Only in this way can one truly walk alone and possibly reach the state of "what does it matter if one is alone," which is also one of the reasons he is called the "Poet Buddha." Otherwise, one cannot be considered a solitary walker. Solitary walking is about thought, character, and behavior, and it is independence not influenced by others' evil thoughts. This is courage and resilience, and thus achieving caution in solitude naturally does not lead to loneliness.
Caution in solitude perfectly explains why solitary walking is as important as walking together, but how important is walking together? The ancients said, "Those from the same school are friends, those with the same ideals are companions." No matter how great a country's capabilities or strength, only by walking hand in hand with other countries can it go further and last longer. Chile is one of the most developed, open, and stable countries in Latin America, with its comprehensive competitiveness, degree of economic liberalization, and market openness ranking first in the region. This is precisely because they understand the principle of "walking together is far." The Chinese realized the importance of walking together even earlier than the Chileans, dating back to the pre-Qin period, as exemplified by Confucius's saying, "When three people walk together, there must be a teacher among them." Those who walk together can learn from and reference each other, continuously improving their abilities and qualities. This is why reforms and opening up were necessary in the 1980s, connecting China with the world, as no one wanted to be closed off like the Qing Dynasty, only to be forcibly opened by cannon fire, leading to a century of humiliation. The Chinese people do not want to be humiliated, nor can they be humiliated, which is why efforts to open up have been intensified. This is the role of the Belt and Road Initiative, and it is also the role of a community with a shared future for mankind.
I believe that in the new era, solitary walking and walking together should be combined, which is the true meaning of caution in solitude not being lonely and walking together being able to go far. A person may possess extraordinary talent and wisdom, but still cannot resist the combined strength of many, ultimately ending up like Xiang Yu, who took his own life at the Wu River; a country may be open to the outside world, but without strong comprehensive national strength, what reason is there to persuade other countries to cooperate with it? We do not have the two bombs and one satellite, nor do we have astonishing economic strength; how many countries can be convinced by the proposed Belt and Road Initiative?
Caution in solitude does not lead to loneliness, and walking together can go far. Combining solitary walking and walking together organically is what we need to achieve, what China is doing, and what everyone in the world should do.
Article Cover: Film HurricaneThis article is synchronized and updated to xLog by Mix Space. The original link is https://fmcf.cc/posts/life/Walk-Alone-Walk-Together-Discussion