Confucius | The Art of Becoming Better (Self-Cultivation)

Isn’t it the case we should always stay true to ourselves? Which means that we ought to know who we are, and organize our lives in ways that are compatible with our personalities?

When we look for a partner, for example, we look for someone that we’re compatible with, and in regards to education and work, we need to do something that fits our characteristics.

However, "not knowing who we are" seems to be a problem. But luckily, this problem can be solved by taking a personality test, by talking to a counselor, or perhaps by going on a long solo-trip around the world to (quote on quote) “find ourselves”. Because, after all, our true selves lie somewhere hidden deep within.

Right?

Well, according to Michael Puett, Harvard professor of Chinese History and author of the book The Path, this way of thinking is extremely limited and even dangerous when it comes to how we live our lives.

In Chinese philosophy, there’s no fixed ‘self’ the way we see it in the Western world. Who we are, and what we could become is much more tangible, than a fixed set of characteristics that define a personality.

This Eastern ‘self’ is always evolving, changing, losing, and gaining, and isn’t so much defined by what’s within, but by what we do. So, it cannot be found, but it can be cultivated.

Self-cultivation is a psychological process that’s part of the ancient Chinese system of thought called Confucianism. Its founder, Confucius, firmly believed in the power of ritual, and how it can make our lives better.

This video explores the art of becoming better, based on the teachings of Confucius.

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#confucius #selfimprovement #confuciusteachings

00:00 Intro
02:38 On Confucius
04:15 The "self"
06:52 Focusing on change
08:30 The power of ritual
10:35 Self-cultivation

[Einzelgänger]

A disclaimer: the intention of this video is not to support certain governments
or indoctrination of any kind. It simply intends to highlight the effects that
ritual can have, and how we can harness this power to improve ourselves.

I'm aware that this idea goes against the usual undercurrent of this channel
with common themes like acceptance and non-conformity. I'm pretty sure the idea of
self-cultivation as presented here will be regarded as 'too simplistic' by mental health professionals.

Nevertheless, I think this idea is interesting and I want to keep an open mind
(which is what this channel does: exploring ideas).

Also, this video is not against counselors and personality tests (au contraire):
it reflects on how some people tend to cling to their 'personality types'.

Thank you.

[ICEcoldJT]

“Rather than being your thoughts and emotions, be the awareness behind them.”

[Eternalised]

"Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated" - Confucius

[sarared]

Yes after years and years of trying to find myself to be happier I realized the secret is daily rituals. It works like magic for me.

[PhilosophyToons]

"The man who says he can, and the man who says he cannot, are both correct." -Confucius

[AlexBlank]

If we'e open to continually changing, we won't get too attached to the outdated versions of us we might be too afraid to let go of.

[freetingleasmr]

"we are what we repeatedly do. Excellence therefore is a habit."

[Dacademeca]

"Everything Has It's Beauty, But Not Everyone Sees It.."
- Confucius

[JamesTheNomadic]

“There is nothing outside of yourself that can ever enable you to get better, stronger, richer, quicker, or smarter. Everything is within” - Miyamoto Musashi

[the_krym]

"Mastering others is strength. Mastering yourself is true power" Laozi

[Koaki]

Was having a depressive meltdown while sitting alone in my house but somehow after watching this it feels like I've been soothed.

[True]

There's no "finding yourself", it's only creating yourself and adapt to different roles, mainly work roles. You alone are responsible for who you wish to be and who you do not wish to be, and then manifest that being in the world. This is critical because if you don't define yourself, society will and it will put you into a box/role that they feel is the most appropriate. At that point, you have lost all power over who you are so never fall into that trap.

People will always tell you "who you are" but this is not to be taken seriously, as you should just be everything to everyone while focusing on your main role and path in life. At the end of the day, nobody cares what you do so just do whatever you want and don't feel pressured by anyone else and what they are doing. That means that you should also avoid social media like the plague, as it's pure poison and will only make you depressed when comparing yourself to other's "perfect lifestyle" which is of course only a very small portion of their otherwise miserable life like most people.

My advice is to focus on your core, strengths, and values and try to find work that is most relatable to those. You have some particular interests, something that you are drawn to, perhaps even a talent that the world needs. If so, it's your duty in life to fulfill those needs. Be all you can be and never be afraid to experiment with yourself and those around you. Remember that life is short so don't waste it on things and people that you don't like.

[heavymeddle]

I've been trying to find myself for almost 50 years and it turned out that I was here. All along

[diegolemos]

It's not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me.

- Bruce Wayne/Batman

[TheDhammaHub]

Thinking of the self as something permanent inevitably leads to suffering. When we cling to something that is impermanent and that thing or concept changes, we experience loss

[nehainthebay]

Taking personality tests to know who we are may turn into a short cut that makes us complacent. “Ah, so the test says this is who I am and so now I can behave this way.” Instead, if we are aware of our actions and thoughts and open to change and adapting, we truly learn who we are. Thanks for helping philosophize on this very important topic. 🙏🏽

[VerenaSatriani]

Everyday we can be better, no matter how slow our pace is. Keep doing the best.

[QuietlyMagnetic]

“Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today.” ― Jordan Peterson

[vitorluigi]

These videos are like painkillers for my soul

[borys]

"Be the change you want to see"..Love that statement.