"Focus on accuracy"

 "Focus on accuracy"

When Sun Yat-sen 孫中山criticized 知易行難"the difficulty of putting theory into practice", he was focusing accurately. He did not take a "relative" perspective, saying that although "knowledge" is important, "action" is also indispensable. He did not say that it is the unity of "knowledge" and "action."知行合一

 Chinese characters are very profound and precise. From a relative point of view, it may seem very "balanced," but in reality, it is just "muddling along,"和稀泥 it is "nonsense,"扯淡,  it is not seeing the point, it is not getting to the bottom of things, it is not scratching the itch.

Because the basic feature of Confucianism is to emphasize obedience, believing that knowledge is insignificant, as long as one follows the will of the elders. 

So Wang Yangming's 王陽明 Confucian ethics maintains that "knowledge is easy, action is difficult,"  his meaning is very clear: "knowledge is  easy,  it needs just memorize and practice." When all the "mud" has been "muddled," the truth will never be understood. And this is the meaning of "knowledge is easy but action is difficult." 知易行難

The relativist perspective was popular in the last century. It was believed to be "objective."  However, this kind of thinking blurs the truth and confuses right from wrong. Both parties end up being bound, each receiving thirty lashes. Who is true, who is false? There is no need to take it too seriously.

Furthermore, there is one more point. Some people are promoting  "integration of knowledge and action"知行合一. In fact, this is biased towards a moral perspective. It means "to obey and practice when you are told"

 Knowledge has always been integrated with practice. For example, when you create a blueprint and build a house, isn't the blueprint and the house integrated? Do you still need to promote it dramatically?

When you find the technology, clarify the plan, secure funding, find talent, the house will be built.

Knowledge comes first. Wisdom is even higher than knowledge. Knowledge can create a nuclear bomb, but wisdom is needed to control it.

Sun Yat-sen was a genius. He hit the nail on the head when he proposed that "knowledge is difficult, action is easy."知難行易

Please do not muddle along. It will harm yourself and be of no benefit.

Postscript (2024):

"Focusing on accuracy" is very important. The "absolute perspective" mentioned in the old text is flawed. It has been corrected as stated above.

為何要「對焦準確」？

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　　當孫中山批判知易行難的時候，他就是對焦準確的。他沒有從「相對」的角度，說，雖然「知」很重要，但「行」也不可缺少。更沒有說是「知」「行」
合一。中國文字，是很奧妙，也很準確的。相對觀點，表面看是很「持平」，但實際上，就是「和稀泥」，就是「扯淡」，就是看不到重點，就是摸不著邊兒，就是搔不著癢處。

　　因為，儒家的基本特徵，就是強調服從，以為知識無足輕重，只要按著長輩意志去做是。所以王陽明「知易行難」的那一套儒家倫理，以為「知」是很明白的，不必研究的，只要背熟、照做就是。當所有的「泥」都「和稀」了，真相就永遠不會明白，只好相信知易行難了。 

上世紀流行相對觀點。以為這才是「客觀」。但這一種想法，卻使真相迷糊，是非不分。兩造人等縛來，各打三十大板。誰真，誰假？不必太過認真了。

此外，尚有一點: 有些人極力提倡「知行合一」，其實意思只是: 「知道了儒家教訓，就要遵從。」

知識向來都是和實踐合一的。好比你創造了一張圖紙，建築成為一間房屋。難道圖紙和房屋不是合一的嗎，還需要劇烈的去宣傳嗎？

當你找到了科技，明確了方案，找到資金，找到人才，房屋就建好了。

知識是第一位的。智慧更加是在知識之上的。知識做出了核彈，卻需要智慧去操縱。

孫中山是天才。他提出了知難行易，是擊中要害的。

請不要和稀泥了。這會害死自己，無益的。

後記(2024):  

「對焦準確」是非常重要的。舊文所提的「絕對觀點」有語病。現已更正如上。

(問到底 No.6789 2007 0915 Saturday)