WEBVTT 00:00:41.630 --> 00:00:44.225 Hello everybody. 00:00:44.225 --> 00:00:48.461 Before I start today’s talk, I’d like to ask a few questions. 00:00:48.461 --> 00:00:50.291 Be honest now! 00:00:50.291 --> 00:00:55.697 Raise your hand if you think history is a worthwhile major. 00:00:55.697 --> 00:00:57.187 (laughter) 00:00:57.187 --> 00:01:00.387 Raise your hand if you would jump for joy if you or your child 00:01:00.387 --> 00:01:04.685 successfully tested into history. (laughter) 00:01:04.685 --> 00:01:09.204 Raise your hand if you’ve memorized countless names, places, years, events, 00:01:09.204 --> 00:01:13.415 and thought to yourself, “This is useful.” (laughter) 00:01:13.415 --> 00:01:19.870 From the show of hands, it’s obvious what people think about studying history. 00:01:19.870 --> 00:01:22.850 Many years ago, when the entrance exam results were posted, 00:01:22.850 --> 00:01:26.238 people would ask me which university I tested into. 00:01:26.238 --> 00:01:31.017 I replied “National Taiwan University” and everyone’s reaction was “Wow!” 00:01:31.017 --> 00:01:34.825 Then, they’d ask which major I tested into. 00:01:34.825 --> 00:01:39.761 I replied “History”, and everyone’s reaction was “Oh.” 00:01:39.761 --> 00:01:41.301 (laughter) 00:01:41.301 --> 00:01:50.073 It’s clear from their reactions what they thought. 00:01:50.073 --> 00:01:54.193 From that moment, I became interested in researching the following: 00:01:54.193 --> 00:01:58.140 What’s the point in studying history? 00:01:58.140 --> 00:01:59.810 Think about it. 00:01:59.810 --> 00:02:02.934 Ever since we were kids, we had to study history, but why? 00:02:02.934 --> 00:02:06.089 We’ve all had to memorize years, locations, people, events, 00:02:06.089 --> 00:02:07.185 but why? 00:02:07.185 --> 00:02:10.991 After the tests are over, how much do you retain? 00:02:10.991 --> 00:02:15.409 Most importantly, even if you remember, what value does it add to your life? 00:02:15.409 --> 00:02:20.481 When I thought about these questions, I realized something interesting. 00:02:20.481 --> 00:02:24.161 In ancient times, emperors and scholars had to study history 00:02:24.161 --> 00:02:27.130 and they thought it was extremely useful. 00:02:27.130 --> 00:02:30.390 These days, we’ve all to studied history since we were kids 00:02:30.390 --> 00:02:32.766 but we often don’t know why we do it. 00:02:32.766 --> 00:02:35.576 Why is there such a huge discrepancy between then and now? 00:02:35.576 --> 00:02:37.346 Were all these ancients idiots? 00:02:37.346 --> 00:02:40.494 Or is our intelligence a hundred times more advanced than theirs? 00:02:40.494 --> 00:02:42.542 I don’t think so. 00:02:42.542 --> 00:02:46.132 In the end, I discovered the answer is in the way we study history. 00:02:46.132 --> 00:02:50.284 The way the ancients learned history is vastly different than our way. 00:02:50.284 --> 00:02:52.648 How so? 00:02:53.548 --> 00:02:58.754 When the ancients read history books and they read about a pivotal moment 00:02:58.754 --> 00:03:06.837 in an important historical figure’s life, when that person needed to make a choice, 00:03:06.837 --> 00:03:10.511 at that point in their studies, the ancients would close their books, 00:03:10.511 --> 00:03:14.212 and they imagined themselves in that situation and thought, 00:03:14.212 --> 00:03:16.324 “What would I do?” 00:03:16.324 --> 00:03:20.536 Only when they thought it out, did they then open the books back up 00:03:20.536 --> 00:03:24.257 and see if that person’s decision matched up with theirs. 00:03:24.257 --> 00:03:27.698 Why did that person make this decision? Did that person succeed or fail? 00:03:27.698 --> 00:03:29.956 What did he lose or what did he gain? 00:03:29.956 --> 00:03:34.003 Using this method, we can utilize the ancient’s wisdom 00:03:34.003 --> 00:03:36.583 to hone our own intelligence. 00:03:36.583 --> 00:03:39.693 Why aren't we using this method today? 00:03:39.693 --> 00:03:43.663 Because the goal of our modern education system 00:03:43.663 --> 00:03:46.680 is to train workers. 00:03:46.680 --> 00:03:49.515 This training, which starts in primary school, 00:03:49.515 --> 00:03:51.565 began during The Industrial Revolution. 00:03:51.565 --> 00:03:54.433 There was a need to supply the demand for manpower 00:03:54.433 --> 00:03:57.433 created by the industrial revolution 00:03:57.433 --> 00:04:00.931 so the new education system focused on skills and technology. 00:04:00.931 --> 00:04:04.608 It doesn't care how a man becomes fully realized 00:04:04.608 --> 00:04:07.798 or how to solve life’s complicated questions. 00:04:07.798 --> 00:04:12.843 This system demands that we memorize large swaths of historical knowledge 00:04:12.843 --> 00:04:16.785 but never tells us how this information relates to our lives. 00:04:16.785 --> 00:04:22.702 Therefore, the pedagogy stresses rote, rote, rote. 00:04:22.702 --> 00:04:25.874 Right? This was our schooling. 00:04:25.874 --> 00:04:28.460 The ancients needed to train emperors and scholars 00:04:28.460 --> 00:04:32.026 so they demanded critical thinking when studying history. 00:04:32.026 --> 00:04:37.303 Today, we need to train workers so we demand rote when studying history. 00:04:37.303 --> 00:04:41.460 The ends are different so obviously the means are different. 00:04:41.460 --> 00:04:43.917 How did I come to this theory? 00:04:43.917 --> 00:04:47.484 It actually began with two of my professors from Taiwan 00:04:47.484 --> 00:04:49.831 The first is Professor Yu. 00:04:49.831 --> 00:04:52.910 Professor Yu was grew up towards the end of the Qing Dynasty. 00:04:52.910 --> 00:04:56.560 Born into the royal family, he studied at the imperial school. 00:04:56.560 --> 00:05:00.060 Sixty years ago, he arrived in Taiwan and started a private academy, 00:05:00.060 --> 00:05:03.210 where I was his student for nearly twenty years. 00:05:03.210 --> 00:05:06.756 From him, I learned what real Chinese knowledge is. 00:05:06.756 --> 00:05:09.781 I learned that the education the emperor gave his own children 00:05:09.781 --> 00:05:13.035 was different from that offered to the commoners’ children. 00:05:13.035 --> 00:05:16.551 He taught me that Chinese studies was meant to be practical. 00:05:16.551 --> 00:05:20.325 The second is my academic advisor, Professor Jy-Sheng Ruaan. 00:05:20.325 --> 00:05:22.724 He spent his life researching historical documents 00:05:22.724 --> 00:05:25.864 and taught me how to analyze Chinese historical texts. 00:05:25.864 --> 00:05:29.454 He also taught me to analyze and observe, from a historical context, 00:05:29.454 --> 00:05:33.184 the thoughts and actions of these ancient emperors and scholars. 00:05:33.184 --> 00:05:36.554 It’s because of these two teachers, that I was inspired to bring forth 00:05:36.554 --> 00:05:39.424 the wisdom of the ancient emperors. 00:05:39.424 --> 00:05:43.590 It should no longer be kept a secret. It should be accessible to everyone. 00:05:43.590 --> 00:05:46.707 In order to achieve this goal, and with the enormous support of 00:05:46.707 --> 00:05:50.537 National Taiwan University’s Center for Teaching and Learning Development, 00:05:50.537 --> 00:05:53.414 we started the first ever, large-scale, free web course 00:05:53.414 --> 00:05:56.414 in Chinese literature and history. 00:05:56.414 --> 00:06:00.395 Initially, I only wanted to conduct an online teaching experiment. 00:06:00.395 --> 00:06:04.846 I wanted to know if old knowledge would be accepted by people today. 00:06:04.846 --> 00:06:10.388 Imagine my surprise when over 43,000 students enrolled. 00:06:10.388 --> 00:06:14.580 Everything we've talked about up to now has just been principles and theories, 00:06:14.580 --> 00:06:17.060 which are meaningless without application. 00:06:17.060 --> 00:06:22.978 Next, I’ll show you an example of how the ancient emperors studied history. 00:06:22.978 --> 00:06:26.528 How many of you recognize this painting? 00:06:26.528 --> 00:06:29.146 Good! You all know this depicts “Yi Shang Na Lu” 00:06:29.146 --> 00:06:32.426 which is the story of Zhang Liang retrieving Huang Shi Gong’s shoe. 00:06:32.426 --> 00:06:34.751 Most of us have read this as children. 00:06:34.751 --> 00:06:36.821 Since everyone is familiar with this story 00:06:36.821 --> 00:06:38.901 can anyone tell me what is this story really about? 00:06:38.901 --> 00:06:41.497 This is a story about wisdom. 00:06:41.497 --> 00:06:47.613 Its moral is certainly not as simplistic as respect your elders, be punctual. 00:06:47.613 --> 00:06:53.050 If that's all there was to the story, then Chinese wisdom is way too shallow. 00:06:53.050 --> 00:06:57.274 What does this story want to tell us? Let’s take a look. 00:06:57.274 --> 00:07:01.789 “One day, Zhang Liang was strolling along a bridge in the city of Xiapi.” 00:07:01.789 --> 00:07:04.021 This phrase seems straightfoward enough 00:07:04.021 --> 00:07:06.855 but historians interpret this phrase a bit differently 00:07:06.855 --> 00:07:08.605 by adding historical context. 00:07:08.605 --> 00:07:12.750 When we examine something, we must view it as a moment in time. 00:07:12.750 --> 00:07:16.351 What was Zhang Liang doing before he took his stroll? 00:07:16.351 --> 00:07:18.871 Well he just committed an earth-shattering crime; 00:07:18.871 --> 00:07:22.404 he had attempted to assassinate the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang. 00:07:22.404 --> 00:07:24.639 Why did he want the Emperor dead? 00:07:24.639 --> 00:07:27.499 Zhang Liang was a descendant of Han state chancellors. 00:07:27.499 --> 00:07:32.559 The Qin state destroyed the Han state. Zhang Liang wanted revenge. 00:07:32.559 --> 00:07:36.284 To achieve this goal, he wiped out his family fortune and hired assassins, 00:07:36.284 --> 00:07:39.604 but the attempt failed and he's a wanted man. 00:07:39.604 --> 00:07:42.086 So now, he’s fled to Xiapi. 00:07:42.086 --> 00:07:45.121 Now a normal person would be panicking and laying low, 00:07:45.121 --> 00:07:48.702 but Zhang Liang is just strolling along a bridge. 00:07:48.702 --> 00:07:53.089 From this, you know that this young man is extraordinarily bold. 00:07:53.089 --> 00:07:55.469 Then again, you'd have to be extraordinarily bold, 00:07:55.469 --> 00:07:57.634 to try to assassinate the Emperor! (laughter) 00:07:57.634 --> 00:08:01.562 At this point in time, Zhang Liang meets a remarkable person. 00:08:01.562 --> 00:08:06.361 An old man walks towards him and does an incredibly odd thing. 00:08:06.361 --> 00:08:09.247 The old man takes off his shoe, throws it over the bridge, 00:08:09.247 --> 00:08:11.947 and says to Zhang Liang, “Kid, go fetch my shoe!” 00:08:11.947 --> 00:08:14.015 Alright! Time to apply my method. 00:08:14.015 --> 00:08:17.090 Everyone, close your textbooks, shut your eyes, and ponder this: 00:08:17.090 --> 00:08:21.726 If you were Zhang Liang, what would you do? 00:08:21.726 --> 00:08:23.618 Think! Think it through! 00:08:23.618 --> 00:08:26.672 Sorry, this talk is only 18 minutes so I have to cut this short. 00:08:26.672 --> 00:08:31.212 Ok, let’s see what Zhang Liang does. His reaction is pretty extraordinary. 00:08:31.212 --> 00:08:33.213 “Liang was surprised; desired to assault.” 00:08:33.213 --> 00:08:35.666 In other words, he wants to beat up the old guy. 00:08:35.666 --> 00:08:39.802 We expect this from a fiery youngster but does he follow through? 00:08:39.802 --> 00:08:41.432 He doesn't. Why not? 00:08:41.432 --> 00:08:44.798 What he says next is very blunt, “He is old. I must restrain myself.” 00:08:44.798 --> 00:08:48.673 This is not an easy thing to do. He is forcing himself to tolerate this guy 00:08:48.673 --> 00:08:50.615 because remember, he’s still a fugitive, 00:08:50.615 --> 00:08:53.837 he’d really be screwed if he accidentally beat an old man to death. 00:08:53.837 --> 00:08:57.180 Since he’s decided to hold his temper, he fetches the old man’s shoe. 00:08:57.180 --> 00:09:00.366 Then the old man absurdly says, “Help me put it on.” 00:09:00.366 --> 00:09:02.526 Ok! Shut your eyes. 00:09:02.526 --> 00:09:06.326 If you were Zhang Liang and encountered such a presumptuous old man, 00:09:06.326 --> 00:09:08.090 what would you do? 00:09:08.090 --> 00:09:13.264 Let’s see what Zhang Liang does. Why he’s the Zhang Liang we know today. 00:09:13.264 --> 00:09:17.263 “Liang retrieves the shoe, genuflects at length to help put it on.” 00:09:17.263 --> 00:09:20.754 He doesn’t just help put on the shoe. He doesn’t just kneel down and help. 00:09:20.754 --> 00:09:23.850 He kneels for a lengthy time and helps the old man with his shoe. 00:09:23.850 --> 00:09:25.805 Why does Zhang Liang do this? 00:09:25.805 --> 00:09:31.351 Because he knows the first principle the old man is trying to teach him. 00:09:31.351 --> 00:09:35.121 Which is, in life, you choose either to not put up with something 00:09:35.121 --> 00:09:37.641 or to endure it to the very end. 00:09:37.641 --> 00:09:40.472 When we do something, we can choose either not to do it 00:09:40.472 --> 00:09:44.052 or to see it through to perfection. 00:09:44.052 --> 00:09:46.940 If you’re going to show restraint, bear it to the end. 00:09:46.940 --> 00:09:50.520 Since you’ve already fetched his shoe and decided to help him put it on, 00:09:50.520 --> 00:09:53.893 you might as well genuflect at length. 00:09:53.893 --> 00:09:57.173 This was what the old man wanted to teach Zhang Liang 00:09:57.173 --> 00:10:00.940 about the importance of "restraint." 00:10:00.940 --> 00:10:05.809 Why did he want to teach Zhang Liang? Let’s take a look at what happens next: 00:10:05.809 --> 00:10:10.677 “Satisfied, he smiles, walks away. Liang is stunned.” 00:10:10.677 --> 00:10:13.352 Why is Zhang Liang surprised? 00:10:13.352 --> 00:10:17.729 When masters match wits, they don’t use lengthy monologues. 00:10:17.729 --> 00:10:20.845 Yelling in the streets? That’s for lesser men. 00:10:20.845 --> 00:10:24.625 With masters, a few glances, a few words, a few moves, 00:10:24.625 --> 00:10:27.516 and they've sized each other up. 00:10:27.516 --> 00:10:30.536 When the old man ordered Zhang Liang to fetch his shoe, 00:10:30.536 --> 00:10:34.197 he wanted to unnerve Zhang Liang but Zhang Liang wasn’t fazed. 00:10:34.197 --> 00:10:36.394 Likewise, when Zhang Liang kneeled at length, 00:10:36.394 --> 00:10:39.371 he wanted to unnerve the old man but the old man wasn’t fazed. 00:10:39.371 --> 00:10:42.988 Instead, the old man extended his foot, and once shoed, walked away smiling. 00:10:42.988 --> 00:10:45.532 What was Zhang Liang’s reaction? "Liang is stunned!" 00:10:45.532 --> 00:10:49.290 We know that in this short timeframe, these two have sparred three times. 00:10:49.290 --> 00:10:51.961 And the old man has dealt Zhang Liang a crushing defeat. 00:10:51.961 --> 00:10:53.719 (laughter and applause) 00:10:53.719 --> 00:10:56.329 Why did the old man treat Zhang Liang this way? 00:10:56.329 --> 00:11:00.329 Know this, Zhang Liang was highly talented and courageous; 00:11:00.329 --> 00:11:02.741 he received the best education money could buy. 00:11:02.741 --> 00:11:06.105 In his past, he was always better than everyone 00:11:06.105 --> 00:11:08.756 so he never needed to show restraint. 00:11:08.756 --> 00:11:12.370 But ever since the old man appeared, he's thoroughly bested Zhang Liang. 00:11:12.370 --> 00:11:14.042 This was to teach Zhang Liang that 00:11:14.042 --> 00:11:16.574 there will always be someone better than you. 00:11:16.574 --> 00:11:18.826 It’s good for young people to be brave 00:11:18.826 --> 00:11:21.694 but if you can’t show restraint, then you can’t be prudent. 00:11:21.694 --> 00:11:24.427 So restraint is the first principle. 00:11:24.427 --> 00:11:26.626 Let’s see what happens next. 00:11:26.626 --> 00:11:30.624 The old man walks away, but turns around and tells Zhang Liang “You can be taught.” 00:11:30.624 --> 00:11:33.847 That’s why we know the old man is there to train Zhang Liang. 00:11:33.847 --> 00:11:36.804 “After five days time, meet back here at dawn. “ 00:11:36.804 --> 00:11:39.646 Zhang Liang knows that the old man is extraordinary, 00:11:39.646 --> 00:11:41.918 so he genuflects and says, “I promise.” 00:11:41.918 --> 00:11:43.931 This next passage, I’ll read for everyone. 00:11:43.931 --> 00:11:46.888 “At dawn on the fifth day, Zhang Liang arrives at the bridge.” 00:11:46.888 --> 00:11:50.602 The old man is there before Zhang Liang and rebukes, “You broke your promise.” 00:11:50.602 --> 00:11:53.464 He walks away and says, “Come back at dawn after five days.” 00:11:53.464 --> 00:11:57.374 On the fifth day, when the rooster crowed, so it's still dark, Zhang Liang arrives. 00:11:57.374 --> 00:11:59.294 The old man is already there before him 00:11:59.294 --> 00:12:02.122 and once again scolds, “Come back at dawn after five days.” 00:12:02.122 --> 00:12:03.693 Ok, now I’d like to ask everyone, 00:12:03.693 --> 00:12:06.894 in these few short phrases, which two words are the most important? 00:12:06.894 --> 00:12:10.118 When you read, you must be able to grasp the keywords 00:12:10.118 --> 00:12:14.455 otherwise you'll miss the point of the entire essay. 00:12:14.455 --> 00:12:18.746 Which two words? “Before” and “after”. 00:12:18.746 --> 00:12:21.444 Why stress before and after? 00:12:21.444 --> 00:12:26.018 Because the old man is teaching Zhang Liang the art of war. 00:12:26.018 --> 00:12:29.138 The art of war states that the first to the battlefield controls 00:12:29.138 --> 00:12:31.658 while the army who arrives after will be controlled. 00:12:31.658 --> 00:12:35.154 Controlling versus being controlled makes all the difference in the world. 00:12:35.154 --> 00:12:38.634 So far, the old man has bested Zhang Liang twice. 00:12:38.634 --> 00:12:42.041 So if you were Zhang Liang, what would you do? 00:12:42.041 --> 00:12:43.541 Let's take a look. 00:12:43.541 --> 00:12:45.911 "After five days, Liang arrives before midnight." 00:12:45.911 --> 00:12:47.797 Why before midnight? 00:12:47.797 --> 00:12:51.658 We agree to meet on the fifth day, so I arrive before midnight on the fourth day. 00:12:51.658 --> 00:12:56.822 There’s no way Zhang Liang can lose. 00:12:56.822 --> 00:13:01.700 Even if the old man were already there, Zhang Liang wouldn't be considered late 00:13:01.700 --> 00:13:03.707 because they agreed to meet on the fifth day. 00:13:03.707 --> 00:13:06.450 As it turns out, the old man wasn’t there first. 00:13:06.450 --> 00:13:09.885 "After a while, the old man arrives and happily says, 'This is the correct way.' 00:13:09.885 --> 00:13:12.895 He presents Zhang Liang with a book, Sun Tzu’s The Art of War." 00:13:12.895 --> 00:13:14.915 Why was the old man delighted? 00:13:14.915 --> 00:13:18.089 Because he knew that Zhang Liang has learned the second principle 00:13:18.089 --> 00:13:20.479 which is the importance of “striving to be first”. 00:13:20.479 --> 00:13:24.785 How do you become first? What does “first” even mean? 00:13:24.785 --> 00:13:28.784 If you don't get this concept then you'll miss the point of the story. 00:13:28.784 --> 00:13:32.510 Previous students have answered that to be first is to be earlier than others. 00:13:32.510 --> 00:13:35.729 But if you’re earlier than others, that’s just a relative first; 00:13:35.729 --> 00:13:37.999 that’s not an absolute first. 00:13:37.999 --> 00:13:40.523 The art of war demands absolute first. 00:13:40.523 --> 00:13:42.922 So what is absolute first? 00:13:42.922 --> 00:13:46.867 Absolute first is when you exceed your opponent’s expectations. 00:13:46.867 --> 00:13:50.404 Since the old man wasn’t expecting Zhang Liang to arrive before midnight, 00:13:50.404 --> 00:13:53.291 Zhang Liang has attained absolute first. 00:13:53.291 --> 00:13:57.108 So the crux is how do you exceed your opponent’s expectations? 00:13:57.108 --> 00:14:00.121 If you can’t figure this out, then everything else is pointless. 00:14:00.121 --> 00:14:04.936 How do you exceed expectations and achieve absolute first? 00:14:04.936 --> 00:14:10.150 The answer lies in the first principle that the old man taught Zhang Liang 00:14:10.150 --> 00:14:17.119 Only by showing restraint to the end can you then achieve absolute first. 00:14:17.119 --> 00:14:20.826 These two principles are clear in Sun Tzu’s Art of War. 00:14:20.826 --> 00:14:25.334 Appear as weak as a young maiden, and the enemy, with defenses down, 00:14:25.334 --> 00:14:26.792 will open their gates. 00:14:26.792 --> 00:14:31.970 The moment the gates are open, charge in as quick as a fleeing rabbit. 00:14:31.970 --> 00:14:37.101 Restraint and first are achieved when the enemy can’t close their gates in time. 00:14:37.101 --> 00:14:40.693 The essence of the art of war is these two principles. 00:14:40.693 --> 00:14:43.809 Are you powerful? Absolutely 00:14:43.809 --> 00:14:46.813 Why was Zhang Liang able to destroy the powerful Qin Dynasty? 00:14:46.813 --> 00:14:48.927 Because he choose to assist Liu Bang. 00:14:48.927 --> 00:14:51.211 How did Liu Bang conquer China? 00:14:51.211 --> 00:14:54.737 He proved his legitimacy by being first through the gates of Guanzhong. 00:14:54.737 --> 00:14:57.087 But when Liu Bang entered the gates of Guanzhong, 00:14:57.087 --> 00:15:01.188 southern Guanzhong was ruled by a general whose forces were much stronger than his. 00:15:01.188 --> 00:15:06.835 Liu Bang wanted to attack at once but Zhang Liang advised him not to. 00:15:06.835 --> 00:15:10.973 Instead, since the general was rumored to be extremely avaricious, 00:15:10.973 --> 00:15:16.648 Zhang Liang proposed that they offer the general a bribe. 00:15:16.648 --> 00:15:20.460 With such corrupt leadership, no wonder the Qin Dynasty collapsed. 00:15:20.460 --> 00:15:21.420 (laughter) 00:15:21.420 --> 00:15:25.034 After the general accepted the bribe, Liu Bang thought they're in the clear. 00:15:25.034 --> 00:15:28.296 Zhang Liang disagreed and said they must attack immediately. 00:15:28.296 --> 00:15:30.251 Liu Bang asked why? 00:15:30.251 --> 00:15:33.388 Zhang Liang replied that even though the general took the bribe, 00:15:33.388 --> 00:15:36.465 his subordinates are Qin subjects and they might not capitulate. 00:15:36.465 --> 00:15:39.235 But since the general took our bribe, his guard is down. 00:15:39.235 --> 00:15:41.192 If we attack now, we will surely win. 00:15:41.192 --> 00:15:43.781 So, it's because Liu Bang heeded Zhang Liang’s advice, 00:15:43.781 --> 00:15:46.031 that he was able to overthrow the Qin Dynasty. 00:15:46.031 --> 00:15:48.658 The Han Dynasty’s four glorious centuries started with 00:15:48.658 --> 00:15:52.128 that old man teaching Zhang Liang how to achieve "restraint" and "first." 00:15:52.128 --> 00:15:53.762 Now back to our original question. 00:15:53.762 --> 00:15:57.644 Why did the ancient emperors and leaders study history? 00:15:57.644 --> 00:16:00.584 What’s the point of learning history? 00:16:00.584 --> 00:16:04.894 The goal of studying history is to understand human nature. 00:16:04.894 --> 00:16:10.936 For millennia, history has been recorded, all the way from princes to paupers, 00:16:10.936 --> 00:16:18.456 how they made decisions as the times and their lives changed, 00:16:18.456 --> 00:16:22.271 only by studying this, can you fully comprehend human nature. 00:16:22.271 --> 00:16:26.922 The purpose of studying history is to inspire wisdom. 00:16:26.922 --> 00:16:31.413 We can use the wisdom of the ancients to ignite our own wisdom. 00:16:31.413 --> 00:16:34.718 We can use the lives of the ancients as the grindstone upon which 00:16:34.718 --> 00:16:38.583 we sharpen the metaphorical sword called our own intellect. 00:16:38.583 --> 00:16:42.528 A grindstone can’t cut anything, only a sword can cut. 00:16:42.528 --> 00:16:47.457 You must extract wisdom from history, memorizing facts is useless. 00:16:47.457 --> 00:16:52.802 Ok, so why do we want to understand human nature and inspire wisdom? 00:16:52.802 --> 00:16:57.090 Because when you face a difficulty in your life, trust me, 00:16:57.090 --> 00:17:03.631 you're not the first person in history to have encountered this problem. 00:17:03.631 --> 00:17:08.552 There have been countless others who have faced this exact challenge. 00:17:08.552 --> 00:17:15.292 How did they approach the problem? What was their solution? 00:17:15.292 --> 00:17:20.562 When you're filled with hopelessness, remember that there was once a man 00:17:20.562 --> 00:17:26.996 who had suffered immense humiliation, but he licked his wounds, regrouped, 00:17:26.996 --> 00:17:30.097 and with three thousand Yue troops he overthrew the Wu kingdom. 00:17:30.097 --> 00:17:33.571 When you feel that you’ve been taken advantage of, 00:17:33.571 --> 00:17:37.881 remember that there was once a clan who'd been mistreated for three centuries, 00:17:37.881 --> 00:17:41.001 innumerable soldiers and civilians had been killed. 00:17:41.001 --> 00:17:44.930 The day came when they started to believe that they should change their destiny. 00:17:44.930 --> 00:17:48.330 When they amassed seven hundred soldiers, they swore to the heavens that 00:17:48.330 --> 00:17:53.443 the Qin would control its own fate, the Qin would conquer the world, 00:17:53.443 --> 00:17:56.218 and in the end, they united the warring states 00:17:56.218 --> 00:17:58.093 and established China’s first dynasty. 00:17:58.093 --> 00:18:01.869 When you’re feeling sorry for yourself because your parents aren't good enough, 00:18:01.869 --> 00:18:03.899 that life is undependable, 00:18:03.899 --> 00:18:05.734 remember that there was once a man, 00:18:05.734 --> 00:18:09.009 his dad died when he was three, his mom died when he was a teenager, 00:18:09.009 --> 00:18:10.734 he grew up absolutely destitute, 00:18:10.734 --> 00:18:16.344 he received no formal education, everything he learned he taught himself, 00:18:16.344 --> 00:18:20.134 That man grew up to be one of the most learned individuals in Chinese history, 00:18:20.134 --> 00:18:21.686 a sage of the East, 00:18:21.686 --> 00:18:24.496 he's influenced Eastern thinking for over two millennia, 00:18:24.496 --> 00:18:26.276 that person is Confucius. 00:18:26.276 --> 00:18:29.642 And even that Western sage was born in a manger. 00:18:29.642 --> 00:18:30.672 (laughter) 00:18:30.672 --> 00:18:34.858 When you think that you have nothing left worth living for, 00:18:34.858 --> 00:18:40.049 remember that there was once a young man strolling on a bridge in Xiapi, 00:18:40.049 --> 00:18:43.318 at that moment, he had lost everything, 00:18:43.318 --> 00:18:48.298 but he believed that one day, he would annihilate the Qin dynasty 00:18:48.298 --> 00:18:51.227 and in the end, he did the impossible. 00:18:51.227 --> 00:18:54.094 He destroyed the world’s most powerful empire, 00:18:54.094 --> 00:18:56.554 and became an enduring symbol for Chinese wisdom. 00:18:57.044 --> 00:19:00.275 As long as you apply the right method, 00:19:00.275 --> 00:19:03.390 history is an unlimited treasure trove filled with wisdom, 00:19:03.390 --> 00:19:06.854 it’s a source of inexhaustible strength. 00:19:06.854 --> 00:19:09.839 I firmly believe the goal of education 00:19:09.839 --> 00:19:17.409 is for people to master knowledge, not for people to be slaves to knowledge. 00:19:17.409 --> 00:19:20.088 But to master knowledge, 00:19:20.088 --> 00:19:24.067 you must first understand how to ignite your own wisdom. 00:19:24.067 --> 00:19:29.933 I hope you can obtain wisdom from history, be the master of your own destiny, 00:19:29.933 --> 00:19:32.229 and start living your ideal life. 00:19:32.229 --> 00:19:34.185 Thank you! (applause)