Cen Shen, an outstanding poet of the Tang Dynasty, wrote in his popular poem "Bai Xue Ge Sends the Military Judge Back to Beijing": "The snow is falling in the twilight, and the wind blows the red flag and does not turn over. In this poem, the use of the word "掣" can be called a wonderful pen, which vividly shows the unique scene of the red flag in the wind and snow.
On a cold evening, heavy snow falls gently outside the gate. The wind howled and tried to blow the red flag to fly, but the red flag was frozen by the bitter cold, and no matter how strong the wind was, it could not make it roll over.
Now to correct a common misreading. Many people may mispronounce the word "zhì zhǒu" when they see the word "掣弢", but in fact, the correct pronunciation should be "chè zhǒu". The word "掣" means to pull and pull.
The word "掣", in addition to the meaning of pulling and pulling, also has the meaning of containment and control.
In ancient times, on the battlefield, generals would use various tactics to "contain" the enemy army, so that it could not move freely.
It's like in a tug-of-war, where both sides are trying to contain each other and try to gain the upper hand.
In addition, "switch" also has the meaning of pumping and pulling. This is reminiscent of the ancient system of "drawing lots". In the Qing Dynasty, alternate magistrates drew lots to determine their provinces, as if the hand of fate was drawing their future direction.
Officials who met certain conditions were allowed to choose their own provinces, a privilege known as "pointers", as if they could point their fingers to the places they wanted.
Speaking of "掣", there is another interesting word - "掣兵".
This is not to pull the soldiers to run, but to draw the soldiers and horses.
On the ancient battlefield, the general gave an order, and the "troops" went to reinforcements, the tense and exciting scene, did it make people's blood boil?
Of course, the word "restraint" literally means to hold or pull someone else's elbow while someone else is doing something, you are doing something with all your might, and suddenly someone reaches out from the side to grab your elbow, and your actions instantly become clumsy, and that sense of restraint and powerlessness is the true portrayal of "restraint".
The word "restraint" is particularly common in officialdom. In the Qing Dynasty, Li Baojia's "Records of the Appearance of Officialdom" mentions "encountering obstacles", which vividly describes the situation of officials obstructing each other and obstructing their work.
In real life, "constraints" are also everywhere. For example, if you come up with an innovative idea at work, but there are always people who hold you back for various reasons, making you feel like you are tied hand in hand and foot by invisible ropes and unable to use your talents.
Or a person wants to pursue a certain goal, but feels "constrained" due to family, economic and other reasons.
At this time, do you feel the pain of "constraints"?
In the journey of life, have we ever encountered a moment of "constraint"?
And how do you get rid of these shackles and move forward?
Perhaps, we need to learn to adjust our mindset and change our thinking. When you encounter a "constraint", you may wish to calm down, analyze the root cause of the problem, and then look for a solution to the problem.
Sometimes, "constraints" are not insurmountable obstacles, but the driving force for our growth and progress.