Who am I? What is the life I aspire to? What is the true meaning of life?
If you have ever thought about these questions and lost in the labyrinth of life, then I would like to introduce you to a master of literature, and this master is Hermann · Hesse.
A Nobel laureate in literature has praised his work as imbued with humanitarianism and a deep concern for humanity.
It has been argued that Hesse's work has won the hearts of young people across the globe, and his novels delve into the struggles of the individual psyche and are committed to finding a way to their inner selves.
If you feel lost in the meaning of life and desire to explore your true self and find a way to self-redemption, you might as well step into Hesse's spiritual world and read the five sentences in Hesse's masterpiece "Steppenwolf", you will have a clearer understanding of your own desires, a deeper understanding of your own nature, and thus pursue a sincere and happy life:
1. There are always a few such people in the world, who are very demanding in life and unwilling to be stupid and rude. We work hard for a better life. What is a good life? It's up to us, but most of the time, "better" is a yearning and "best" is a dream. Because the "better" things are waiting to be surpassed, and the best things are the impossible realms, but the yearning is endless.
Harrell, the protagonist of the book, is very abandoning the social climate of the time, and by chance, he flips through a book, which begins with the full text of "Commenting on Steppenwolf". In fact, whether it is Steppenwolf, Harrell himself, or even those readers who can read and understand this book, resonate with it, and feel that it reflects reality, there is more or less Steppenwolf's shadow in them.
It is the coexistence of different levels, with extreme qualities, in a person, which take turns to dominate. On the one hand, there are beautiful and desirable people, things and spiritual concepts as human beings, that is, the so-called human nature; On the other hand, there is the painful savagery as a wolf, the wolf nature that contrasts sharply with human nature.
Constantly switching between human nature and wolf nature, repeatedly struggling, and at the same time there are multiple contradictions and conflicts, Harrell spends most of his time in a state of contradictions, entanglements, self-loathing and dissatisfaction, and despairs of the predicament of the times. He also experienced a rare sense of happiness once in a while, and although such moments were few, the immense satisfaction was enough to rival the pain of most of the time.
This is like the source of suffering in our human hearts, not because we do not accept a part of ourselves as a defect, as a defect, as a defect, but as an integral part of what constitutes a complete self.
2. Year after year, most people are forced day after day to do things against their will, live against their will, act against their will, they visit relatives and friends, chat and talk, go to work in the office, do all these things are forced, mechanical, not willing, these things can also be done by machines, or they can not be done at all; It is this perpetual machinery that prevents them from looking critically at their own lives, from seeing and feeling the stupidity, shallowness, suspicion, hopeless sadness and emptiness of this life.
At first, Harry repressed and restricted himself, but after meeting Hermina, he experienced joy and self-liberation, indulging in a life of sensuality and extravagance. On the one hand, he was driven by desire without self-control, and on the other hand, he felt irritability deeply. In fact, this is similar to the process of our upbringing, if we believe that a certain behavior is right, we will respect it and protect it, even if it is tormented inside.
At some point, we tear off the restrictive cloak we wear, completely abandon all our adherence and principles, and indulge in them in order to cater to our own desires and desires. Only by truly experiencing all this can we see the true face of life, in which there is no distinction between high and low, but different people choose different life paths.
After seeing this, you can truly live your life as you are, not to play a role, not to be what you preset, but to truly obey your own heart.
3. Once people can treat themselves with ease, then, a higher level of humor begins. It is very difficult for people to be able to treat themselves easily. In the face of life, we are always on the lookout, always worrying about the problems that have not yet come, always looking ahead, and we are not at all easy to live.
In childhood, we simply categorized people into "good" or "evil", but as we grow up, we develop a deeper understanding of ourselves and are constantly changing.
As Steppenwolf reveals, Harry initially divides himself simply into opposing wolves and humans, calling himself "Steppenwolf" in search of a simple unity, and then discovers that he has a myriad of complex and hard-to-classify aspects of his personality. But at the same time, Harry had a contemptuous attitude towards the world around him, and thought that he was superior to others in his spiritual pursuits.
However, under the influence of Hermina and others, he experienced indulgence and pleasure, and realized how hypocritical Harry was and no more noble than the others. He did not actually contribute anything to the country and was worthless. He subverted his previous view of himself and saw himself more objectively.
Sometimes, at some point, we suddenly question whether we are limited by our self-knowledge. In this world of pleasure, relaxation, and happiness, where will Steppenwolf go?
He says goodbye to the world of the past and blends into the new environment, but in the end he must say goodbye again because this world does not belong to him. He needs to be sober and can only live with pain, which may be the true face of life.
Fourth, everything in the world will come to an end in this way, and all our pursuits, all our cultures, all our beliefs, all our joys of life, all will be terminally ill, and it will not be long before we will be buried there. Death is the greatest justice in the world. People are all going to die, death is the ultimate destination, and many things we pursue will eventually become the past, history, and the passers-by of our lives.
A delirious Harrell slashed his throat with a razor in his hand, and he decided to bring his fate to an end. It was at this moment that the hallucinations resurfaced. He saw Mozart appear next to him, talking to him like an old friend.
Harrell confided: "Monsieur Mozart, I am a stupid and nasty beast. I have committed murder and have been possessed by demons and cannot save myself. ”
Facing a silent Mozart, Harrell continued: "I hope that the state will send me to the execution ground, punish me, and eliminate me. ”
However, Mozart unexpectedly replied: "You can't die, survival itself is punishment." ”
This sentence was like a slap in the face, and Harrell instantly woke up: instead of choosing death to escape, it is better to face this terrible life bravely.
So, he put himself in order and started his journey again.
Fifth, even the most unfortunate life will get a bright time, and a small flower of happiness will grow in the cracks of the sand and gravel. The world is the same, but some people look up to see the stars, and some people look down to see the dust. One of the most important reasons we can see is that we want to.
In his work, Hesse wrote: "In the deepest part of every human psyche lurks a wolf of the wasteland who both enjoys solitude and seeks understanding. Life itself is a lonely journey, and everyone can become that "different" being. Some people choose to put on a disguise, disguise their true heart, and blindly fit into the group, while others have the courage to show their true selves and face the world without fear.
The more independent a person's soul is, the more likely they are to suffer from group rejection. Only those who are strong in their hearts and have a certain wolf nature can resist the assimilation of the group and stick to themselves. Like Harrell, anti-war in Germany society at the time was seen as a heresy for the majority. However, after decades of precipitation, the awakening of time has finally made people understand that in that era, only he was the only one who was truly sober.
Just like in Harry's confrontation with Steppenwolf, he gradually realizes his dark side and learns to live peacefully with it. This kind of spiritual maturity is also a key step towards self-realization.
Steppenwolf symbolizes the wildness, primitiveness and courage to face reality in the human heart. In the book, it is full of questions about the depths of the soul: there is no way back. We can neither turn back into beasts nor return to childhood; There are always people who have extremely high demands on life, but are not satisfied with their stupidity and rudeness; If you can't love yourself, you can't love others, and those who hate themselves will hate others as well.
When confronted with a difficult task, my wild instinct may want to run away, thinking it is too difficult and giving up; And human nature reminds me at this time that if I can't overcome even this little difficulty, I can't be called a complete person. The various voices within us are constantly fighting and debating, and we are struggling to live in such contradictions, painfully following the trend of the times, barely maintaining our human image.
Hesse's work inspires me to think deeply about my own existence, and this self-examination is complemented by the idea of minimalism, leading me to explore the true meaning of life in serenity and contemplation. His words seem to convey the message that the beauty of life lies in the search for the inside, not in the superficial glitz.
Reading Steppenwolf is a process of confronting oneself. Only by looking at yourself courageously will you be able to find your way to self-redemption.