In human society, we are often faced with a choice: useful and useless. However, what is useless is of great use. This seemingly contradictory view from "Zhuangzi, The World of the World" actually contains a profound philosophy of life.
Since ancient times, human society seems to have never stopped distinguishing between "useful" and "useless". People tend to pursue the things that are considered useful and ignore the things that seem useless. Usually people call those things that can directly satisfy our material needs and bring us benefits, fame and fortune as useful things. On the other hand, those things that cannot directly satisfy our material needs and seem to be useless are called useless things. However, when we dig deeper, we will find that many useless things actually have immeasurable value.
Bacon once said: "History makes a man wise, poetry makes a man imaginative, mathematics makes a man precise, natural science makes a man profound, ethics makes a man dignified, and logic and rhetoric make a man eloquent." Learning this seemingly "useless" knowledge, over time, gradually accumulates, at critical moments, will play a role.
Art, a typical seemingly useless thing, because it cannot directly meet our material needs. However, art plays an integral role in human life. It satisfies our spiritual needs, elevates our aesthetic senses, and allows us to find solace in our busy lives. The value of art is precisely its useless use, and it is of great use. In the same way, philosophy, history and other disciplines are also useless, which cannot directly produce economic benefits, but can enlighten our minds and enhance our wisdom.
Science is useful in the eyes of many. Indeed, the progress of science and technology has brought great convenience to our lives and promoted the development of society. However, the scientific research process is often boring, uninteresting, and requires a lot of time and energy investment. In this process, many people will choose to give up because they do not see the immediate benefits. However, it is these seemingly useless efforts that promote the progress of science and bring great value to human society. Lao Tzu's "Tao Te Ching" said: "There is no mutual birth, difficulty and ease are mutually beneficial, long and short are dwarfed, high and low are mutually reinforcing, sound and sound are harmonious, and the front and back are followed." This sentence tells us that all things are relative, and existence and absence, difficulty, length and shortness, and superiority are all interdependent. In the same way, "useless use" is relative, and what seems useless may actually have great value. What is useless is of great use.
In modern society, we often encounter all kinds of pressure, challenges and difficulties in life, study and work, and we will feel lost and helpless at this time, and we don't know whether our efforts are meaningful. However, in this process, the wisdom, realm and innovative power of "useless use" will become the driving force and support for us to move forward, and we will gain valuable experience from it, improve our own capabilities, and lay a solid foundation for future development. Only when we truly understand and apply the principle of "useless use" can we better cope with the challenges and opportunities of the future.
The useless use is a great use" is a manifestation of wisdom, realm and innovation. First of all, useless use is a kind of wisdom. In today's society, people always pursue material satisfaction and utilitarian pursuit. However, this pursuit often leads to a narrow vision and way of thinking. If we can change our perspective and see things that seem useless, we may be able to find their value. For example, arts, philosophy, literature and other disciplines may not be as practical as science and engineering, but they are irreplaceable for the nourishment and enlightenment of the human spirit. In these disciplines, people can think deeply about the meaning and value of life, and improve their thinking realm and humanistic qualities. Therefore, uselessness is a manifestation of wisdom. Secondly, the useless use is a kind of realm. In our daily lives, we often encounter things or activities that seem useless. For example, listening, watching movies, traveling, etc., these activities may not be obvious in terms of practicality, but they can make people feel the beauty and meaning of life. In these activities, people can relax and enjoy the beauty of life. This kind of elevation not only enables people to better understand themselves and the world, but also enables them to face the challenges and difficulties in life more optimistically and positively. Therefore, the useless use is a kind of realm ascension. In the end, useless use is an innovation. In scientific research, many great discoveries often arise from seemingly useless thinking and exploration. For example, Newton discovered the law of gravitation while thinking about philosophical questions; Einstein came up with the mass-energy equation when thinking about the theory of relativity. These great discoveries are the result of seemingly useless thinking and exploration. It is precisely because of the existence of these thoughts and explorations that the progress and development of human society have been promoted. Therefore, the useless use is a manifestation of innovation. Therefore, while we pursue material satisfaction and utilitarian pursuit, we cannot ignore those seemingly useless things and thoughts. Only when we can see their value and make use of them can we truly realize our own value and meaning.
What is useless is of great use" is a philosophical point of view. We should rationally look at whether a thing is useful or useless, do not be confused by the immediate benefits, but appreciate and cherish those seemingly useless efforts and efforts, to feel the beauty and value of life with our hearts, and to gain the power of growth and progress, so as to better cope with future challenges and create a better future. However, "useless use is great use" does not mean that we should blindly pursue useless things, and should always maintain rational thinking and clarify our goals and directions. We should not neglect the attention and investment in useful things just because we pursue uselessness, but we should constantly reflect and summarize to ensure that our actions are meaningful and valuable. Let us be more discerning and cherish those seemingly useless things and thoughts, and make them an indispensable part of our lives. Only in this way will we be able to face the challenges and opportunities of the future more firmly and confidently on the road ahead.
May we have an inclusive heart, with the mind of "useless use, only for great use" to discover and appreciate those seemingly useless avenues and truths, draw wisdom and strength from them, better cope with future challenges, and create a better future.
Original work, declined**).