How can we show our true selves in this long journey of life?
It is to follow the expectations of the world, devote yourself to the struggle for fame and fortune, and seek the praise of others;
Or do you stick to your inner beliefs, follow the guidance of your intuition, and be brave enough to be yourself?
As early as 1950, the Italian writer Calvino thought deeply about this question and gave his answer in his work "The Baron in the Tree".
In the book, the protagonist Cosimo resolutely chooses to stay away from the hustle and bustle and live in a tree in order to get rid of the shackles and pursue freedom.
He resolutely fought against the world, never ignored the criticism of the outside world, and finally lived a more wonderful and fulfilling life than anyone else.
After reading this masterpiece, we can't help but sigh: "Only by remaining independent can we truly realize ourselves." ”
If we blindly follow the path of others, we will eventually become puppets to be manipulated.
Only by learning to think independently and choose the lifestyle we love can we find our true self-worth.
Only by getting rid of useless rules can we stay away from suffering
Cosimo, a 12-year-old boy, is tired of the constraints and rules of his family, so he decides to live in a tree.
His father, a baron, proclaimed himself a duke and forced his family to follow the red tape he had instituted.
At the dinner table, the rules are even stricter, long prayers must be prayed before eating, and everyone must dress appropriately and eat without saying a word. If someone violates the slightest violation, they will be severely reprimanded.
This binding rule suffocated Cosimo, who felt as if he was bound by an invisible shackle and could not breathe freely. He felt that the intimacy between his family was severed by these rules, and the warm home became cold and alienated.
One day, when his father forced Cosimo to eat a snail meal, he couldn't take it anymore and rushed out of the room and climbed a holm oak tree.
He chose to live on a tree as a way to rebel against his father's authority and worldly standards.
In the trees, Cosimo's world is turned upside down. He saw the empty fields, the beautiful gardens, and talked to the farmers, which broadened his horizons.
He begins to appreciate the good things in life that he had never noticed before.
At night, he sleeps with birds in the trees, and in the morning he is awakened by the chirping of birds.
This new way of life made him feel extremely free and comfortable, and he was even more determined in his choice.
Finding his inner belonging, Cosimo decided to settle down in the trees and place his value in this new way of life.
He broke free from the shackles of old habits and broke new ground.
Rules and stereotypes are everywhere in life, and they may provide a temporary sense of security, but they do not bring true happiness and satisfaction.
Only by bravely breaking free from bondage can we find our true self and freedom.
Just like Cosimo, we can discover the beauty and possibilities in life by breaking free from stereotypes.
Only by maintaining inner independence can we be free
As the old saying goes, "Those who truly enjoy freedom dare to blaze new trails and stand out from the crowd." ”
Ever since he chose to live in the treetops, he has never stopped hearing the sounds of doubt and admonition, and friends and relatives have urged him to return to the normal track of life that the world considers.
However, in the face of the pressure from the outside world, Cosimo handled it calmly, because he knew that on the road to freedom, he must maintain a certain distance from the public.
Although life at home is comfortable and comfortable, it is also full of hustle and bustle; And the life in the tree, although full of hardships, can enjoy tranquility and freedom, in the unrestrained space, he can follow the heart and live authentically.
In fact, the opposition between the tree and the tree reflects the tension between the ideal and the reality, since his ideal is freedom, then he is destined to go against the current, deviating from the established trajectory of reality.
As a result, he quietly built his own "kingdom in the air" and no longer explained his choices too much to the outside world. Day by day, he gradually mastered the art of pruning branches, building tree houses, and even attracting mountain springs, which made his life on the trees more and more comfortable.
However, in order to enrich his life experience, he did not completely isolate himself from the crowd, but took advantage of his high position to actively participate in people's lives.
At that time, the farm under the tree was repeatedly infested by thieves, who set fire to the chaos in the darkness of the night and looted the goods, which the farmers could not be guarded against.
At this moment, Cosimo stepped forward and instructed the farmers to build a cistern to extinguish the fire with lightning speed, so that the thieves could not hide.
Similarly, when a cargo ship at sea was threatened by pirates, Cosimo successfully helped the ship avoid the risk by keeping watch and helping him for several days in a row.
His heroic deeds won him praise and admiration, and many graciously invited him to return to life on the surface.
However, he resolutely responded: "To participate in life is to enrich the wings of life; Keeping your distance from the crowd is to hold on to that freedom in the depths of your heart. ”
Once, the incomprehension and questioning of others did not shake his determination;
Now, everyone's admiration and admiration have never made him proud.
He has always held on to his beliefs, enjoying the scenery from the trees alone, and at the same time silently guarding this home.
Although initially his father was prejudiced against him, believing him to be a bad son, when he saw what Cosimo had done, he gradually changed his mind and eventually accepted his son, even giving him a knighthood and a sword.
Since then, Cosimo has officially become a baron who lives in a tree, and his story has been told for a long time.
A philosopher once said: "Freedom comes only after independence, and those who dare not be independent will not be able to gain freedom." ”
If Cosimo had not bravely resisted and lived in the inertia of society, then he would have simply turned into a soulless walking corpse.
Although Cosimo also had to face loneliness and loneliness in his quest for freedom, the love of his heart kept him steadfast.
In this world, there are always some people who live with their heads down and run for a living; And some people will raise their heads and follow their ideals, defying difficulties and obstacles.
When the inertia of society leads us astray and makes us lose our way, only by insisting on independence can we regain that true freedom.
Only by knowing how to cultivate oneself and help others can one live a fulfilling life
A person's true perfection and achievement lies precisely in casting the core of personal value into the grand framework of social value. The deepest emptiness and loneliness come from the abandonment of social values and immersion in a narrow self-world.
On this day, Cosimo was perched in the treetops, and a wave of nothingness quietly swept over his mind, making him realize that life alone in the woods could not give life a profound meaning of fulfillment.
In order to fill this inner shortcoming, he chose knowledge as a bulwark against nothingness, and decided to use books to build the cornerstone of his spiritual universe.
So, in that green shade, he eagerly studied all kinds of classics, whether it was the philosophy that enlightened the wisdom, the science that revealed the mysteries of nature, the literature that cultivated the sentiments, or the astronomy that explored the stars and the sea.
In this journey of knowledge, he even invited priests to interpret the laws of the heavenly bodies, and took the trouble to consult the leading European philosophers on the difficult philosophical problems that bothered people's hearts.
As his knowledge grew, Cosimo became a mystery, with some calling him a madman and questioning how effective he could be in reading while living in a tree.
However, even the notorious bandit leader Jain heard of his name, and after colliding with Cosimo's thoughts, he was deeply moved, and finally put down the butcher's knife, picked up the scroll, and embarked on a new path in life.
Later, when the flames of revolution burned all over the land and the peasants were suffering under the heavy oppression of taxes, Cosimo resolutely took the pen as a sword and helped the peasants write a book to lead them to resist the shackles of harsh taxes and miscellaneous taxes.
Thanks to his efforts, people's lives were gradually relieved and regained their respite.
Looking at the long-lost smiles on the faces of the farmers, Cosimo's heart was also filled with great satisfaction and gratification, and his life value was sublimated and realized in the process of serving the society.
With courage, Cosimo accomplished many deeds.
However, now that he was old, the baron could no longer be seen as he walked freely through the woods.
One could only witness the baron lying pale in the cabin.
Therefore, people volunteered to go up to the tree to take care of the baron, and everyone praised him as one of the most outstanding geniuses and figures of the era.
As Cosimo watched as people were busy for him and saw him as a confidant, the regret in his heart gradually dissipated.
At the end of the story, he clutches the hot air balloon that floats by and flies all the way into the distance.
There is a proverb that says, "A person who ignores social values, no matter how high his personal value, is small and empty." ”
No matter what your ideals are, you can't detach them from real life, or you will turn into a mirage.
You have to believe that every time you help someone else, you will not only benefit others, but you will also feel fulfilled yourself.
When you genuinely help others achieve their lives, they give back to you in life as well.
Looking back at Cosimo's life, he broke free from the shackles at a young age and has lived in trees ever since. He did not achieve success in the worldly sense, but he found inner satisfaction.
Although everyone tells you to get ahead and climb to the top of life, there is no meaning in life itself, all the meaning is given by you.
Instead of following in the footsteps of others, it is better to follow your heart and live your own life.
The writer Hesse once said: "For everyone, there is only one true duty, and that is to find oneself, and then stick to it all your life, wholeheartedly, and never stop." ”
Obviously, Cosimo has found himself, so how do we find ourselves?
Only by being like Cosimo, breaking free from constraints, remaining independent, cultivating yourself and helping others, can you truly be satisfied with life.
When you live the way you like, you will understand that it doesn't matter whether you succeed or not, the important thing is to live your own life.