In the long course of history, there is an extraordinary woman who shook the times with her extraordinary declaration. At just 19 years old, she declared, "I am determined to be my unique self." ”
This woman, who was affectionately praised by Kate Millet, the pioneer of the global feminist movement, and her book "The Second Sex" is like a light that breaks down, subverting the fate trajectory of hundreds of millions of people and profoundly affecting the reconstruction of gender perception around the world.
The French head of state spoke highly of her existence and contributions, praising Beauvoir's life and his works, which not only awakened the awakening consciousness of equality and freedom between men and women in France and even around the world.
She is Simone de Beauvoir, a jewel in the temple of French literature.
Humanist Alois Prinz has written his magnum opus, Beauvoir, a masterpiece of his biography with his picturesque and nuanced brushstrokes, detailing the journey of this legendary woman from her childhood to the pinnacle of her life.
In this biography, readers will follow the author's pen through Beauvoir's ups and downs in life, feel the trials and pains she experienced, experience the tortuous path she has taken, and the hesitation and determination in the face of choices.
When we immerse ourselves in Beauvoir's story, we can't help but find that everyone is repeating similar plots on the stage of life, enduring the same hardships, and stepping through the same ups and downs. Once upon a time, we may have complained a lot about fate and saw life as an unfair trial.
However, with the precipitation of the years and the experience of the world, we will eventually realize that every experience in the journey of life, whether sweet or bitter, is to let us meet our true selves and shape that irreplaceable life individual.
Only by constantly broadening your horizons can you recognize your true self
Beauvoir, the brilliant French woman, was born into a well-to-do middle-class family in Paris, her father, a lawyer, who shaped the family atmosphere with his rigor and rationality, and his mother, a devout Catholic, silently influenced the family's spiritual world with the power of faith. As the eldest daughter in the family, Beauvoir carried the family's high expectations from an early age.
Under the careful cultivation of her parents, she bathed in the ocean of knowledge early and cultivated a love for reading. At the age of three, she was able to read the worlds that had been enlightened for children on her own, and at the age of seven, she showed her creative talent, and from then on, she set her mind to become a writer.
During her school days, Beauvoir was like a dry sponge, greedily absorbing all kinds of academic nutrients, and this enthusiasm for knowledge made her particularly intelligent and precocious among her peers.
When the flames of the First World War swept in, the family was in dire straits, the economic situation was in trouble, and the conflict between the parents intensified.
However, in the face of the changes in life, the young Beauvoir was not drowned by fear and tears, but showed tenacity and reason beyond his years, and began to calmly plan his life blueprint. She is determined to find a stable job to relieve the pressure on her family after completing her studies, while at the same time staying true to her love of literature and determined to achieve something in the field of writing.
With the passage of time, in the turbulent era of French thought, Beauvoir further broadened his reading horizons, and was deeply influenced by the works of representatives of liberal and individual emancipation such as Dude, Maupassant, and Colette.
These works serve as a sharp key to insight into the prejudices of traditional religions and the stereotypes of the education system.
At this moment, her thinking is no longer limited to her personal upbringing, but looks at the broader social stage, a shift that undoubtedly had a decisive impact on Beauvoir's career trajectory in the future, laying the foundation for her to become an important existentialist scholar and pioneer of the feminist movement in the 20th century.
In daily life, many people habitually devote a lot of time to entertainment activities such as brushing ** and playing games, trying to dissipate their inner anxiety and fill the void of life with the appearance of hustle and bustle.
However, few people realize that the deeper a person's knowledge, the broader his knowledge, and the deeper his understanding and thinking about problems, the more calm he can be in the face of the ups and downs of fate.
As Mr. Yang Jiang said, "The meaning of reading is probably to interpret books with life experience, and then enrich life with the income from books." ”
Life in the world, no one's life can always be calm, and turbulent waves are the normal picture of life.
When you are helpless in a difficult situation, you can draw strength from the wisdom of the sages to resolve the difficulties in life;
When you are discouraged and depressed, you can reconstruct your inner spiritual world through the exchange of ideas with the ancient sages.
Those books that have been read are like carefully forging an impregnable spiritual fortress for you.
No matter what situation you find yourself in, you can have the courage to break free from the shackles of life and the firm belief in controlling your own destiny.
Get rid of other people's expectations and pursue self-recognition
Beauvoir once proclaimed, "I will never bend my life to the will of others." This sentence is like a banner that runs through her life's persistence and practice.
After completing his studies, Beauvoir decided to pursue a career in education and become a secondary school teacher, but this decision was met with great resistance from his family.
Her father expected her to do sacred religious work, while her mother hoped that she would soon enter the palace of marriage. Despite this, Beauvoir stood true to his beliefs and passed the rigorous teaching examination with flying colors.
At the age of twenty-one, she made history by becoming the first female teacher in France to teach philosophy at a men's high school, breaking gender boundaries and challenging the traditional landscape of education. However, the road to coaching has not been easy.
She showed extraordinary courage and independent thinking spirit in the classroom, not only expressing unique views on topics such as social politics, traditional morality and legal system, but also daring to break through the shackles of the conventional syllabus and guide students to go deep into real problems.
Although this move resonated with some students, it also caused strong dissatisfaction from the school and parents, and even attracted a stern warning from the school.
In the face of the high-handed posture of authority, Beauvoir did not compromise in the slightest, but responded with a more resolute attitude. What is even more intolerable to conservative forces is that her way of life, like her ideas, is full of innovations and challenges, constantly challenging the established norms of the era.
She walks alone in her life on campus, never making friends with others, and often even chooses to go hiking alone.
This maverick behavior has attracted a lot of gossip for her, and some people have taken the opportunity to over-interpret and comment on her, using her lifestyle as an after-dinner conversation.
Beauvoir, however, took it in stride, staying true to himself and enjoying life in his own unique way, unfettered by the eyes of the outside world.
When we explore her story between the pages, it seems that we can also get a glimpse of real life. can't help but make people think deeply, how many people have reluctantly passed by opportunities in the questioning and intervention of others, and then lived in endless regrets;
How many people have fallen into the whirlpool of self-denial after being hit by the inappropriate words and deeds of others, which has eclipsed the original brilliant life in an instant.
As Yamamoto said, "What is more terrifying than the eyes of the world is the heart that cares too much about the eyes of others." ”
If we blindly pursue the approval of others and pay too much attention to the evaluation of others, we may end up spending our lives under the standards of others. Therefore, do not easily deny your own value because of the one-sided judgment of others.
The words of others have their influence, but what really matters is to live your own life and be strong in your beliefs.
Learn to block out the noise of the outside world, focus on personal growth and improvement, and pursue inner self-recognition, so as to shape the ideal self-image and live a wonderful life chapter.
Becoming oneself is a lifelong task for everyone
When it comes to Beauvoir's writing career, we have to mention the close relationship between her and Sartre, who was also a teacher and friend. In 1929, Beauvoir met Sartre while preparing for the teacher exam, and they quickly resonated and fell in love.
The two exchanged philosophies and carried out academic collaborations together, promoting each other in the process. In 1938, Sartre's masterpiece Being and Nothingness was published, which quickly attracted the attention of Parisian literary circles and readers, and the critics called the philosophy expounded in the book existentialism, making Sartre the most influential scholar in the French intellectual circle at that time.
Under Sartre's influence, Beauvoir not only joined the Resistance, but also founded the magazine Modern with Sartre and friends, which sparked widespread attention in the existentialist movement.
Subsequently, Beauvoir's work The Blood of Others and the play The Mouth of the White Eater were staged, which further promoted the movement.
However, because Sartre enjoyed a high reputation as the initiator and leader of the existentialist movement, people tended to see Beauvoir as Sartre's companion and ignore her own writing talent.
Even sometimes reporters call her Sartre's "soul mate" and "the most charming existentialist" in interviews.
In the face of the torrent of **, Beauvoir did not sink into it, nor did he choose to justify himself in order to prove himself, but chose to devote himself to the field of writing.
It wasn't until 1949, when the masterpiece "The Second Sex" was published, that the public's attention was focused on this tenacious female writer.
In "The Second Sex", she sharply analyzes many major social issues from the perspective of a female scholar, and conducts in-depth excavation and exploration. At the same time, she has the courage to break through herself, abandon her previous creative style, and open up a unique artistic path.
Since then, Beauvoir has managed to break free from Sartre's aura and become famous not only in France itself, but also throughout the continent. The subsequent publication of "Celebrities and Gentlemen" won her the Prix Goncourt in one fell swoop, pushing her social influence and reputation to an unprecedented peak.
Through the pages, we can feel Beauvoir's arduous journey, but on the way to chase her dreams, she has never flinched or given up.
On the other hand, in real life, we often stagnate because of a few setbacks, set self-limits before we go all out, and even easily swayed by the irrelevant remarks of others.
As everyone knows, in this world, the only force that can limit the direction of your life actually comes from yourself.
As Hesse said, "Every human being has only one true mission, and that is to find his true self, and to stick to it in the depths of his heart for the rest of his life." ”
Becoming your true self and exploring the meaning of life is a topic that everyone needs to answer in their entire life. Although this path may be full of thorns, as long as you recognize yourself, have firm beliefs, and unswervingly pursue it, you will eventually achieve a better self.
Write at the end
On the cover of Beauvoir's biography is engraved a thought-provoking sentence: "Although we cannot fully understand the real Beauvoir, if we are close to her world, we can draw rich wisdom from it." ”
I couldn't agree more. Looking back on Beauvoir's life, she has always held on to the firm beliefs she made when she was 19 years old, and interpreted them in practice.
However, Beauvoir's life journey was not an easy one, and the controversies that followed her left a deep mark on the pages of her life, and became an integral part of her life. However, because of this, Beauvoir was extremely lucky, because among all living beings, how many people can realize the true meaning of life in their lifetime, just like her?
Be yourself" - these four words seem to be unremarkable, but they contain a thousand powers. It means not only tempering one's mind and breaking free from the shackles of others' expectations, but more importantly, being brave enough to face one's true self and unswervingly pursue one's desires. Only in this way can life manifest its meaning and life shine with a fresh and unique brilliance.
Here, I sincerely invite you to click Follow, and wish you and I will be brave of difficulties and obstacles on the road for the rest of our lives, become the masters of our own lives, and live a lifestyle that we love.