5 minutes read classic book: Confessions(written by Jean-Jacques Rousseau)
Admitting Problems is a Beautiful Beginning
Highlight:
1.Willingness to admit I have problems is often a wonderful start.
2.The character of the person one loves most reveals their true nature.
3.Although human intelligence cannot grasp all knowledge but only choose one, if one is ignorant of other sciences, they will often lack a thorough understanding of the subject they study.
In 1762, the French philosopher Rousseau was brutally attacked by evil forces for criticizing the corruption of the authorities.
For a time, various condemnations, insults, and slanders were like swirling dust, obscuring the sky and suffocating.
In the isolated plight of being ostracized by the whole world, Rousseau began profound introspection.
With his pen as a sword, he candidly dissected himself, truthfully recording all the ugliness and sins in his life in ‘Confessions.’
In the book, he exposed his uncontrollable desires, embarrassing secrets, and despicable thoughts; explored the root of a person’s moral decay, and revealed the ugliness and malice of human nature.
By tearing apart the gorgeous facade of falsehood and digging out the tumors of misconduct, a stronger Rousseau returned.
With ‘Confessions,’ he achieved a scandalous success, smashing external oppression and rising to the top of the world literary stage.
Aristotle said:
The ultimate value of life lies in the ability to awaken and think.
Only by burning the tangled weeds in one’s heart can reason and sobriety slowly grow in life’s wilderness.
1.Facing one’s own sins is itself a profound and noble act.
At the beginning of Confessions, Rousseau exclaimed to the world:
This is an unparalleled, never-to-be-repeated, completely true and factual portrait of a person.
Starting from his miserable childhood, he meticulously listed all the mistakes he had made, shocking to the core.
In 1712, Rousseau was born into a family of watchmakers.
Shortly after his birth, his mother passed away, and his father fled to escape debt, leaving him to be raised by relatives.
Before he was even 10 years old, he was sent to be an apprentice, where inhuman treatment cultivated in him the habits of lying, stealing, and flattery.
His hatred towards fate and disgust towards life, like the tongues of a vile dragon, gathered in Rousseau’s frail body, driving him mad with revenge.
While working, he engaged in thievery and deception, and whenever he had free time, he would mix with ruffians and engage in mischief, harassing women, assaulting elders, bullying children, and vandalizing public property.
Later on, he resorted to petty theft and deception to make a living, using his good looks to freeload.
One night, he slept on the streets, and a sneaky missionary approached him, lecherously caressing his face.
Terrified, Rousseau listened as the missionary offered him free food and shelter, obediently following him home.
After a hearty meal, he snuggled up to the missionary, but suddenly felt disgusted and kicked the old man off the bed, ungratefully fleeing.
To have a place to stay, he played double-dealing between different religious denominations, currying favor with bishops to take him in.
Driven by vigorous desires, he disregarded rules and regulations, entangling with noble ladies.
He once worked as a servant in a count’s house, seduced the lady of the house, and enjoyed carefree days.
When the count passed away, Rousseau, in his grief, even stole a valuable handkerchief.
When caught, he blamed it on the maid Mary, joining the lady of the house in scolding the weak girl.
In the end, Mary was beaten and driven out of the house, and Rousseau never found the courage to stand up.
Reflecting on his past misdeeds and ugliness, Rousseau constantly questioned what kind of person he really was.
He knew he was inherently good, yet he frequently committed evil deeds; he abhorred degradation, yet was powerless against money; he was a clean person at heart, yet was defiled by desire.
Self-denial nearly destroyed Rousseau, but gradually, he realized in introspection that human nature is inherently unpredictable.
He wrote in his book:
There are no flawless people, and anyone who is human cannot avoid making mistakes.
This is a characteristic of human beings, as well as a weakness of human nature.
We cannot use this as an excuse for wrongdoing, nor can we intentionally cover it up and deceive ourselves and others.
Only by examining one’s life in full and exploring the distance between ourselves and evil, like Rousseau, can we avoid falling into the abyss of sin completely.
Daring to reveal one’s faults is the beginning of awakening, change, and rebirth.
2.Admitting ‘I have problems’ is the beginning of redemption.
In Confessions, Rousseau generously described his emotional secrets with many women.
Among them, the most famous is undoubtedly Madame de Warens.
This woman, ten years older than him, was alluring and their relationship was chaotic, yet she provided Rousseau with motherly care and tender affection.
Rousseau had intimate relations with her for years, yet he would occasionally escape this emotional web and seek solace in the arms of other women.
Among many romantic encounters, what troubled him the most was that he once impregnated a woman and left her to give birth to five children, then abandoned them at an orphanage.
At that time, society was steeped in debauchery, which prevented Rousseau from recognizing the problem.
Only when he began to reflect on these abnormal relationships did he realize that it was his lack of self-love that tarnished his reputation and harmed others.
So, he resolutely drew a line between himself and the pursuit of carnal pleasure, showing great respect for women. Even if there was mutual affection, he observed propriety and refrained from stepping over the line.
As he delved deeper into self-analysis, Rousseau also discovered that all his misfortunes stemmed from his own mistakes.
He harbored illusions, trying to live a glorious life by relying on others, but ended up as a lackey in wealthy households;
He tried to cut corners, avoiding learning and work, only to be treated as a puppet and manipulated at will;
He aimed too high, eager to escape poverty, but often made a fool of himself and became the subject of ridicule.
Rousseau realized that to change, he must wield the knife against himself.
At the age of 28, he left Madame de Warens for good and became a tutor in Lyon.
In his spare time, he immersed himself in the study of opera, reading copious books, especially abstruse philosophical works, often staying up all night to read.
He was determined to earn his own living, copying music for others, writing articles for fees, running errands for government departments, and working on ships at sea.
Life’s trials broadened his horizons and knowledge; reading and writing enriched his mind and strengthened his beliefs.
In 1942, Rousseau went to Paris, and over the next few decades, he wrote dozens of operas, published nearly a hundred articles, and gained fame in literary circles.
He finally shook off the original sin of poverty, entered high society, and lived a life of true dignity.
A psychologist once said:
Willingness to admit I have problems is often a wonderful start. Many tragedies in life stem from stubbornly insisting I am right. This stubbornness can isolate us from all that is good.
The more you conceal your problems and wounds, the stronger they become in resistance.
Pretense and denial consume our energy; ignorance and avoidance are futile.
Only through reflection, acceptance, and correction can we redeem ourselves.
Light often hides behind dark clouds, advantages often lie behind disadvantages.
Discovering each of your problems is an opportunity to repair yourself.
3.A person reshaped by reflection is invincible.
Before reading Confessions, my impression of Rousseau had always been towering like a giant of thought.
After reading the entire memoir, I realized that he had also done so many absurd things.
In 1752, at the age of maturity, Rousseau, because of his opera ‘The Village Soothsayer,’ was greatly favored by the royal family.
Louis XV intended to summon him and reward him with a million-year annuity, but Rousseau deliberately avoided it and fled abroad.
Another time, he was invited to attend a luxurious ball, but he entered and sat down in a sloppy manner, with his legs crossed, mocking the dignitaries who attended in their finery.
Some said he was arrogant and conceited, but they didn’t know that Rousseau had long hated these decadent aristocrats and only wanted to be with the suffering common people.
He came from the lower class and was driven away like a beggar. He also indulged in the aristocracy, enjoying unparalleled favor.
But along the way, Rousseau had already killed the vain, lazy, and opportunistic self, and from reflection, reshaped himself into a brave, sharp, and compassionate fighter.
To awaken the people, he wrote liberalism into his plays and brought them to the stage. To overthrow the corrupt government of the time, he exposed the decadence of the aristocracy to the public.
Especially after the publication of the satirical novel “Emile,” Rousseau caused a sensation in society, but he also suffered unprecedented persecution.
Spies swarmed like hyenas, and Rousseau could only barely survive with the help of his neighbors.
After the government issued an arrest warrant, he fled in panic, and this escape lasted a whole 8 years.
What’s even more heartbreaking is that many of his close friends came forward to expose his scandals.
Rousseau felt like he was in hell, but he let out a heroic laugh in the darkness.
He knew better than anyone what he had done wrong and what he had done right. He was more determined than ever about what kind of person he wanted to be and why he wanted to live.
In the last few years of his life, Rousseau poured all his heart and soul into writing Confessions.
With this, he shouted to the whole world: Despite being criticized and attacked, he firmly believed that beneath his coarse cloth, there was a soul more substantial than embroidered clothing.
A noted educator once said, “The highest level of psychological activity is reflection.”
Reflection is a 360-degree encompassing thought process that allows us to fully understand ourselves, correct ourselves, and thus improve and empower ourselves.
We become sober through reflection, even if we are criticized, misunderstood, or slandered, there is always a scale in our hearts that can accurately weigh our worth.
Those who are good at correcting themselves, even if burdened with sins and covered in mud, will eventually, through continuous adjustments, stride more firmly forward.
They may have indulged, been decadent, and been bad, but because of their clear cognition and sincere efforts, they will eventually become invincible.
Epilogue Quotes:
1. I am tired of things that are easily obtained, and things that may tempt me are too far away from me, so I can’t find anything that touches my heart.
2. The character of the person one loves most reveals their true nature.
3. A person who is tempted, resists for the first time because they are strong, but succumbs the second time because they are weak; if they are as strong as they were the first time, they will not yield.
4. Although human intelligence cannot grasp all knowledge but only choose one, if one is ignorant of other sciences, they will often lack a thorough understanding of the subject they study.
5. We are not born to enjoy happiness in the world; if the soul and body are not both suffering, one of them will suffer, and the good state of one of them is almost always disadvantageous to a person.
