Flowers and ruins

This article is written by Xu Xiaoping for the author of "The Legend of the Eastern Carriage from Peking University to the New Oriental" by Lu Yuegang. It is supplemented by this book and used by many readers as a classic article of inspirational.

After returning to China in 1996, I was together with Min Hong every day. I quickly worried about one thing: Min Hong was busy day and night, and had little time to read and think. I was euphemistically telling him a story: When I was at the Peking University Youth League Committee, one of my colleagues was a graduate of the Peking University Philosophy Department. At that time, he said to me: "Old Xu, we are dangerous now." I asked: "Old Zhu, Sino-Soviet relations are improving, Sino-US relations are on honeymoon, reform and opening up are deepening, and you have already designated as deputy secretary of the Communist Youth League - dangerous Where is it?” He said: “We are too busy to work and have no time to think. It is dangerous to not think!” This old Zhu, who was very successful in politics.

I told Min Hong the story and said that it was ridiculous when I first heard this. What is the time to reflect? I think, so I am; I am, so I think. It’s really sensational to think without thinking that it’s dangerous. Thinking is dangerous, and it’s just anti-liberalization. However, after a few years of busy work at Peking University, I found that the words of this philosophy friend became one of the most sparkling thoughts that I often think about, and became the most precious of my five years of harvest. One of the spiritual diamonds.

At that time, the only purpose of telling this story was to worry about Min Hong’s busy time without thinking, and to use these fables and stories to suggest, encourage and persuade Min Hong to “think”. What is sighing is that in the process of entrepreneurship and struggle in New Oriental, the most lost thinking, the most need to reflect but the most slow reflection, is my Comrade Xiaoping, who encourages Min Hong thinking as his own responsibility.

Since I left the board of directors, I have been thinking and reflecting. Although it was slow, but when you and I were drinking tea, I finally learned from Wang Qiang that the main difference between people and animals is: Reflection, animals will not." Wang Qiang is not an animal. Anzhi animal does not reflect on it. But Wang Qiang, who is not an animal, has used his body name, and he can indeed reflect on the facts! In order not to be an animal, I have to reflect.

Starting from motivating students, Min Hong put forward the slogan of "seeking hope in despair, life will be brilliant" and become the soul of the New Oriental spirit. Min Hong also delivered a speech "standing on the ruins of loneliness, failure and humiliation" and became a classic of New Oriental culture. How many new Oriental students, the painful despair and loneliness failed to come; the songs and dances are ambitious. New Oriental has won tremendous applause, amazing success and lofty glory. Students are inspired by the passion and enthusiasm of the New Oriental and their passion for life. At this time, at least I stopped thinking and stopped evolution. We are degrading from people and to apes. When God created me, let my mother launch me in the Year of the Monkey. Is this the fate set by God and my mother for me?

Everyone knows that failure is a ruin. However, the reason why people can rise on the ruins is because failure forces people to think, failures force a person to clean up the reasons for failure, find the root of failure, and thus defeat the victory. In this sense, the ruins of failure, is not a successful high platform!

But what people tend to overlook is that success is also a ruin, and it is a more terrible ruin. The failure of historical losers can be remembered because they have built great successes and brewed their failures in great success. Countless sorrowful seeds of failure are often planted on the peak of applause, glory and success.

In this way, these applause, glory and success that are pushing New Oriental to the peak of history are not the ruins of New Oriental.

I once wanted New Oriental to maintain its beautiful "fairy tale" and let the Chinese society without "Santa Claus" continue to cherish this beautiful "dream". It seems now that my wish is lovely but harmful.

It is in this sense that I want to express my deepest respect and gratitude to you. Thank you for standing on the "public position", breaking the new oriental mythology in the name of "public value" of Chinese society, launching the reflection of the New Oriental, and promoting the New Oriental. Everyone starts to think about the new meaning of New Oriental culture. It also made me personally get the heart-to-heart dialogue window of my letter and love when I was most depressed. It is said that Min Hong also abuses you for free.