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Of Russell’s “Reflections on My Eightieth Birthday”
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To begin with the essay, the author first mentioned that at the age of 80, one's work is almost done and what remains to be done seems less important. Then, he recalled his own thoughts, values and attitudes, together with his two main task---to figure out whether men can master everything and to try hard to create a happier world.
At the first half of his life, the author focus his attention on the former task. As to the rest of his life, he drawn his mind on human misery and folly, which was the second task.
For the first task, the author finally found that there’s no more things he could do to make mathematical knowledge indubitable. As to the second, the author believed that men can lead themselves out of its self-imposed tortures by being intelligent, patient, and eloquent.
As the author mentioned that his work is near its end, the time when he could survey his work has come. He recalled his success and failure. As his two series of books received great compliment and had influenced the thoughts of many men and women, he had been successful to some extent. According to his outward failure, the environment was changed and the place became a battle between the opposed empires. For the inner one, he considered that “love, free and courageous, could conquer the world without fighting”.
Sitting silently, I lost in a deep thought when finished reading the book. In the author's time, people were of great arduous toil: WW1, WW2, cruelty, tyranny, Fascists and Nazis. Living under this condition, I can hardly image how optimistic the author was as to write such an encouraging essay. I was mostly impressed by what the writer said: if communities are unhappy, it is because they choose to be so, because they have ignorances, habits, beliefs, and passions, which are dearer to them than happiness or even life.
Think about our China nowadays, people are living in a country more or less controlled by totalitarianism. Though media are brainwashing people by mentioning such a thing called GDP, it is a commonplace that today, those who needs a house can not buy one; who needs a girl cannot marry one; and who needs to be cured can not afford a doctor. Some people are used to engaging in any work of their own, regarding the poor living and working condition, and the high intensity of the work as happiness, merely because of the high rate of unemployment.
That is really sarcastic! However, after reading the essay, I know something. Russell suggests that to remain hopeful can contribute to our intelligence and energy; those who are not hopeful are often the kink of people who lack energy. Though under great pressure of failure, the author still aware that something he felt to be success.
To end up, I'd like to quote Hemingway's words:“But man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed but not defeated”. (From The Old Man and the Sea). Stay hopeful, stay happy.
At the first half of his life, the author focus his attention on the former task. As to the rest of his life, he drawn his mind on human misery and folly, which was the second task.
For the first task, the author finally found that there’s no more things he could do to make mathematical knowledge indubitable. As to the second, the author believed that men can lead themselves out of its self-imposed tortures by being intelligent, patient, and eloquent.
As the author mentioned that his work is near its end, the time when he could survey his work has come. He recalled his success and failure. As his two series of books received great compliment and had influenced the thoughts of many men and women, he had been successful to some extent. According to his outward failure, the environment was changed and the place became a battle between the opposed empires. For the inner one, he considered that “love, free and courageous, could conquer the world without fighting”.
Sitting silently, I lost in a deep thought when finished reading the book. In the author's time, people were of great arduous toil: WW1, WW2, cruelty, tyranny, Fascists and Nazis. Living under this condition, I can hardly image how optimistic the author was as to write such an encouraging essay. I was mostly impressed by what the writer said: if communities are unhappy, it is because they choose to be so, because they have ignorances, habits, beliefs, and passions, which are dearer to them than happiness or even life.
Think about our China nowadays, people are living in a country more or less controlled by totalitarianism. Though media are brainwashing people by mentioning such a thing called GDP, it is a commonplace that today, those who needs a house can not buy one; who needs a girl cannot marry one; and who needs to be cured can not afford a doctor. Some people are used to engaging in any work of their own, regarding the poor living and working condition, and the high intensity of the work as happiness, merely because of the high rate of unemployment.
That is really sarcastic! However, after reading the essay, I know something. Russell suggests that to remain hopeful can contribute to our intelligence and energy; those who are not hopeful are often the kink of people who lack energy. Though under great pressure of failure, the author still aware that something he felt to be success.
To end up, I'd like to quote Hemingway's words:“But man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed but not defeated”. (From The Old Man and the Sea). Stay hopeful, stay happy.
