Reading | Professor Su Li, Peking University French Academy, "The Scenery Can't Go": To the time of parting, and to the time of nostalgia

"Scenery that can't get out -speech in college, and rhetoric (second edition)"

Su Li

Peking University Press published in July 2022

This book is the collection of various speeches of Professor Su Li, the dean of the School of Law of Peking University, mainly welcoming the new and graduation speech. These speeches were cleaned, close to the minds and life of young students, which caused a sensation on campus at the time, and gradually became a scenery that students were looking forward to in June (graduated) and September (welcoming) of each year. The author's speech, passing the collision of the sun, sailing and juicy life, to the time of parting, and to the time of nostalgia. Remind you to think softly after impossible farewell.

>> Selected reading in the text:

Society will not wait for you to grow up

At the occasion of celebrating your graduation and sending some students out of the campus, I say two words and join the tail of your college life.

The first sentence is more to say that the students who are going to work immediately, a big truth: society and school are very different. On campus, personal efforts work, but the more powerful effect is actually talent. Teachers do not ask for your material returns; as long as you have a good test score and have no major problems, you will basically get the teacher's joy and get a reward of scores. In this sense, the university is basically the environment of "sage politics" or "elite politics", which is more like a family; the evaluation system is basically determined by the teacher and reward your intelligence in a centralized manner. Society is very different. Society is more of a place of secular interest exchange, the market, and the "civil politics"; the evaluation standard is not your intelligence (although smart and wisdom may still help you), but whether you can come up with what others want to think of What we do; this criterion is not the center -teacher -determined, but scattered -it is determined by many consumers.

Therefore, although the price is 178 yuan, less than 10 days, the 3,000 English version of "Harry Potter and the Phoenix" has been dismissed in Beijing Xinhua Bookstore; and many scholars' works can not sell so much for a lifetime, even " Raising in the deep boudoir is unknown. " Students must not bring their campus standards that have been accustomed to the society in 16 years, otherwise you will find that "Chu Caijin does not use it", and you can only comfort himself like Li Bai. Become a person who is incompatible with society and the market.

Although the hands of society and the market are invisible, what it talks about is visible. It does not talk about talent futures, and it is also converted to the spot. You can criticize it short -sighted, but it usually does not, and there is no obligation, waiting for your growth and maturity. It regards everyone who enters the society as equality, regardless of your just graduation, and has no experience. If you lose a chance, you will lose it; unlike the school, you will make you make up for the exam, or ask the teacher to plead with the teacher. If there is any quality, any potential, and anymore, you take it out and give me a real thing -maybe it is a draft contract or a successful lawsuit.

This is especially important for liberal arts students. Science and engineering students have been forced to be pragmatic since they enrolled. They are experiments and exercises. They are a graduation design. Few people fantasize about becoming Newton, Darwin or Einstein; even if they became famous, they were himself. Liberal arts students, four years of university, often strolled in the most exciting incidents in history, talks with masters of Chinese and foreign masters in ancient times; they knew Socrates trial, knew "Marbury to Madison", and knew the "Charter of the Great" ; You can also comment on Kong, Meng, Lao, Zhuang, talk about Plato, Aristotle, and even "to give up with me." University liberal arts education often makes many people like the exciting moments and times, and even expand people. But this is not, it is impossible, the life of most people is just the life imagined in the college. Each of us lives, and we can only live in daily triviality.

The second sentence is to keep yourself in peace, which is what you say to each classmate. I always worry more about whether you can face ordinary life calmly and calmly, especially when the ideal of that year becomes farther, blur and dim, because I want to say, almost -if it is not all- Every ambitious person is destined to not fully realize his ideals.

Of course, I hope and believe that outstanding politicians, entrepreneurs, legalists, and scholars have emerged among you; but only a few. If you get too much, you ca n’t squeeze it, and you will not be worth it -marginal utility always decreases. Most people must not be so successful whether in secular vision or self -evaluation. However, success does not have to be connected with happiness. Therefore, when leaving campus, you must not only establish your own ambition, but also define your success.

It is not a derogatory term, or even a neutral word; "security" is not easy. In this era, "keeping yourself" is even harder!

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Author: Su Li

Edit: Yuan Yuanlu

Editor in charge: Zhu Zilong

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