Continuous Self-Improvement

This notion first appeared in The Book of Changes which stated, "Just as heaven keeps moving forward vigorously, a man of virtue should strive continuously to strengthen himself." The ancient Chinese believed that heavenly bodies moved in a vigorous and perpetually forward moving cycle. A man of virtue who follows the Law of Heaven should be fully motivated and work diligently to strengthen himself. This idea reflects the Chinese life philosophy advocating optimism, courage, and self-motivation.

The central traits of Chinese culture are a positive outlook on life and pursuit of self-fulfillment at present and in the real world. Individuals are encouraged to act on their own initiative and work diligently to overcome difficulties and achieve self-fulfillment. In contemporary China, the tradition of constantly seeking self-improvement still inspires and unites the Chinese people.

自強(qiáng)不息

自強(qiáng)不息出自《周易·乾卦·象傳》，原文是“天行健，君子以自強(qiáng)不息”。中國(guó)古人認(rèn)為，天體的運(yùn)行剛健有力、生生不息，君子為人處世也應(yīng)效法天體，力求進(jìn)步， 勤勉不懈，奮斗不止。這一理念反映了中國(guó)人積極向上、奮發(fā)有為的人生態(tài)度，展現(xiàn)了中華民族不畏艱險(xiǎn)、樂(lè)觀奮進(jìn)的處世精神。

與世界上各大文明系統(tǒng)相比，中華文明的一個(gè)顯著特點(diǎn)就是長(zhǎng)久地保持樂(lè)觀、奮進(jìn)的處世精神，主張?jiān)诋?dāng)下和現(xiàn)實(shí)世界之中尋找并實(shí)現(xiàn)生命的意義。因此，在面對(duì)艱難困苦時(shí)，個(gè)人應(yīng)充分發(fā)揮自身的主體性、能動(dòng)性，通過(guò)自身的不懈奮斗擺脫困境，從而實(shí)現(xiàn)自我價(jià)值。在當(dāng)代中國(guó)，自強(qiáng)不息的優(yōu)良傳統(tǒng)正是激勵(lì)著中國(guó)人民自力更生、團(tuán)結(jié)奮斗的精神力量。