Who said Confucius was not humorous?

Confucius was born with humor. The Analects of Confucius contains a lot of humorous words, because he is down-to-earth and says a lot of reasonable words. Unfortunately, the predecessors were too philosophical to understand.

In fourteen years, he wandered between Song, Wei, Chen and Cai. Nine times out of ten, he always takes it in stride. When he felt hurt, he met people like He in Lu. He wanted to go to Jin, but he couldn't. When he reached the bank of the Yellow River, there was a sigh of water. People like Huan Xuan want to hurt him. Confucius' words of "being consistent with what he has given" are always a gentleman's demeanor of being fearless and self-adaptive, although they express strong self-confidence.

I don't know why he lived between Chen, Cai, Ru and Ying for so long. The most obvious example of his quiet and adaptive attitude is in Chen Jueliang's passage. All the disciples complained, and Confucius' string of songs never failed, nor did it change his serene and humorous attitude.

He asked his master three times, "Why did a group of us wander into this field?" This is my favorite passage, and it also makes us admire Confucius the most. Once, Confucius and his master got lost on the road. Later, someone found Confucius at the East Gate and told him what he looked like, saying that he looked like a "Sangguquan". Confucius listened and said, "I don't know anything else. As for being like a lost dog, a little. "

You know Confucius is the closest to human feelings. He respects peace and is intimidating but not fierce. He is not hypocritical and cold, but in the hands of Song Confucianism, the face of Confucius has changed. Talking about Confucius in the face of Taoism loses the original face of Confucius. It seems that saints dare not do what ordinary people do. As we all know, Confucius dared to do what Song Confucianism dared not do. If the mother was sad to see Confucius, Confucius pretended to be ill, or asked the porter to tell the visitor that he was not at home. That's enough. Why is it that when the child's sadness is still at the door, deliberately singing makes it smell like a prank? This is the vibrant Kong Qiu.

But this section is difficult for Taoism to explain. Zhu still understands that this is an expression of Confucius' deep hatred for his hometown. Not when we get to Cui Dongbi. Some people praised Cui Dongbi's "Zhu Si Kao Xin Lu". When I read it, I felt full of praise, but the level of textual research was too poor. He thought that this passage must be attached by future generations, and saints would not come out of it. This view is far from the kung fu of modern biographical literature (such as Litton. Stroch's Biography of Queen Victoria).

Whenever Confucius' lively behavior shows that he can completely conform to the Tao from time to time, or say something that Song dare not say ("the old man who never dies is a thief"), or do something that Song dare not do ("striking the shin with a stick" and "sounding it with a harp"), Cui Dongbi concludes that it is "a saint can't do this" and denounces it as a forgery or is attached to future generations. Gu Jiegang also expressed his dissatisfaction with Cui Dongbi. "His belief in Confucian classics and the smell of Confucius and Mencius are too strong, mixed with many preconceived prejudices." (A long preface to the first volume of Ancient History Discrimination)

Talking words should not be read like this. The Analects of Confucius is a good book. Although the compilation is terrible, it can be said that no one dares to make it up at all. The Analects of Confucius has many human feelings of Confucius. To understand the meaning of The Analects, we must first understand what Confucius said to his disciples, many of which were casual, blurted out, humorous, even joking and swearing.

In a word, it is a record of a private conversation between Confucius and his disciples. It is these half-truth, half-falsehood and elegant records that can let us see Confucius again. From these gossip records, we can see the true character of Confucius.

Confucius had no airs with his disciples. Unlike Cheng Yi, who gave lectures to Zhezong, he insisted on teacher-student courtesy. He must sit down and talk. Confucius said, "Do you two or three think I have something to say to you? Am I honest with you? There's nothing I haven't told you two or three times. That's me. " This intimate situation can be imagined. So once he admitted that it was just a joke and pride.

When Confucius went to Wucheng, it was his protege who traveled for the city. Hearing the sound of every household chanting strings, the master smiled and said, "It's no use cutting a chicken." Ziyou retorted that the master taught him this way, "A gentleman learns to love others, but a villain learns to love others easily." Confucius said, "Listen, you two or three, Yan is right. What I just said was just a joke with him. " ("the ear of the prologue." )

This is the tone of the dialogue between Confucius and Master Yanju. If you do an honest textual research article, you can say, "Is there a saint joking ... don't believe it ... it's unfair ... saints don't do this, so we can know it's false." Have you ever met a Taoist teacher who is willing to tell jokes to his students?

The Analects of Confucius is full of this mantra. You have to look at it this way. Let me give you a few examples: the article "I am also divided" expressing ambition is very popular because Confucius is a closely integrated language, not a facade language. When others finished, they thought that his "volunteers" were not officials, but were in danger between imperial temples. He was embarrassed to say first. The master said, "Never mind, I just want to hear your wishes." So Ceng Ming slammed down Joseph, stood up and said his wish.

In the words of modern people, he said, "In March and April, I wore new clothes and went to Zhongzheng Park in Yangmingshan. Five or six adults, with six or seven children, swam in the public swimming pool for a while, then went to the nearby Woods to enjoy the cool and sang all the way back. " Confucius gasped and said, "Adian, I'll go with you." Or "I agree with you most." After Ran Youhong made a serious remark, he relaxed in this way. This is the function of humor. Confucius actually appreciated it.

Many readers of The Analects of Confucius said that they could understand this tone. We must first understand the tone of their teachers chatting with students. It's interesting to read.

"How could you shoot?" Chapter-Some people criticized Confucius and said, "Confucius is really great, learned and has no expertise." Confucius heard this sentence: "What should I specialize in?" Specializing in horseback riding? Or specialize in archery? Might as well ride a horse. "This is really a humorous tone. We must read it in a humorous tone. Where is this serious conversation? Or think that the words of saints are more disappointing. But Confucius' humorous tone, you are serious, it is you who spoil everyone's fun, not Confucius.

"Why, why?" Chapter III-Confucius asked Gong Mingjia about his uncle Wen Zi, and heard that this gentleman didn't talk, laugh or be greedy. Gong Mingjia said, "This is what people say. He also talked and laughed, but the joke was just right and people didn't hate it. " Confucius said, "Is that so? Is this really the case? " This overlap is the writing style of The Analects.

"Giving is beyond your power" chapter-Zi Gong is good at talking. He said, "I don't want people to treat me like this." Confucius said, "Ah Ci, that's easy for you to say. I don't think you can do it. " What a familiar demographic tone this is.

"Empty" chapter-Confucius said: "You think I know everything. I don't know anything. A countryman asked me a word, and I was empty and didn't answer a word. Let's stop here, and then we can't go on. "

The chapter "Three Smells of Works"-this chapter is the most puzzling, and Cui Dongbi thinks it is false. Actually, nothing. Only Confucius smelled the smelly pheasant and refused to eat it. This article, see Xiang Dang, focuses on Confucius' emphasis on food. Birds are flying in the sky, flying around and can't stop. Lutz looked at it and said, "This female pheasant came at the right time." When he shot it down to Confucius, Confucius smelled it three times. He thought the pheasant was too fishy, so he stood up and stopped eating. It turns out that pheasants have to be hung for two or three days before they are delicious. We don't need to find anything here.

Living in groups all day long-Confucius said, "It's really hard for some people to get together one day without saying a serious word and doing something small." "It's hard" means they can do it. Zhu misunderstood it as "there will be future trouble", but he didn't understand the gossip tone of "losing them", because there was another one, which was the same tone and used "difficult" more clearly. "A whole day, what also don't attentively. Thanks to them. Can't we play chess yet? It is better to play chess without thinking than to be so careless. "

Humor is like this, naturally chatting with friends in a quiet room without putting on airs at all. This is the Analects of Confucius. Once, he said, "I should always get a job." Can I not eat like a gourd hanging on the wall? "Once he said," betrayal! Betrayal! I am waiting for someone to buy me. (sell it, sell it, I'll wait for Jia Zhe. ) "means to ask the saint to use him, but the words are not spoken, not for people to listen to. But in the chat of close friends, there will be no misunderstanding. If you read carefully, you will lose the smell.

Confucius scolded a lot. What about politicians today? Confucius said, "Hey, barrels" are containers for rice, that is, "those fools are all rubbish!" Scold the original soil "old deathlessly is a thief." Scolded the shortcomings, but also raised a stick and hit the leg of the original soil squatting on the ground. Scold Ran Qiu as "not my disciple". The boy beat the drum and attacked it, but also. "You're welcome. He told his master that he was very angry and disapproved of Ran Qiu's collecting money for Ji Shi. " If you can't die, you can't die naturally "... these are examples.

If Confucius really belongs to a gifted scholar, ordinary readers don't pay attention. The best, I think, is a passage in Confucius' family language. Zi Gong asked if the deceased had Zhihu. Confucius said, "You will know when you die." This sentence is better than answering Lutz's question: "How can you know death if you don't know life?" It belongs to the early warning category.

"A person not to himself, how to do? What shall we do? I really don't know what to do with such people. Don't say what it is, what it is, what I didn't do. ""knowing is knowing, not knowing is not knowing, just knowing. " Also in this category. "If you don't change it, it's too much." Same. "Don't suffer from ignorance, but seek knowledge." -This sentence is very good. I made a fuss about knowing words, so I was alert and moved.

In a word, Confucius is a versatile man, and it makes sense to respond casually. He is down-to-earth, but his words are plain and simple. Isn't it abrupt to teach parents not only to raise them, but also to respect them, but to say, "As for dogs and horses, they can raise them"? "If you have money, you can ask for it. Although you are a whip, I will do it. " If I get rich, I will be a groom and drive a carriage. It's all these unadorned words

Fortunately, he is down-to-earth, so there is often humor in his oral English. Carl. Fan Duolun, a great American writer, told me that one of his favorite words of Confucius was that Ji Wenzi thought twice before acting. Confucius said, "Yes, you can." This is a natural sense of humor. It's a little disappointing, but it's true.

(From Lin Yutang's Everything)

Confucius lecture map

Left Bank: Mr. Lin is a master of humor. His understanding of humor is that humor is like this. This is natural. He chatted with his best friend in a quiet room without putting on airs at all. Today, I saw an article "Humor is not ferocious" on Dongdong Gun teacher WeChat, which was wonderful!

1.

Read in the book, some scholars have summarized the reasons for human laughter into the following two items-"We laugh out of surprise. When we feel superior, we laugh. " I think these two items have comprehensively and accurately summarized the reasons why we laugh. Conflict, contradiction, turning point, dislocation? It is just a means of how to produce these two effects. "unexpected, reasonable" is only an interpretation of "surprise", not the "essence" of "laughter", not to mention the essence of "humor"

As for describing the essence of humor as "satire", it is too underestimating humor.

At that time, some students pulled out the word "humor" in Chinese to correspond to "humor" in English, precisely because humor, humor, irony, wit and "humor" in Chinese are different. The humor of "deep silence" is different from any of those words.

2.

"Humor" is gentle, cheerful and compassionate, with the understanding and sympathy of "everyone has his own illness".

As Lao She said-"Four brothers are a big obstacle to this ideal; Humor specializes in this disease. Hippies are not humor; Kind and cheerful is humor. "

As Lin Yutang said-"Maybe being detached from things is often cynical and world-weary. When it comes to anger and jealousy, it loses its humor and gentle purpose. Qu Yuan and Jia Yi seldom have humor, which is the reason. Because humor is gentle and detached, at the same time, it adds compassion, which is what the west calls humor, sharp irony and wit. On the contrary, Confucius' personal enthusiasm and diligence, respect and safety, uncomfortable, unnecessary and indispensable, are close to true humor. "

He also said, "Zhang Chang is thrusting a thrush for his wife, so he kowtowed to him and replied," Between husband and wife, this is just a thrush. You can also express humor. In order to make people laugh, they often put aside taboos and say a few reasonable words. "

3.

Of course, not all "reasonable words" will make people laugh.

It is often said that a good burden is "unexpected and reasonable". So is the punch line in English jokes. There are "simple truth" jokes all over the world. And they are often the clearest kind of jokes-but not every "reasonable" fact or opinion can make people laugh.

The key is "unexpected".

A "reasonable" that makes people feel "unexpected". The simple truth of surprise. A thing that most people "can't touch their hearts" can make people laugh.

Therefore, the key to writing a simple truth joke is to create an "accident". Simple facts touching on traditional moral taboos. A simple truth out of ordinary people's logic. A simple fact, a constantly changing perspective. A simple truth that no one has noticed or refused to admit? Wait, wait, wait.

"The so-called happy weekend is to watch TV with my girlfriend on the sofa." It's true, but it's not funny. "The so-called happy weekend is when my girlfriend and I are tired of watching TV on the sofa and suddenly the power goes out." Much better.

Woody Allen once said, "Free sex is the most expensive." It is also a good example.

4.

Only such a simple truth can make people laugh.

In addition to putting out simple truths directly, there are actually some jokes, not telling a fact or several truths directly, but joking by some hidden truths. But the principle is the same-not only "overjoyed", but also "got the message".

"Unexpected" is relatively easy-for example, "nonsense" is often used to force chaotic logic, jumping thinking and weird behavior. "Rationality" is relatively difficult-because it depends not only on "creation" but also on "discovery".

The burden caused by "unexpected" alone is very simple. Because all the jokes are the surprises brought by twists and turns. First deliberately guide and pave the way, and then give you an unexpected reversal. With the "reasonable" layer, Bao Yaner becomes intriguing and it is forbidden to ponder.

5.

Another example is a few lines from I Love My Family.

This sentence first appeared in the cross talk being written, and later became an old saying-"An average of 76 years old, at such a big age, can you still catch bad guys?" If you catch the bad guy, how old is he? If the bad guys of that age are caught, can they be reformed? What's the use of transforming it? "

Five questions in a row, each question, is a reasonable question. Everyone can understand it, but no one wants it-wonderful and magical. Laugh because of "unexpected" and admire because of "reasonable".

6.

In my opinion, many masters are called masters because of the word "reasonable". It is a great skill to find those simple truths that are ignored by others and identify those "absurd truths" in complex real life, which is not only necessary for writing jokes.

Fortunately, they have their humor. It is their works that prove to us that good humor is not ferocious.

I think it will be much easier and more interesting for reading of the analects of confucius to know Confucius.