plain living, high thinking

Simple living, the power to think for oneself.

A quarterly magazine called "Kangaeru Hito" (The Thinker) is published by Shinchosha.

I once happened to find it at a bookstore and picked up "The Thinker, Summer 2007 Issue, No. 21, Continued: If Only I Have Classical Music and Books,"

and its basic concept is "plain living, high thinking (simple living, the power to think for oneself)."

"Plain living, high thinking" is a phrase left behind by the British poet Wordsworth in London, where rapid urbanization was progressing after the Industrial Revolution.

This passage by William Wordsworth is a powerful statement about the fundamental nature of human existence, rather than a style of self-display or a passing trend.

As it advocates "plain living & high thinking," it is a magazine for pausing one's busy life and re-examining oneself in a quiet place.

Well, in the end, it is a bit pathetic that I get influenced by reading this quarterly magazine, but I hope to create my own original way of living while imitating it.

There was this passage at the beginning of "The Thinker," so I would like to introduce it to you (^^)/

Please visit the "The Thinker" website from here!

The Thinker on the Web
https://kangaeruhito.jp/

********** From the opening of "The Thinker" **********

Our lives are overflowing with both things and information.

When we start to doubt whether what we are "thinking" about in our daily lives is truly what we thought of ourselves, things start to seem a bit suspicious.

What do we choose from the overflowing information, and what do we discard?

How should we judge what is important for our lives and what is unnecessary?

Waves of major change are gradually seeping into our lives and into our minds.

It is not rare to feel at a loss as to how to row one's own boat amidst those great waves.

Ways of thinking and living are like two sides of the same coin.

There should be no "way of thinking" that is unrelated to one's lifestyle or way of life, and a "way of thinking" should not be separable from a person's daily life.

It is because of "plain living" that "high thinking" exists, and it is because of "high thinking" that "plain living" exists.

Perhaps we have arrived at a time and place where we should once again rely on Wordsworth's words to question our ability to think for ourselves and consider a simple life.

Sometimes, I want to turn off the TV, tidy up my surroundings, return to being just "me," and reclaim my own words and life.

I want to dam up the overflowing things and information for a moment and take a breath.

I want to send fresh air into my thinking mind.

We hope that the quarterly magazine "Thinker" will become a small, quiet room prepared for you, who feels this way.

*************************************************************

After all, words that serve as guidelines for action are important, aren't they?

A phrase with a similar meaning to "plain living, high thinking" is "I follow my own nature."

Its source is the "Doctrine of the Mean," and it means, "Do not be swayed by the environment or influenced by others; follow your own nature—that is, carry through with your own original intentions and aspirations."

Oh yes, Marx also said the following at the end of the preface to "Das Kapital," paraphrasing words from Dante's "Divine Comedy" (Purgatorio, Canto V):

"Follow your own path, and let people talk!"

Oh!

"Let the people of the world say what they will. Only I know what I am doing."

Those who know, know; these are the words of Ryoma Sakamoto.

I also live with this kind of feeling to some extent.

At worst, I have a feeling that it's fine if even just one person understands me.

Whether in words or in writing, no matter how much you try, there are times when it doesn't get across, and there are times when it is understood instantly, like a moment of perfect unspoken rapport.

I think the moments when something between two people connects are delicate things.

Even if it doesn't get across, there is no need to force it.

However, as a way of life, it is also good to be flexible, not forget to listen to the voices of others, and to "do one's own thing," isn't it? (^^)

Do you all have a "small, quiet room" prepared for yourselves?

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