To be or not to be
Outside the Bible, these six words are the most famous in all the literature of the world. They were spoken by Hamlet when he was thinking aloud, and they are the most famous words in Shakespeare because Hamlet was speaking not only for himself but also for every thinking man and woman. To be or not to be, to live or not to live, to live richly and abundantly and eagerly, or to live dully and meanly and scarcely. A philosopher once wanted to know whether he was alive or not, which is a good question for everyone to put to himself occasionally. He answered it by saying: I think, therefore am.
But the best definition of existence ever saw did another philosopher who said: To be is to be in relations. If this true, then the more relations a living thing has, the more it is alive. To live abundantly means simply to increase the range and intensity of our relations. Unfortunately we are so constituted that we get to love our routine. But apart from our regular occupation how much are we alive? If you are interest-ed only in your regular occupation, you are alive only to that extent. So far as other things are concerned--poetry and prose, music, pictures, sports, unselfish friendships, politics, international affairs--you are dead.
Contrariwise, it is true that every time you acquire a new interest--even more, a new accomplishment--you increase your power of life. No one who is deeply interested in a large variety of subjects can remain unhappy; the real pessimist is the person who has lost interest.
Bacon said that a man dies as often as he loses a friend. But we gain new life by contacts, new friends. What is supremely true of living objects is only less true of ideas, which are also alive. Where your thoughts are, there will your live be also. If your thoughts are confined only to your business, only to your physical welfare, only to the narrow circle of the town in which you live, then you live in a narrow cir-conscribed life. But if you are interested in what is going on in China, then you are living in China~ if youre interested in the characters of a good novel, then you are living with those highly interesting people, if you listen intently to fine music, you are away from your immediate surroundings and living in a world of passion and imagination.
To be or not to be--to live intensely and richly, merely to exist, that depends on ourselves. Let widen and intensify our relations. While we live, let live!
体坛英语资讯:Indonesia sets 2-gold target in wall climbing in Asian Games
体坛英语资讯:Zalgiris beat Olympiakos in basketball EuroLeague third playoff game
体坛英语资讯:Kenyans hail Gor CAF Confed Cup group stage progress
体坛英语资讯:Commentary: Bale absence highlights future problems for Real Madrid
体坛英语资讯:Palmeiras outclass Boca Juniors in Copa Libertadores
体坛英语资讯:Real Madrid defender Abner seeking to revive career at Coritiba
体坛英语资讯:China big winner at FINA artistic swimming World Series in Beijing
体坛英语资讯:Midfielder Demirbay extends contract with Hoffenheim
体坛英语资讯:Chinas Lyu upsets Fu to reach last 16 at snooker worlds
体坛英语资讯:Bremens head coach Kohfeldt pens extension
体坛英语资讯:Barca one win from title, Malaga relegation confirmed
体坛英语资讯:Leipzigs Laimer sidelined with injury
体坛英语资讯:Belarusian national football team climbs 14 positions in FIFA ranking
体坛英语资讯:Manchester United beat Bournemouth in English Premier League
体坛英语资讯:Last second penalty puts Real Madrid into Champions League semi-finals
体坛英语资讯:Neymar must join Real Madrid to be worlds best: Rivaldo
体坛英语资讯:Real Madrid beat Panathinaikos 89-82 in Game 2
体坛英语资讯:All or nothing for Madrid in Champions League semi-finals
体坛英语资讯:SWM shows support for Iniesta joining Chongqing Lifan
体坛英语资讯:Coutinho, Jesus to shine at World Cup, says Neymar
体坛英语资讯:Zhejiang Guangsha make history to reach CBA finals
体坛英语资讯:Messi deserves to win a World Cup, says Peru coach
体坛英语资讯:China beat Jordan 8-1 in AFC Womens Asian Cup 2018
体坛英语资讯:Ten-man Fluminense beat Cruzeiro in Brazils Serie A
体坛英语资讯:Analysis: Backlash for Barcas European exit
体坛英语资讯:Mark Williams, Selby into World Snooker China Open quarters, all Chinese out
体坛英语资讯:Aguero unlikely to be fit for start of World Cup, says doctor
体坛英语资讯:Hannover overcome Bremen 2-1 in German Bundesliga
体坛英语资讯:US, Latin American fans lead World Cup ticket demand
体坛英语资讯:Olympic champion Li Xuerui returns to international badminton after 600 days