Confucianism-Great Learning part 3.2

Time

Recall the Confucianism structure.

This structure is connected via a long if-then logic chain. Begins with end-goal and stops at virtuous-world. Knowing the end leads to stability, which further leads to serenity and so forth, until virtuous world.

If the above logic is sound, then doesn’t it suggest that virtuous world will be automatic as long as we accept the Confucianism end goal? And if that’s the case, why hasn’t east Asia, which is dominated by Confucianism, reach the virtuous utopia yet? While the full answer is more than I like to cover in this series, I can still give a satisfying answer that’s within the focus.

The simple if-then logic is an analogy that lacks depth to cover the full nature of Confucianism structure. While it was useful in introduction, it is no longer adequate as we dive deeper into the ideology. The current complexity requires an additional dimension that’s lacking in if-then, and that is time.

Consider the following illustration.

I chose light to prove my point because it seems to be instant. Yet we know it still takes time.

This is a better analogy because not only it covers the essence of time, it also displays why people behave badly.

The whole close circuit is analogous of a working society. People will naturally find the shortest path to resistance, thus creating short circuit. If left undealt with, misdirect or miswiring will further led more people down the wrong path, and eventually burns the whole system. More on this in the later sections since it isn’t the main focus here.

Conclusion

Like learning a new music instrument, our brain needs time to build new neuro networks, and that is if we practice adequately. These neuro connections are not that much different from muscle memories in that perspective.

Additionally, when we are building something new, we aren’t just creating, we are also trying to lose what we don’t want. In gym it is the wrong muscle groups that supported the bad postures. In mind, it is the impulses that supported bad logics.

In fact, the rest of the Confucianism dialogues can be sum up to best practices, because even if we accept the end goal in Confucianism structure, we might still wake up tomorrow feeling grumpy about work, angry about traffic, and anxious about future. The opposite of stability. These same issues has been plaguing the saints and sages of the past as much as me and you. Next time, let’s look at what one of them say about the first Confucianism progression, optimum knowledge.