Yu Qiuyue's Most Moving Passage: Just 14 Words Capture All the World's Loneliness and Helplessness
Many people say loneliness is beautiful and grand, elevating it to a desirable state. Some say loneliness is solitary solitude; others, a person's wild celebration; still others, a form of self-cultivation; even some claim it's a normal, inherent part of oneself.
In short, I've seen too many people praising the benefits of loneliness, which feels comforting. But do those who speak of it truly understand what it is like to be lonely? Are they genuinely fond of it? After countless lonely and desolate nights, perhaps you would understand that it isn't what they portray.
They haven't spoken the truest words from their hearts. Only Yu Qiuyue has articulated it, and it’s a particularly moving phrase, only 14 words long, yet encapsulating all the world's loneliness and helplessness. That phrase is:
Loneliness is not a temperament, but a helplessness. – Yu Qiuyue, ‘Cultural Journey’
To put it simply, loneliness is essentially a combination of solitude and emptiness, not a habit or inherent trait, but a sense of helplessness. It truly is a state of helplessness. Humans are social creatures, born into the world not alone, surrounded by parental love and familial affection.
As we grow older, curiosity about the opposite sex arises, and we even desire to possess someone. But opportunities rarely come, and circumstances don't align. Seeing others in couples, it’s easy to feel lonely, especially on Valentine's Day, when you see all the heartwarming posts, a surge of heartache, emptiness, and loneliness.
It’s not that she *wants* to be lonely; it’s that she hasn't been able to find the right person, a person who returns her feelings. So, she resorts to this state of loneliness out of necessity.
Similarly, those who engage in wild celebrations also experience a sense of helplessness.
Those who relentlessly celebrate alone aren't they afraid of silence, of the thoughts that arise when alone? That’s why they desperately seek out friends – to eat, sing K-pop, get foot massages, or even go on group trips.
They fill their free time with activities, striving to maintain a perpetually joyful, carefree mindset, indulging in every opportunity for celebration. But ask them, can they sustain this wild celebration for a lifetime? Without the prospect of family, children, or a future? A life without those experiences is no wild celebration at all. Therefore, it's also a form of helplessness.
No one walks into her inner world, no one helps her find a partner. That’s why those who appear carefree, constantly partying, can find it difficult to maintain that carefree attitude when they reach marriageable age. They may even avoid situations where people ask about their love life. They can only offer a helpless excuse.
Therefore, Yu Qiuyue's poignant phrase, only 14 words long, perfectly captures the essence of all the world's loneliness and helplessness!
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