These words come from a soul that has long traversed the bitterness and trials of the world and arrived at a crucial conclusion: that one’s true worth is never determined by the opinions of others. In his calm detachment, Fang Yuan questions: “Why should insults matter to me?” A question that can only arise from a heart that has let go of the need for acceptance, praise, or approval from fellow beings. In his eyes, insults are nothing but empty sounds — passing winds with no weight. What impact can they have on someone who knows where he walks and who he is? Insults are mere opinions; no matter how sharp the words, they cannot touch the core of one’s being unless one grants them that power. Fang Yuan also highlights the frailty of the average human spirit. Shallow people, those who have not yet truly known themselves, are easily provoked by curses and intoxicated by praise. They live like shadows, endlessly chasing the approval of others, letting the tongues of men dictate their self-worth. When insulted, they crumble; when praised, they soar. Yet both are traps. Praise and insult — two sides of the same coin, both nothing but others’ judgments. If a person ties his happiness to such things, he becomes a slave to perception, living in an invisible suffering. For the world is never stable, human opinions shift like the wind, and the hearts of others are too fragile to be foundations for one’s peace. With the calm certainty of one who has seen through the nature of this world, Fang Yuan states: “It’s merely how observers see you.” What does this mean? That praise and insult do not reflect your true self, but rather the hearts of the onlookers. People curse because of what resides within them. People praise based on their own perceptions. Neither is about you — both are about them. The highest freedom is when a person lives according to his own principles and values, regardless of the judgments of others. This is the true meaning of inner liberation. When one is no longer bound by praise, no longer shaken by insult, only then does one truly possess oneself. His life becomes his own. Fang Yuan teaches that only the weak live by the views of others. The truly strong — those genuinely strong — live according to their own will, their own purpose, and their chosen principles. They walk the path their hearts have determined, no matter how many voices rise to cheer or condemn. For in the end, the world is but a stage, and humans are mere actors. And a wise actor does not lose himself to the applause or jeers of the audience. #life #weight #perseverance #4upage #fyp #reverendinsanity #fangyuan - @gyan_syauqi