On the afternoon of April 21, 2024, writer and senior media person Zhuang Yating held the first sharing session of her new book "Hard Hearted" in Beijing. The event was initiated by the producer Fang Guomai Culture and the "Me and the Temple of Earth" cafe, inviting Zhuang Yating to talk about this collection of essays that she has collected for seven years and her journey of self-preservation. At the
sharing session, talking about the original intention of creating the new book, Zhuang Yating said: "We always have to make a spiritual break from time to time. In some cases, you need to harden your heart, give up those unwillingnesses, and make some cuts with the past. Clear up some redundancy in your life and find some outlets for your obsessions. "She also added, "The other thing is that you need to have a hard shell to protect yourself, know how to detect tricks, and understand the ups and downs of the world, so that you can protect yourself. A soft heart full of compassion.”
In Zhuang Yating’s view, these demands can be summed up as: how we ordinary people can make a “spiritual separation” for ourselves in the complicated life, how to find and become ourselves, and live out our ideal state and life. . Faced with the constant dilemmas in life and the thoughts often wrapped in anxiety, she spent seven years finding her own self-consistent path.
In the 54 articles in the book, Zhuang Yating uses sharp and straightforward writing to present all the thoughts of an ordinary person in the ups and downs of life. Starting from "daily philosophy", "interpersonal relationships" and "self-improvement", she uses insight and change , solution path, providing readers with a contemporary life guide to relieve daily anxiety. Zhuang Yating hopes that by reading this book, she can help readers find a way to become independent and sober themselves.
's book talks about the challenges and worries that many young people will face, such as: worrying about gains and losses due to trivial life, how can we not internalize ourselves in what we can't get and what we have lost? Being subjected to family-style care routines makes me physically and mentally exhausted. How can I escape effectively? How to spend those days in life when they are so low that they can be spent reasonably and freely? Life is short and we need to live in the present. How can people with hoarding disorder effectively break away from others? How can ordinary people blossom into their vibrant selves? Emerging technologies have always been emerging, and we are always worried about falling behind. When the mid-life crisis hits, will we not be able to go ashore without getting involved? etc. In response, Zhuang Yating used precise sentences to describe how to make a break from life, how to adapt to the cycle of life, live in your own rhythm, and not be afraid of not being loved, not afraid of being different from others, not afraid of being disliked, and not afraid of leaking out. What a flaw.
Zhuang Yating believes that by giving up the so-called "perfection", she can actually live out her ideal state and life. She does not use herself as a tool, does not rationalize things that her own values do not accept, is not afraid of being different from others, is not afraid of being disliked, and is not afraid of being difficult to deal with. She hopes to bring readers a sense of hope that "I can slowly handle all the uncertainties in life."
By sharing her solutions and attitudes with readers, Zhuang Yating hopes that readers and friends can go from being an excellent reference body in the eyes of others to striving to become themselves. Life is full of ups and downs. Give up your delusions and escape from internal friction. As Zhuang Yating said, life will be soft only if the heart is strong.
Text/Beijing Youth Daily reporter Zhang Enjie
editor/Gong Lifang
