Source: Practicing Thrift to Show Health is a prose work by Sima Guang, a historian of the Northern Song Dynasty. It is a family instruction written by Sima Guang to his son Sima Kang, teaching him to advocate frugality.
Excerpt from the original text: Everyone laughs at my humbleness, and I don't think I'm sick. Ying said, "Confucius said,' Better be the next, not the next.' He also said,' it's hard to stand up.' He also said,' it is not enough to discuss those who are ashamed of their poor food and clothing because they are determined to be Taoist priests.' The ancients thought thrift was a virtue, but today people criticize it. Hey, what a surprise! "
People laugh at my stubbornness and meanness, and I don't think there is anything wrong with it. Answer them: "Confucius is saying,' It is better to be humble and shabby than arrogant', and he said,' Few people make mistakes because of thrift'.
He also said:' A scholar who is interested in seeking the truth and is ashamed of wearing bad clothes is not worth talking about'. The ancients regarded thrift as a virtue, but today people scoff at it. Oh, how strange! "
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In the era when Sima Guang lived, social customs and habits became increasingly extravagant and corrupt. People compete to talk about ostentation and extravagance, and extravagance prevails-servants wear clothes similar to literati, and farmers in the fields also wear silk shoes. Many people often "camp for a few months" to reward their friends.
This bad habit makes Sima Guang, who is familiar with history, deeply anxious. He knows that social atmosphere has a great corrosive effect on young people's thoughts.
In order to prevent future generations from being influenced and eroded by that kind of bad social atmosphere, Sima Guang specially wrote the family instruction "Keeping Houses Diligently to Show Health" for Sima Kang, the son of his eldest brother Sima Dan, in order to educate his son and future generations to inherit and carry forward the frugal family style and never be extravagant and corrupt.
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