National character (民族性格)

Greek philosopher Heraclitus said, ‘The only thing that is constant is change’ (唯一不变的是变化). However, all things remain essentially the same despite all apparent changes (万变不离其宗). ⁹ Chinese scholar Dong Zhongshu (179 bce –104 bce ) said, ‘天不变, 道亦不变’ ¹⁰ (Heaven does not change, nor does Tao/Dao/way), with which he justified the rule of ‘three principles and five virtues.’ One of the Thirteen Classics of Confucianism, I Ching, or Book of Changes contains a different concept: 穷则变, 变则通, 通则久 ¹¹ (When it is exhausted, it mutates; by mutation it achieves continuity; by continuity it endures). The ordinary people have a saying: 树挪死, 人挪活 ¹² (literally ‘if trees are removed, they will die; if men move, they will survive.’) Therefore, you cannot stick to 老皇历 ¹³ (anachronistic practices), which claims that a woman loyal to her husband to death (从一而终) ¹⁴ is virtuous.

#3 The battle of Chinese character forms: traditional, simplified or pinyin? (汉字之争); #37 Stress the past, not the present (厚古薄今); #39 Old or new (新与旧)