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“There is an intriguing phenomenon among us Chinese people today. On one hand, we carry nearly two centuries of humiliation and resentment, which endows us with a strong sense of nationalism; on the other hand, our history has provided us with the concept of "tianxia" (all-under-heaven), a worldview of universal statehood. We are a people deeply influenced by nationalism, yet once we understand and accept the idea of "tianxia," we might be able to dissolve the boundaries between nations, which is what we ought to strive for.” — From "Inward Journey: Settling Oneself" by HSU Cho-yun The original version in Chinese: 我们中国人在今天有个奇怪的现象。一方面，我们背了将近两百年的耻辱和仇恨，使得我们有很强的民族观；另一方面，我们的历史给了我们认识世界的“天下国家”观念。我们是深受民族主义影响的一群人，我们一旦知道并接受了“天下国家”的观念，或许就可以消弭民族之间的界限，这是我们要做的事情。——《往里走，安顿自己》 许倬云 Reading this made me think of a foreign friend's question: why Chinese people seem reluctant to speak about themselves to the outside world. This question has puzzled me as well, but upon reflection, it seems true that we can give off this impression. Even the renowned historian HSU Cho-yun advises people to "turn inward" in this turbulent and noisy world to find peace. Similarly, when historian&philosopher Qian Mu analyzed the Chinese people, he observed that the Chinese understand the universe by exploring themselves, whereas the Western approach is quite the opposite. This difference makes the West more pioneering and aggressive. In this book abovementioned, HSU also mentions that Christianity originally had a similar "tianxia" concept, but it strictly distinguished between God's followers and non-believers. "Traditional China was essentially a cultural community with inclusivity that transcended ethnic boundaries. Within the concept of 'tianxia,' there are no boundaries between people of different nations... The ultimate goal is to build a world of great harmony: first perfect oneself, then have the ability to care for others, and subsequently extend care to all the peoples on Earth." Professor HSU's viewpoint aligns with the Confucian ideal of "Self-cultivation, family management, state governance, and bringing peace to all under heaven." It is evident that the consistent Chinese thought is to perfect oneself first before feeling qualified and capable of contributing to the world. In response to my friend's question, perhaps today's China is still in the phase of "self-cultivation" as a country, which may be why we are not fully prepared to promote ourselves externally, despite it is trying to bring peace to the world. About HSU Cho-yun: https://t.co/T0VOOHfsYb