Life lessons from a ‘military’ drama
As I prepare to begin my studies in Peking University, I decided to brush up upon my Mandarin. I remembered a television drama show my primary school Chinese teacher showed us, and decided to watch it to refresh my language skills. But it turned out I learnt much more than that.
The drama, Soldiers’ Sortie, or 士兵突击 in Mandarin, was released in 2006. It became a cultural phenomenon in China at that time. Despite it being a military drama, there’s no actual wars and battles. And despite being a popular drama, there’s nothing about romance (there’s only two minor female characters who appear on-screen, if I recall correctly, and without speaking lines) — proving that romance is not necessary for a good story!
Instead, like all the great stories, it’s about friendship, meaning and life. Here are some useful insights I had gained:
On working hard, perseverance, improvement and success
人是靠意志，不是靠数字。
People succeed on their willpower, not striving for some number.
只要今天比昨天好，这不是希望吗？
As long as today was better than yesterday, isn’t that hope?
饭得一口一口吃；事得一件一件办。你着急有啥用？
We can only eat one mouthful at a time; we can only accomplish something one step at a time. For what use is to rush?
别混日子了，小心让日子把你们混了。
Don’t muddle through your days, lest the days muddle you.
On the other hand, don’t just filt through life.
偷奸耍滑，不是机会。
To be opportunistic is not seizing opportunity.
And finally, do it with integrity.
On others
记住一个人的好处强过记住他的坏处。
Remembering someone’s good is better than remembering their bad.
I’m not naïve in thinking we would be okay with everyone we meet in life, but there’s always some good in them, and that will have to do.
做人不能老是往下看，也得时不常地朝上边看看。
Being human is not just looking down, but to occasionally look up.
Sometimes, it’s not what we despise about others, but what we can learn from them.
不懂得知足的人，不懂得啥叫感谢。
Those who don’t know how to be contented don’t how to be grateful.
While moving ahead, don’t forget to look back and reflect on what you have.
“你经历的每个地方、每个人、每件事，都需要你付出时间和生命。可你从来没付出感情。你总是冷冰冰地把它们扔掉。那你努力是为了什么？为了一个结果虚耗人生？【那】是你一个过路的地方；如果在有更好的去处，这也是你过路的地方。”
Each place you experience; each person; every thing — they all need you to contribute your time and effort. But you never gave your heart. You always coldly threw them away. Then for what do you work hard? For a life-emptying result?… It was merely a place you passed by; if there were somewhere better, this would also be another place you pass by.
Don’t forget to live, love, laugh, and make good friendships.
“你们一起经历过那样的艰难，你却认为他跟你没有关系。你想的是：他是你的一个竞争对手，你失去的只是一个竞争者。你却没想你失去的是一位战友。”
You both went through that same hell, yet you thought you and him were unrelated. You were thinking: He’s just a competitor; you would only be losing a competitor. You never once thought you were losing a friend.”
Treating others as a companion, not just a competitor, will make the world, and yourself, kinder and happier.
On leadership
“我敬佩一位老军人；他说：他费尽心血，但不感冒盼胜利。他只想他的部下在战场上能少死几个。他说这是军人的人道。”
I respect an old soldier who said: He worked his hardest, but never dares to dream of victory. He only hopes that, of his soldiers, fewer would die on the battlefield. That’s the humanity of a soldier.
It’s not just the results, but the people getting there.
On positive psychology
不就心里那点破事么，放下不就完了么？
Those damn things that weigh on your heart — just let them go and isn’t it better?
For what use is to worry?
有很多人天天都在焦虑；怕没得到，怕寂寞。我喜欢不焦虑的人。
Many people worry every day — worry about not getting something, worry about being lonely. I like those who don’t worry.
Don’t worry, be happy.
信念这个玩意，真不是说出来的，而是做出来的。
This funny thing called belief; it’s not said, but done.
As always, actions speak louder than proclamations.
On life
不抛弃，不放弃。
Never abandon [others]; never give up [on yourself]
Almost always applicable.
好好活是做有意义的事；做有意义的事是好好活。
To live well is to do meaningful things; to do meaningful things is to live well.
Food for thought.
我得趁着我有理想的时候维护我的理想，不能因为这一步之遥毁灭了我的理想。
Whilst I still have aspirations, I need to defend them, and not for the sake of one small advancement, destroy them.
Yes, we have to work to survive, but let’s not forget we survive to fulfil our dreams.
“过日子就是问题叠着问题。你唯一能做的是迎接这些问题。”
Life is just problems stacked on top of problems; the only thing you can do is to greet these problems.
We aren’t entitled to only positive things in life.
人这一辈子，大多数时间都是干没意义的事。
In the expanse of our lives, most people spend most of our time doing meaningless things.
A warning, not an inevitability.
不要对一件没做过的事说没有意义。
Don’t judge something you haven’t done before as meaningless.
Be open-minded. No one has a monopoly on what is meaningful.
人不是靠做出来的，而是靠活出来的。
To live life is not to make it, but to live it.
But personally, I believe life is a balance between us changing (hopefully for the better) the world we live in, and letting the world we live in change us (again, hopefully for the better).
