How Do You Live?

You know Copernicus and his heliocentric theory, don’t you? The idea that the earth moves around the sun? Until Copernicus advanced his theory, people back then believed that the sun and the stars circled around the earth, as their own eyes told them. This was in part because, in accordance with the teachings of the Christian church, they also believed that the earth was the center of the universe. But if you think one step further, it’s because human beings have a natural tendency to look at and think of things as if they were always at the center.

there may be nothing more deep-rooted and stubborn than the human tendency to look at and think of things with themselves at the center.

Even among adults, the human tendency to think about things and form judgments with ourselves at the center remains deep-rooted.

as long as we held fast to the thought that our own planet was at the center of the universe, humanity was unable to understand the true nature of the universe—and likewise, when people judge their own affairs with only themselves at the center, they end up unable to know the true nature of society. The larger truth never reveals itself to them.

But even when you have read the books and learned the ideas, the ultimate key to the mystery will be—Copper, of course it will be you. You, yourself and no other. For it is only through the life you will lead, building on your many experiences and impressions, that you will be able to understand the truths in the words of these great thinkers. You will never really know these writings just by reading them, the way you would study mathematics or chemistry.

That is why I think the first, most basic step in these matters is to start with the moments of real feeling in your life, when your heart is truly moved, and to think about the meaning of those. The things that you feel most deeply, from the very bottom of your heart, will never deceive you in the slightest. And so at all times, in all things, whatever feelings you may have, consider these carefully.

To put it a slightly more difficult way, you must make a habit of thinking honestly, with your own experience as a foundation, and—Copper, this is very important!—if someone fakes this part, no matter what kind of great-sounding things they think or say, they are all lies in the end.

There is nothing more beautiful than people nurturing goodwill toward their fellow beings.

You and I, too, because we are human, must live with only our value as human beings in mind, not thinking we are unimportant if we happen to be poor or that we are great because we lead a wealthy life. Someone who feels inferior because they are poor can never be much of a human being.

Despite that, the sad truth is that in today’s world, the people who will be in the most trouble if they get hurt are the people who are in the greatest danger of getting hurt.

We are all human beings, so if we can’t all live a life that is really human, something is wrong. A society that doesn’t allow that is wrong. Nobody can deny this, as long as they have an honest heart.

He gathered scholars and had them set forth that new order clearly in laws. This was the famous Napoleonic Code. It became a model for the laws of countries all over, and one could perhaps say that this was the greatest of Napoleon’s accomplishments.

During the Meiji Restoration in the nineteenth century, Japan also abolished feudalism and turned to a society of equality for people of all classes. At that point, how best to determine relations between people in this new social order quickly become a problem. So the first civil laws were established, and at that time they used the Napoleonic Code as an example.

The world is full of people who are not bad, but weak, people who bring unnecessary misfortune upon themselves and others for no reason but weakness. A heroic spirit that’s not devoted to human progress may be empty and meaningless, but goodness that is lacking in the spirit of heroism is often empty as well.

We have the power to decide on our own who we will be. Therefore, we will make mistakes. However— We have the power to decide on our own who we will be. Therefore, we can also recover from mistakes.