Be Thrifty and Exercise Self-Restraint

This idea originated in Su Shu: "Be courteous and thrifty and exercise self-restraint." Thrift is a traditional virtue of the Chinese nation. Guided by the philosophy of harmony between humanity and nature, the Chinese believe that humans should refrain from excessive exploitation of natural resources, or nature will retaliate. Thriftiness and self-restraint can also directly influence the rise or fall of a family and even a nation. As Li Shangyin, a renowned poet from the Tang Dynasty (618-907), once wrote, "History tells us that diligence and thrift lead to success, while luxury and extravagance lead to failure." In terms of the cultivation of moral integrity, Zuo's Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals considers thrift a common trait shared by men of virtue and extravagance the biggest evil of all. According to The Book of Changes, "A gentleman avoids calamities by virtue of thrift."

In recent decades, advancement of technology has led to great material abundance. But humans now face resource depletion and environmental degradation. Driven by consumerism, people seek to satisfy their material desires, while neglecting growth and enrichment of the inner world. The idea of being thrifty and exercising self-restraint reflects the wisdom of the Chinese in understanding and handling the relationship between thriftiness and extravagance. Now, this idea is embodied in many Chinese policies such as the Empty Plate Campaign and the government's continuous efforts to conserve resources and fight corruption.

儉約自守

儉約自守出自《素書》，原文是“恭儉謙約，所以自守”。意為做人要以勤儉節(jié)約來要求自己，這是中華民族的一項(xiàng)傳統(tǒng)美德?；谔烊撕弦坏睦砟睿袊苏J(rèn)為人類對自然的利用應(yīng)該有所節(jié)制，不能濫用和浪費(fèi)自然資源，否則會受到自然界的懲罰。儉約自守還關(guān)系到國家興衰和家庭聚散。正如唐代著名詩人李商隱所說：“歷覽前賢國與家，成由勤儉敗由奢?！痹趥€人良好品德的養(yǎng)成方面，《左傳》指出，節(jié)儉是有德之人共同的品質(zhì)，而奢侈是惡行中的大惡?！吨芤住氛J(rèn)為，君子能夠通過節(jié)儉的美德避免災(zāi)難。

當(dāng)今時代，科技的發(fā)展使得物質(zhì)產(chǎn)品極度豐富，但人類不得不面臨資源枯竭和環(huán)境惡化等問題；消費(fèi)中心主義使人們追逐物欲的滿足，但忽略了自身精神生命的成長和豐富。儉約自守體現(xiàn)了中國人認(rèn)識和處理勤儉與奢華、集約與浪費(fèi)之間關(guān)系的思想智慧。中國倡導(dǎo)“光盤行動”、全面加強(qiáng)資源節(jié)約工作、持之以恒正風(fēng)肅紀(jì)反腐等，就是遵循儉約自守理念的具體實(shí)踐。