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## The Art of Not Being Angry
Life inevitably brings criticism and blame. Zhuangzi once said: if someone calls you an ox or a horse, and you remain unmoved, their words cannot harm you.
A scholar named Shi Chengqi once visited the sage Laozi, only to find his home in disarray. He angrily called Laozi a rat. Laozi remained silent. The next day, the scholar apologized. Laozi replied, "I have long discarded the name of 'sage.' Call me ox, horse, or rat—I am still myself."
Zhuangzi also told a parable: if an empty boat drifts into yours, you feel no anger. But if someone is on board, you grow upset. This "empty boat mindset" teaches us to stop taking ourselves too seriously. Actor Zhang Guoguo once knelt before villagers to ask for their patience during filming. He later said, "I've knelt hundreds of times. One more is nothing."
Life brings imperfections—some are born with limitations, others face hardships. Yet Zhuangzi's characters, though physically deformed, lived fulfilling lives through inner strength and virtue. True power lies not in appearance, but in one's character.
Everything has its own nature. A bird raised with grand ceremonies died of sorrow because its needs were ignored. Respect others' paths, and let nature take its course. Those who seek tranquility need not envy the ambitious; those who strive need not force others to follow. When the heart is at ease, the world becomes wide.