You Are the Protagonist of the World
As children, our confidence was unshakable; we simply felt, “I can.” As we grew up, we learned to analyze things objectively and rationally, but lost that simplicity—the virus makes us deny ourselves.
The innocence and freedom of childhood are the ideal state I will spend my whole life pursuing.
When I was a child, I represented my class in the school sports meet sprint. In fourth grade, I even beat sixth-grade runners. Later, a transfer student half a head taller than me arrived—he had been the sprint champion of his previous school—and I never beat him in private races.
But when we actually faced off at the school sports meet, I was not afraid at all. Growing up, I had always been stronger than the classmates around me, my family recognized my athletic talent, and deep down I firmly believed I could win, even though objectively his build and ability seemed superior.
In the end, I took first place. Even he was surprised by my explosive power that day.
The confidence I had as a child was incredibly firm; I simply felt, “I can”—a belief without any impurities, without objective or rational analysis, with no humility and no fear.
So what is this virus?
When I look back on such things as an adult, I always instinctively explain them away: maybe my opponent was not in good form, or maybe the conditions happened to favor me.
The virus makes us deny ourselves.
We become cautious and calculating, always weighing pros and cons, believing ourselves to be objective and rational, yet we lose that simplicity. We judge things based on our circumstances, make choices while caring about how others see us, and have had too many outside ideas implanted into our subconscious, causing us to lose ourselves.
People who retain a youthful spirit are like our childhood selves: their inner world is pure, and they carry a built-in natural defense system that protects them from the virus of this world.
Unfortunately, the brain is not like a computer; you cannot right-click and empty the recycle bin. To stay clear-headed and remove the virus, we must continually observe our inner world—become aware of the existence of the soul, and discover its true meaning and mission in this world. Every person's soul is beautiful and supreme.
This world is nothing more than a vast virtual game, and you alone are its brave and fearless protagonist.