Questioner: What is the real way to build up character?
问：怎么样才能加强自己的个性？
Krishnamurti: To have character means, surely, to be able to withstand the false and hold on to the true; but to build character is difficult, because for most of us what is said by the book, by the teacher, by the parent, by the government is more important than to find out what we ourselves think. To think for oneself, to find out what is true and stand by it, without being influenced, whatever life may bring of misery or happiness - that is what builds character.
克：一个能够排除错误并且固守真理的人，就是有个性的人。但是加强个性是很困难的事，因为对我们大部分人来说，遵照书本、老师以及父母所说的话，是比发现我们自己的想法更重要的。一个有独立思考能力的人，他发现真理并且护持它，不论生命带来的是不幸或快乐都不受影响，这样才能加强个性。
Say, for instance, you do not believe in war, not because of what some reformer or religious teacher has said, but because you have thought it out for yourself. You have investigated, gone into the question, meditated upon it, and for you all killing is wrong, whether it is killing to eat, killing out of hatred, or killing for the so called love of one's country. Now, if you feel this very strongly and stick to it in spite of everything, regardless of whether you go to prison or are shot for it, as you may be in certain countries, then you will have character. Then character has quite a different meaning, it is not the character which society cultivates.
比如说，你不相信战争能带来真正的和平，不是因为一些其他人士这么说过，而是因为你已经有了自己的思考。你探究、深入这个问题，深思熟虑，对你而言，杀害是错的，无论是为了吃还是因为仇恨，或是为了爱国家。现在，你强烈地认识到这点，并且无论如何都坚持到底。无论是否会因此入狱，或是被枪杀，毕竟你身在某个国度。那么，你就是有个性的人类。这样的话，个性有着非凡的意义，那不是社会所赋予的意义。
But, you see, we are not encouraged in this direction; and neither the educator nor the student has the vitality, the energy to think out and see what is true, and hold to it, letting the false go. But if you can do this then you won't follow any political or religious leader, because you will be a light unto yourself; and the discovery and cultivation of that light, not only while you are young but throughout life, is education.
但是你知道，从来没有人鼓励我们朝这个方向走，老师和学生都没有这份活力及精力去发现什么是真理，然后维持在那种状态中，让错误自动消除。可是如果你能够做到这一点，你就不会跟随任何政治或精神领袖，因为你就是自己的光明了。如何发现和培养这种内在的光明，不是等到年老，而是从年轻就开始，这才是教育。
选自《人生中不可不想的事》
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