The first year of university was a bleak and pale period of my life, leaving behind nothing of value or significance.

Angry thoughts often lead to radical actions, and a frivolous attitude gradually eroded my past strengths. In the days of vulgarity and desire, in a world of passion and illusion, I completely lost the faint traces of ideals and ambitions that remained in my heart. A life without a fulcrum is pitiful. Where is the fulcrum?

Reflection might be the best way to find an answer, but behind the daily decadence and superficiality, my thinking has nearly ossified, and my life has become almost chaotic. Even the poetry and verses I once effortlessly composed have turned into crude, vulgar language, reflecting my increasingly lost character.

Indeed, the goal has been clearly set, and the direction is truly laid out before me. My ideals and ambitions are waiting for me to move forward.

But it feels like I am about to enter an unreachable illusion, and the protagonist in this journey is drifting further and further away.

The only meaningful thought left from my freshman year was a realization about myself during a summer activity. In essence, this cannot even be considered a profound truth—it should be regarded as the most basic common sense. Yet, for this simplest of truths, I have toiled for so many years, and it feels utterly unworthy.

Of course, the attainment of a fulcrum is closely related to this realization. At least before I understood this truth, I would never have thought about the concept of a fulcrum.

As for the content of this truth, it is so simple that it might seem almost absurd. When spoken aloud, one might feel that the world is truly shameless.

No matter what, the path ahead is still laid out before me, and the way forward is already determined. There is not much time left to shift my mindset and behavior. The only thing that can still change is how I face potential failures.

The sages tell us that we must move forward with the belief in victory, so as not to be consumed by the dark clouds of failure. The wise also tell us that we must be prepared for both outcomes, ready to face the uncertain dangers and challenges of the future.

Philosophy often develops amidst contradictions. Marx said that contradictions exist in everything and at all times. In my understanding, even contradictions themselves contain contradictions, and this conflicts with the idea that contradictions are the ultimate driving force behind the development of things. Thus, philosophy itself is full of contradictions, but when there are too many contradictions, they cease to be contradictions and become truths. However, challenging the truth often leads to failure before success, so the success of a fulcrum is not guaranteed.

The establishment of a fulcrum is imminent, but the lag in action has made what should be simple more complicated. Perhaps when the robes and sashes have fallen to the ground, and a single finger dancing on a keyboard can grasp the truth of life, success will truly be within reach.

A noble person has a great path, which must be attained through loyalty and trust, and lost through arrogance and indulgence. The reason a fulcrum is a fulcrum is inseparable from one’s character and conduct. A life without a fulcrum is pitiful, and it is possible that the audience may also feel this pity.

As for the material foundation of a fulcrum, there is a great path to wealth: many produce, few consume, act swiftly, and spend moderately, and wealth will always be sufficient.

The words of the sages are indeed wise, but once again, due to the lag in action, life is filled with dramatic changes, and the world remains diverse and multifaceted.

From the concept of a fulcrum, I am reminded of Archimedes’ lever. In reality, the two ends of the lever are never of equal length. How can unequal lengths balance? The power of power!

Many people still do not understand the relationship between rights and obligations. They always feel that individuals must gain more in society to achieve balance, not realizing that while they gain rights, others must fulfill more obligations for them. The total amount remains the same, but the forces are constantly changing. In this change, development becomes a verbal declaration, and personality becomes a distant paradise.

How to balance my own lever is still a matter of contemplation, but the urgent reality does not allow me more time to think. This process is also entirely different from the decadence of my freshman year. Perhaps I can use a term I once despised: “nirvana.”