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1TheEffectsofComplimentsTheAmericanwriterMarkTwainoncesaid“Icanlivefortwomonthsonagoodcompliment.”Ashesaid,Ibelieveallofuslikethegoodcompliment.Goodcomplimenthasmanypositiveeffects,weshouldmakefulluseofit.First,agoodcomplimentcanmakeothersbecomemoreconfident.WhenIwasachild,Ihadnointerestsinmathematics.Ievencouldn’tpasstheexamwhilemostofthemcangeta“B”.Howshameful!Oneday,myfriendLilyaskedmeaneasyquestioninclass,andIhappenedtoknowtheanswer,soIdiditverywell.Lilyopenedhereyesandsaid,“Wow,youhavejustsolvedaverydifficultproblem!Youhaveabrillianttalentformathematics.”Fromthatmoment,Ididn’thatethemathematics,onthecontrary,Ihadgreatconfidencetosolveanyproblemaboutmaths.Second,agoodcomplimentcanstartaconversationwithstrangersveryappropriately.Forexample,myfriendLilybringherfriendLiJingtotheparty,Ididn’tknowhowtostartatalkwithLiJing,becauseIknewnothingabouther.SuddenlyIfoundhershortskirtisthelatestfashion,soIcomplimentedher,“Yourskirtispretty,andyoumakeitlookmorebeautiful.”Shesmiledandbegantotalksomethingaboutfashionwithmeveryhappy.Youseeagoodcomplimenttakeanimportantpartinicebreaking.“Flatterywillgetyoueverywhere”,butsometimeswealsohearof“Flatterywillgetyounowhere.”Acomplimentcanalsomakeothersfeelembarrassedwhenitismisunderstoodbecauseofdifferentcultures.Forexample,anAmericanwomancomplimentaChinesegirlverysincerely,“You’reverybeautiful.”TheChinesegirlmustreply,“Oh,no,I’mnotbeautifulatall.”ThoughthiscomplimentisoutoftheChinesemodesty,thiswillmaketheAmericanwomanveryembarrassedandunhappy.BecauseifanAmericangirlhearthiscompliment,shewilljustsay“Thankyou”insteadofsomemodestwords.Inshort,agoodcomplimentcanmakeothersbecomehappyandhelpthemovercomeshortcomings,butwemustpayattentiontodifferentcultureswhenwecomplimentothers.MyUnderstandingofthePursuitofHappinessAllofuswanttobehappyandwepursuehappinessindifferentways.What’stherealmeaningofpursuinghappiness?Iwantsharemyopinionwithyou.First,allofushavetherighttopursuehappiness.Weallwanttoliveahappylife,that’sournature.Itseemstousthathappinessissubjective,becauseitisrelatedtoourmood.Butitisalsoaobjectiveexistence,aslongasyouwanttopursueitandtryyourbest,youwillgetitninetimesoutoften,nomatteryouarerichorpoor.Evenafoolhastherighttopursue.L.N.Andreev,aRussianwriter,arguesthat“Happinessdoesnotlieinenjoyingit,butinstrivingforandpursuingit.”Topursuehappinessandeventuallygetit,thisprocessmakesourlifemeaningfulandmakesushappy.Youknow,happypeoplemaketheworldbetterandunhappypeoplemakeitworse.Sothepursuitofhappinessisnotonlyournature,butalsoourresponsibilitytomaketheworldbetter.Second,wehavearighttoseekhappiness,butthisrighttohappinessshouldnotbepursuedattheexpenseofloyalty,humanity,andhonesty.Pursuitofhappinessdoesn’tmeanthatmanwasentitledtopursuehappinessbyanyandeverymeans—includingmurder,rape,robbery,treasonandfraud.Nosocietycouldbebuiltonsuchabasis.Peopledon’thavetheunlimited“righttohappiness”,weshouldnotgoagainstanynaturalormorallaw.Let’stakeasimpleexample,whenwelistentomusic,wearehappy,butweshouldturndownthevolumeifsomeoneissleeping.2Inshort,thepursuitofhappinessisournatureandright,butdon’tdosomethingharmfultoothers.AnIdealWorldinMyMindNowadays,theworldisfullofcontamination,competitionandmanufacture.Watercontamination,soilcontaminationandatmosphericcontaminationmakeusworryaboutthefoodweeateverydayandthinkofwhetherwewillgetillifwebreathethetoxicair.Theseverecompetitionbetweencountriesoftencauseseconomicalorpoliticalfriction,warsandunemployment.Manufacturedestroysthehandiwork,somuchofartisticheritagediesout.Nowourcountry’seconomyisgrowingfastbutthegovernmentisstillconfrontedwithmanychallenges,especiallysomesocialproblems,includinglossoffarmland,awideningfinancialgapbetweenruralandurbanareas,aemploymentproblemofuniversitygraduates,fakeandshoddyproducts,andsoon.Highattentionneedstobepaidto.Wemusttryourbesttochangetheimperfectworldintoaperfectworld.Anidealworldinmymindisapeacefulworldwherepeoplearecompassionateforothers.Weareallhappyandwearenotinthefearofunemployment,disease,violence,poverty,hunger,wars,murderers,terrorists,robbersorpollutionagain.Thereisnoanxietyandbarrierbetweencountries,wecantravelroundtheworldwithfreedomandtalktodifferentpeoplewithoutwariness.Thereisnofinancialgapbetweenruralandurbanareas,ruralstudentswon’texperiencediscriminationagain.Inthisworld,wealllikestudyandstudyforthesakeofapplication,thenwecanfindgoodjobswelikeandmakecontributiontoourworldafterwegraduate.Inthisworld,everyonehaslotsofgoodfoodanddrink(anditdoesn'tmakeyoufatorsick),andnicewarmluxurioushomeswithoutloan.Thisidealworldinmymindisnotjustadream,itcancometrueaslongasthecountriesuniteasone,governmentstightenupthemanagementwitheffectivemethods,andeveryoneisstrictwithhimselfandtoleranttowardothers.TheTrueSpiritoftheOlympicsManypeopleregard“higher,faster,andstronger”asthespiritofOlympicGames.Andsomepeoplebelieveoneofthemajorobjectivesofsportingeventsistoencouragepeopletoparticipateanddotheirbest.ButIthink,nothingismoreimportantthanfightingforourdreamspersistentlyevenifGodtroublesyoumanytimes.Forexample,KimRhod