"True recluses do not speak of loneliness, occasionally letting out a long howl, like the beasts we see."
"Those who walk towards solitude are difficult to accept pity and sympathy."
"Before the age of thirty, one never thought about death. When people reach middle age, the next generation grows up like bamboo shoots, and the older generation dies one after another. The concept of death often comes to mind. When a few acquaintances gather, they ask, 'Look, who didn't come?' 'Died.' Then they talk about death for a long time. Those who can talk about death are actually far from it. When death truly stands at the door, they never speak of death."
"Men dominate this world, which is already a misfortune for humanity. If one day women also dominate this world, that would likewise be a misfortune for humanity. Men are men, and women are women. The two sexes developing in opposite directions is what true men and women are, and it is God's original intention in creating humans. If men are not manly and women are not womanly, it would make the yin and yang world seem unified, but in reality, it would be unbalanced. To be an independent woman, to treat life and oneself with enthusiasm, to live for oneself, and to live beautifully, women will always have a lasting attraction to men. This is equality, and being equal to men truly brings out a woman's charm."
Excerpted from: Living Alone
Author: Jia Pingwa