In the long river of years, we often face various choices and challenges. In this complex world, how to adhere to ourselves and not be changed by the outside world has become a profound and eternal topic. Just like the story of the Taoist priest and the scorpion, it brings us endless thoughts.

In the story, when the Taoist priest saw a scorpion fall into the water, he resolutely decided to lend a helping hand. When he reached out to save the scorpion for the first time, the scorpion mercilessly stung his finger. The pain came instantly, but the Taoist priest did not flinch because of this. Without fear, he reached out again, but was severely stung by the scorpion once more. At this time, a person nearby couldn't help but say, "It always stings people. Why save it?" The Taoist priest replied calmly, "Stinging people is the nature of scorpions, and kindness is my nature. How can I give up my nature because of its nature?"

The words and deeds of the Taoist priest are like a bright lamp, illuminating those corners deep inside us that are easily obscured by the outside world. In Taoist thought, it is emphasized to conform to nature and follow the nature of all things. The scorpion stinging people is its instinctive self-protection behavior, which is the result of its nature. And the kindness of the Taoist priest is also his innate nature, a kind of respect and care for life. He did not change his kindness because of the nature of the scorpion. This kind of perseverance stems from his deep understanding of himself and his perseverance in his inner beliefs.

In real life, we often change ourselves because of various external factors. Perhaps to meet the expectations of others, perhaps to adapt to the trend of society, we gradually lose ourselves and forget our original intentions. We become drift with the tide, lose the ability to think independently, and be swayed by the voices of the outside world. However, when we look back on the past, we often find that those choices that change ourselves because of the outside world often make us feel confused and puzzled.

Taoist thought tells us to maintain inner peace and tranquility and not be disturbed by the noise of the outside world. Only when we truly understand our own nature and adhere to our beliefs can we find our own direction in this noisy world. Just like the Taoist priest, he knows that his kindness is his nature. No matter how the outside world changes, he will not give up. This firm belief comes from his deep understanding of himself and his reverence for life.

On the road of life, we will encounter all kinds of people and things. Some people may not understand us and even hurt us. But we cannot change our kindness and integrity because of their actions. We must believe that kindness and integrity are a kind of power that can infect others and transmit positive energy. As Lao Tzu said, "The highest good is like water. Water benefits all things without contention. It dwells in the places that people dislike. Therefore, it is close to the Way." Kindness is like water, moistening all things but not competing with all things. It can survive in the worst environment but always maintains its purity and clarity.

At the same time, we must also learn to tolerate and understand the nature of others. Everyone has their own personality and behavior style. We cannot expect others to be the same as us. When we meet people who are different from us, we should view them with a tolerant attitude and respect their choices. Only in this way can we establish good interpersonal relationships and jointly create a harmonious society.

However, adhering to nature does not mean being stubborn and not accepting any changes. Taoist thought emphasizes "governing by doing nothing", which does not mean doing nothing at all, but conforming to nature and acting according to the laws of the development of things. While adhering to our own nature, we must also continuously learn and grow and adapt to social changes. Only in this way can we better integrate into society and realize our life value while maintaining ourselves.

In this fast-paced era, we are often surrounded by various pressures and temptations. We can easily lose ourselves and forget our nature. But as long as we can always keep a clear head, adhere to our beliefs, and not be changed by the outside world, we will definitely be able to go further on the road of life.

Let us take the Taoist priest as an example, adhere to our own nature, and not be disturbed by the outside world. No matter how many difficulties and setbacks we encounter, we must maintain the qualities of kindness, integrity, and courage, and use our actions to influence others and transmit positive energy. Let us find our own pure land in this complex world and shine our own light.