Your value orientation will decide the values of the whole of society in the years to come. Besides, young people are at the time of life when they form and establish their values. It is therefore very important to offer some guidance. That reminds me of something that happens in our daily life. When we button up our coat, we may inadvertently put the first button in the wrong button hole, and that will result in all the other buttons being put in the wrong holes. That's why we say that our lifetime of buttoning must be done well right from the start.

--Speech given by Xi Jinping at a seminar with teachers and students of Peking University, May 4, 2014

Our Lifetime of Buttoning Must Be Done Well Right from the Start

--Cultivation of values must start at a young age

Everyone needs to wear clothes -- there is no avoiding it. And everyone is taught by their parents to learn how to button their own clothes. This is a basic skill and an action that we repeat every day. It is also an everyday principle that buttoning must be done properly from top to bottom, otherwise our clothes will be all crooked. However, there is a deeper meaning to this commonplace occurrence, as Xi Jinping told the youths: "Our lifetime of buttoning must be done well right from the start."

Xi Jinping's "lifetime of buttoning theory" is very enlightening for cultivating values in young people. Truly, our lives are like a row of buttons -- if we start out buttoning wrong, we will keep on buttoning wrong. For example, if someone connects becoming an official with striking it rich, he has already got the first button wrong, and he will keep on buttoning wrong until he falls from grace and disappears in the end.

Our youth is the most important period for growth and maturity. It is during this period that our values, life views, and worldviews are established, which will play the most important role in guiding the rest of our lives. Our youth is a golden age of learning and the period in which we are most susceptible to influence from all kinds of ideas. During a visit to Peking University, Xi Jinping asked that the college students be "diligent, virtuous, analytical, and upright" to guide and direct them to cultivate and practice socialist core values. This can help young college students understand the world, clarify their thinking, and establish correct values -- the first buttons needed for a lifetime of buttoning. The values we establish when we are young will directly impact the rest of our lives. Under the guidance of correct values, young people build their character, grow into pillars of the nation, and do good things for the people.

In Book 4 of The Analects, Confucius said: "Don't worry that you have no position -- worry about how you can qualify for one. Don't worry that people don't know you -- look for some reason to become known." This is telling young people not to worry about getting a fancy job, but to worry about being a good match for the job they want to get. Young people should be like the Confucian gentleman and not worry about not being understood by others, but rather only yearning for self-improvement, as what is inside will shine through to the outside, and everyone will know how talented you are. Qian Xuesen, the "people's scientist," was faced with national calamity when he was young, and he determinedly chose the path of serving his country through his knowledge of aeronautics. With his single-minded focus, he hoped the efforts of just one man could be multiplied to realize enormous results, and he served his motherland through the power of science. In his view, one's country took precedence over family and his responsibility was immense. Guided by these values, even though he had lived in the United States for more than 20 years and enjoyed a reputation and status that ordinary people could only dream of, he resolutely chose to leave behind everything he had in the United States, and returned to his beloved country after overcoming a series of obstacles. He never worried about what kind of job he would get in China, let alone whether his return was worth it from a utilitarian perspective. He only thought of whether his knowledge could contribute to the construction and development of the New China and whether he could do his own small part for the people of his motherland. This is the most simple, most genuine thought, and it was the values he established during his youth -- the first button of Qian Xuesen's life -- that led him to make that decision.

Our youth is a great time for storing up energy. "I want my dear youth to live in their youth and die in their youth," wished Li Dazhao. Young people should keep their youthful fervor and youthful pursuits, have greater demands on building their own character, and have greater standards when shouldering their mission. In particular, people need to get that first button right in their lives, find their own coordinates in life, and form correct values. Then they can boldly refine themselves, dare to try their own hand, gradually mature their thinking through hardship, and slowly solidify their beliefs through their pursuits. In work and when faced with difficulties, we need to think more "how can I get through this" and less "woe is me"; think more "I can handle this" and less "not my problem." This is the only way to fully prepare ourselves for life, step up to the plate when it really counts, and succeed in the tasks given to us by our country and the people.

The first step is always hard no matter what you are doing, and the difficulty lies in choosing the correct first step: What kind of life values do you want to have, and how do you want to live your life? You cannot get on the right life path without making the right first step and getting that first button right.

Life is colorful and the world is diverse. The key is in choosing the right path for yourself and getting the first button right in your life. This first button is intimately related to the needs of the country, expectations of society, and your own personal values. Getting the first button right is necessary for having a brilliant life.

(An excerpt from XI JINPING: WIT AND VISION -- SELECTED QUOTATIONS AND COMMENTARY, published by FOREIGN LANGUAGES PRESS in 2015)