It is not an easy task for Chinese people to understand their own country and the world at large. The Communist Party of China has been underlining the importance of correctly judging current political situations from revolutionary times. However, this has failed to prevent errors committed in this regard, many of which led to disastrous consequences. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the Chinese government was quite prudent in early times but later proposed concepts, including the Great Leap Forward, a movement intended to overtake the West. The term "Four Modernizations" put forward during the 1950s was not scientific enough.

The Great Leap Forward, which lasted from 1958 to 1961, was a mistake of then Chairman Mao Zedong in cognition and decision-making. Nevertheless, there is no denying that Mao is a great thinker as well as a pioneer and a practitioner of the localization of Marxism in China. But his error demonstrates the risks of limitations in cognition.

In retrospect, even a youngster is able to fully analyze the errors embodied in the Great Leap Forward, which, however, does not mean that our cognitive ability is sufficient to deal with the current conundrums. Are we less bewildered than before?

Now there are numerous arguments in Chinese society, most concerning the country's political path. The past is as plain as daylight to us, but how about the future? We always feel feeble at some uncertainties.

One's thinking ability comes not only from his intelligence, but also from his experience. The accumulation of historical experience plays a decisive role for a country and nation.

Is China a successful country? Though quite a simple question, it has drawn miscellaneous answers. And the more knowledge intellectuals have, the sharper the answers they offer.

The issue of democracy has long perplexed China's intellectual circles, and this scenario may continue for a long time in the future. It is difficult to convince those who are only willing to compare China with developed countries.

The West is still challenging our judgment with its plentiful advantages. Some Chinese people firmly believe each and every word of Westerners. Because of their certain influence upon public opinion, they have  played a role in depriving people of confidence over China's development path.

Plenty of new diversified phenomena have now occurred in China. Their significance has brought about new thinking among the Chinese people. China's sustained development has provided time and space for us to understand these fresh issues.

Individual cognition is of great variety and only the destiny of the country can record the track of the general cognitive competence of society.