Chapter three thoughts: it’s refreshing to see self-development being explicitly tied to larger societal development and the former not being possible without the latter. Self-improvement approaches in the West, like so much else, is hyper atomized and misses the role social action plays.

It means that we should listen modestly to the opinions and criticisms of our Party comrades and of the masses

There is a contradictory mentality in many Western socialists where want a mass, working class movement, but also are dismissive of those masses as “normies.” The needs of the working class must be met, not projecting needs upon them.

Furthermore, on the basis of new experience we should ascertain whether there are any individual conclusions or aspects of Marxism-Leninism that need supplementing, enriching and developing.

As much as “immortal science” makes for great memes, if there’s a categorical denial that the theory can be improved and is perfect, then it’s not science. There must be room for falsification, amending of the hypothesis, in order for the theory to be scientific in nature.

Foreign stereotypes must be abolished, there must be less singing of empty, abstract tunes, and dogmatism must be laid to rest; they must be replaced by the fresh, lively Chinese style and spirit which the common people of China love.

I wonder what Mao saw as the differences between the foreign implementations of Marxism and the Chinese style.