To follow one's inclinations is to act freely according to one's own will within the scope of morality and law. In modern Chinese, it generally means to do whatever you want. Verb-object structure, with derogatory meaning; Generally, it is used as predicate, attribute and adverbial in sentences.
First, the source of idioms
Pre-Qin Confucius disciple and re-disciple "The Analects of Confucius for Politics": "Confucius said:" I am determined to learn five out of ten, stand at thirty, return to ten without confusion, know my destiny at fifty, listen to my ears at sixty, and follow my heart at seventy, without exceeding the rules. Later generations derived the idiom "follow one's inclinations" from this allusion.
Second, idioms and allusions
Confucius divided his self-cultivation experience into six stages in his later years.
Confucius said, "Five out of ten are determined to learn". At the age of fifteen, he was determined to study. "Learning" here does not refer to general reading, but refers to the study and practice of ancient culture represented by Zhou Li, the absorption and reference of others and social customs, and the cultivation of mind and behavior.
"Standing at thirty". The metaphor of "Li" and "Li" has a foothold in society and has its own independent thoughts, personality and career. Why "stand"? Through learning, I have mastered the culture of "courtesy" and formed a habit of observing etiquette. I can treat people with courtesy and handle complex social affairs freely.
"Forty without confusion". He gained the ability to distinguish right from wrong, good and evil, beauty and ugliness, and reached the realm of "knowledge", just as Zi Han in Chapter 29 of The Analects of Confucius said, "He who knows is not confused".
You knew your destiny at the age of fifty. Confucius often said that "fate" refers to the law of life. "Destiny", sharing, refers to the state of life determined by natural and social laws, that is, the law of human life. Being able to understand and grasp this law is a higher realm of "knowledge".
"Sixty sounds good." "Ear" refers to human senses, that is, the ability to perceive objective things; "Smooth", smooth and barrier-free. Calm, open-minded, good at observation, everything can be tolerated and everything can be distinguished.
"Do it at seventy, and don't exceed the moment." You can let your inner thoughts do whatever you want, but you won't go beyond the boundaries of "courtesy". The key lies in the "mind", which has reached the realm of "unintentional, unnecessary, insecure and egoless", that is, not speculating, not absolutely sure, not opinionated and not self-righteous. Therefore, there is nothing to "surpass".
Third, the meaning of idioms.
There is a premise after "follow one's inclinations" in The Analects of Confucius, that is, "don't overstep the rules". It means that at the age of 70, I can handle things with ease, but I don't go beyond any etiquette. The enlightenment is that if you want to have a perfect life, you should not only know how to yearn, but also know what to do at what age. It is better to think carefully than to make arbitrary mistakes.