Chapter 15 We are responsible for creating the self
Chapter 15 We are responsible for creating the self
第十五章 我們都有責任創造自我的價值
第十五章 我們都有責任創造自我的價值
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15. We are responsible for creating the self
15. We are responsible for creating the self
To my friends, I might appear to be a bit of a curmudgeon. I feel that this is a well-deserved honorific by the time you are sixty plus years old. In my heart, however, I am a peaceful, loving man. This misinterpretation of my actions has probably to do with the fact that I am relatively “straightforward.” In any given situation, I always look for the worst possible result to occur. It, of course, never does, but I am ready nonetheless. I always believe that it is not the brief moments of joy that cripple a person but the extended periods of pain and tragedy. How you overcome the bottom, some damaging failure that holds you back or restricts your long-term success, is ultimately the “measure of you.” You must anticipate that things occur in life. “Life is fickle.” I still cannot get over the image of the clochards1 living in the Paris subway. As a citizen of Mother Earth, it is your right to live a life of drunken non-existence, but why would you take this option? There are no easy answers. It could be mental illness: this then is an explainable case. In the vast majority of cases, however, I believe that it is simply lack of will to “get up and do it again.” I would not term this laziness, just spiritual fatigue.
To my friends, I might appear to be a bit of a curmudgeon. I feel that this is a well-deserved honorific by the time you are sixty plus years old. In my heart, however, I am a peaceful, loving man. This misinterpretation of my actions has probably to do with the fact that I am relatively “straightforward.” In any given situation, I always look for the worst possible result to occur. It, of course, never does, but I am ready nonetheless. I always believe that it is not the brief moments of joy that cripple a person but the extended periods of pain and tragedy. How you overcome the bottom, some damaging failure that holds you back or restricts your long-term success, is ultimately the “measure of you.” You must anticipate that things occur in life. “Life is fickle.” I still cannot get over the image of the clochards1 living in the Paris subway. As a citizen of Mother Earth, it is your right to live a life of drunken non-existence, but why would you take this option? There are no easy answers. It could be mental illness: this then is an explainable case. In the vast majority of cases, however, I believe that it is simply lack of will to “get up and do it again.” I would not term this laziness, just spiritual fatigue.
I just finished a book by Todd Henry entitled The Accidental Creative.2 The book left me with two redeeming thoughts. Firstly: the graveyard is the richest real estate on the planet because it is filled with the wealth and the expectation of people who procrastinated and never attempted to achieve their dreams: hence they die and are buried with all their potentiality. Secondly: “die empty,” meaning that we should aspire to bring our “greatness” out into the world. Do not shirk from your mission: if you do, you will suffer the pangs of an unrequited life just before your demise. You put nothing in and you get nothing back.
I just finished a book by Todd Henry entitled The Accidental Creative.2 The book left me with two redeeming thoughts. Firstly: the graveyard is the richest real estate on the planet because it is filled with the wealth and the expectation of people who procrastinated and never attempted to achieve their dreams: hence they die and are buried with all their potentiality. Secondly: “die empty,” meaning that we should aspire to bring our “greatness” out into the world. Do not shirk from your mission: if you do, you will suffer the pangs of an unrequited life just before your demise. You put nothing in and you get nothing back.
In one of his talks, Mr. Henry mentions the great theologian and intellectual Fr. Thomas Merton.3 The monk believed that we should have a zest for life, but with a personal obligation, as well: “First of all, although men have a common destiny, each individual also has to work out his own personal salvation for himself in fear and trembling. We can help one another to find the meaning of life no doubt. But in the last analysis, the individual person is responsible for living his own life and for ‘finding himself.’ If he persists in shifting his responsibility to somebody else, he fails to find out the meaning of his own existence. You cannot tell me who I am and I cannot tell you who you are. If you do not know your own identity, who is going to identify you?” These are succinct words, even if they are a little cruel and harsh.
In one of his talks, Mr. Henry mentions the great theologian and intellectual Fr. Thomas Merton.3 The monk believed that we should have a zest for life, but with a personal obligation, as well: “First of all, although men have a common destiny, each individual also has to work out his own personal salvation for himself in fear and trembling. We can help one another to find the meaning of life no doubt. But in the last analysis, the individual person is responsible for living his own life and for ‘finding himself.’ If he persists in shifting his responsibility to somebody else, he fails to find out the meaning of his own existence. You cannot tell me who I am and I cannot tell you who you are. If you do not know your own identity, who is going to identify you?” These are succinct words, even if they are a little cruel and harsh.
What this thus means is that you are then faced with the greatest adventure of all: the discovery of you. Here there is no room for cowardliness. Even though you are afraid and somewhat lost on the sea of life, you must still “set your sail.” You will perhaps not even know the direction of your voyage, but you must venture off nonetheless. In the cosmos, all action is recognized. Yes it is true, the distant shore may be a disappointment and not to your liking. In spite of this, your odyssey has given you many meaningful tools and a wealth of positive results. You now are a good seafarer. You know how to navigate a stormy sea and survive. You can overcome the many shoals that life always places in front of you: in short, you have matured. The major lesson here is that you have come to realize that joy and peace are not something external. They lie within you. This is true for all individuals. Action is critical: you must act. Like my previous example in Paris, however, you are free to choose to not be free, as illogical as it sounds.
What this thus means is that you are then faced with the greatest adventure of all: the discovery of you. Here there is no room for cowardliness. Even though you are afraid and somewhat lost on the sea of life, you must still “set your sail.” You will perhaps not even know the direction of your voyage, but you must venture off nonetheless. In the cosmos, all action is recognized. Yes it is true, the distant shore may be a disappointment and not to your liking. In spite of this, your odyssey has given you many meaningful tools and a wealth of positive results. You now are a good seafarer. You know how to navigate a stormy sea and survive. You can overcome the many shoals that life always places in front of you: in short, you have matured. The major lesson here is that you have come to realize that joy and peace are not something external. They lie within you. This is true for all individuals. Action is critical: you must act. Like my previous example in Paris, however, you are free to choose to not be free, as illogical as it sounds.
We now live in a world filled with artificial images. We are told how to look, how to think, how to act, etc. All solutions to life’s puzzles, however, can only be discovered through meditation and introspection: all truth lies within.
We now live in a world filled with artificial images. We are told how to look, how to think, how to act, etc. All solutions to life’s puzzles, however, can only be discovered through meditation and introspection: all truth lies within.
15. 我們都有責任創造自我的價值
15. 我們都有責任創造自我的價值
對我的朋友來說，我看起來像是難以取悅的人。我覺得當你活到六十幾歲的時候，這是應得的尊稱吧。但在我心裡，我是個和氣且有愛心的人。對我的行為所產生的誤解，可能因為我講話相對「直接」一點。在任何情況下，我總是會先預想最壞的狀況。當然，最糟的事情都沒發生，但儘管如此，我還是會先做好準備。我始終認為，使一個人癱瘓的，不是快樂的時光太短暫，而是痛苦和不幸的時間太長。你如何走出低潮，克服挫敗帶來的破壞力，讓它不會阻礙你或者侷限你得到長遠的成功，這種能力將成為「衡量你的標準」。你必須去預想生命中會發生的事情，「人生無常」。我仍然無法忘記街友1睡在巴黎地鐵的畫面。作為一位地球公民，你有權利過著酒醉、行屍走肉般的生活，但是什麼讓你做出這樣的選擇？答案從來就不是能簡單說明的。有可能是心理疾病，那這樣是說得過去的。然而，在大部分的案例中，我相信人們都只是缺乏了「站起來再試一次」的意願。我不會說這是懶惰，這不過是精神上的疲勞。
對我的朋友來說，我看起來像是難以取悅的人。我覺得當你活到六十幾歲的時候，這是應得的尊稱吧。但在我心裡，我是個和氣且有愛心的人。對我的行為所產生的誤解，可能因為我講話相對「直接」一點。在任何情況下，我總是會先預想最壞的狀況。當然，最糟的事情都沒發生，但儘管如此，我還是會先做好準備。我始終認為，使一個人癱瘓的，不是快樂的時光太短暫，而是痛苦和不幸的時間太長。你如何走出低潮，克服挫敗帶來的破壞力，讓它不會阻礙你或者侷限你得到長遠的成功，這種能力將成為「衡量你的標準」。你必須去預想生命中會發生的事情，「人生無常」。我仍然無法忘記街友1睡在巴黎地鐵的畫面。作為一位地球公民，你有權利過著酒醉、行屍走肉般的生活，但是什麼讓你做出這樣的選擇？答案從來就不是能簡單說明的。有可能是心理疾病，那這樣是說得過去的。然而，在大部分的案例中，我相信人們都只是缺乏了「站起來再試一次」的意願。我不會說這是懶惰，這不過是精神上的疲勞。
我剛讀完塔德‧亨利的《即時創意》2。這本書給了我兩個提升心靈的想法。第一：墓園是這個世界上最富有的房地產，因為裡頭充滿了拖延和從未實現夢想之人所擁有的財富和期望。他們死了之後，所有的潛能也隨之埋葬了。第二：「兩手空空離開世界」是指我們都應該立志貢獻出我們的「偉大」給世界。請不要從你的使命中退縮下來。若是你退縮了，在你死前，你會因生命目標未能實現而痛苦。你沒有任何付出，當然也就沒有任何收穫。
我剛讀完塔德‧亨利的《即時創意》2。這本書給了我兩個提升心靈的想法。第一：墓園是這個世界上最富有的房地產，因為裡頭充滿了拖延和從未實現夢想之人所擁有的財富和期望。他們死了之後，所有的潛能也隨之埋葬了。第二：「兩手空空離開世界」是指我們都應該立志貢獻出我們的「偉大」給世界。請不要從你的使命中退縮下來。若是你退縮了，在你死前，你會因生命目標未能實現而痛苦。你沒有任何付出，當然也就沒有任何收穫。
作者亨利先生在他的一次演講當中，提到偉大的神學家和法國知識分子托馬斯‧默頓神父3。神父認為我們每個人都應該對生命抱持熱忱，同時也要履行我們的義務。「首先，雖然人類有著共同的命運，但每個人在恐懼和顫抖中，仍需為自己的人生找到救贖。我們當然可以互相幫助，尋找生命的意義。但歸根究底，每個人都有責任過自己的生活和『發現自己』，如果有人堅持將責任轉移給別人，那麼他就無法找到自己存在的意義。你不能告訴我我是誰，就如同我不能告訴你你是誰。如果你不知道自己是誰，那還有誰能夠認出你呢？」這些是非常簡明扼要的話，雖然有點殘酷與嚴厲。
作者亨利先生在他的一次演講當中，提到偉大的神學家和法國知識分子托馬斯‧默頓神父3。神父認為我們每個人都應該對生命抱持熱忱，同時也要履行我們的義務。「首先，雖然人類有著共同的命運，但每個人在恐懼和顫抖中，仍需為自己的人生找到救贖。我們當然可以互相幫助，尋找生命的意義。但歸根究底，每個人都有責任過自己的生活和『發現自己』，如果有人堅持將責任轉移給別人，那麼他就無法找到自己存在的意義。你不能告訴我我是誰，就如同我不能告訴你你是誰。如果你不知道自己是誰，那還有誰能夠認出你呢？」這些是非常簡明扼要的話，雖然有點殘酷與嚴厲。
這意味著你將面對人生最大的一場冒險：發現自己。在這裡沒有怯懦的空間。即使你害怕並且有點迷失在生命的海洋，你仍然必須「揚帆起航」。你甚至可能不清楚你將航向何方，但無論如何你必須加入這場冒險旅程。在這世上，所有行動都有其意義。是的，這是真的，遙遠的海岸可能令人失望，而且不是你所喜歡的。儘管如此，你的旅程本身給了你許多有意義的工具和豐碩的正面成果。你現在是一名優秀的船員了。你知道如何駕馭風雨無常的大海並存活下來。你可以克服那些人生中總會出現的很多淺灘。簡而言之，你已經成熟了。這趟旅程所要傳遞給你的事，你已經學到了。快樂與和平不是外在的東西，不需要向外去尋找。他們存在於你的內心裡，所有人都是如此。行動是重要的，你必須行動。然而，就像我之前舉巴黎的例子一樣，你有自由選擇不自由，雖然這聽起來不合邏輯。
這意味著你將面對人生最大的一場冒險：發現自己。在這裡沒有怯懦的空間。即使你害怕並且有點迷失在生命的海洋，你仍然必須「揚帆起航」。你甚至可能不清楚你將航向何方，但無論如何你必須加入這場冒險旅程。在這世上，所有行動都有其意義。是的，這是真的，遙遠的海岸可能令人失望，而且不是你所喜歡的。儘管如此，你的旅程本身給了你許多有意義的工具和豐碩的正面成果。你現在是一名優秀的船員了。你知道如何駕馭風雨無常的大海並存活下來。你可以克服那些人生中總會出現的很多淺灘。簡而言之，你已經成熟了。這趟旅程所要傳遞給你的事，你已經學到了。快樂與和平不是外在的東西，不需要向外去尋找。他們存在於你的內心裡，所有人都是如此。行動是重要的，你必須行動。然而，就像我之前舉巴黎的例子一樣，你有自由選擇不自由，雖然這聽起來不合邏輯。
我們現在生活在一個充滿人工圖像的世界裡。我們被告知如何看、如何思考、如何行動等等。然而，所有生命謎題的解答都只能通過冥想和反省來發現：所有真理都存在自己的內心中。
我們現在生活在一個充滿人工圖像的世界裡。我們被告知如何看、如何思考、如何行動等等。然而，所有生命謎題的解答都只能通過冥想和反省來發現：所有真理都存在自己的內心中。
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