2007/07/22

張嫂語錄

昨日夫家家庭聚會,小姨甥說月底到入境處面試,請我幫忙準備一些面試的應對,說來說去,到最後,他說理想的生活是安安定定,多點家庭生活的時間,也不期望晉升,我說,那麼你要考慮清楚這份工作是否適合你。好一個港大法律系畢業高材生,不愛錢,不愛權,只愛幸福家庭,真的祝福他可以夢想成真,終身無悔。

回家收到書友電郵,說起近況,最後結語是:Now I realize money is good. Too late, right? :)

聽完一個小伙子和一個大男人的話,忽然想到要把上月回鄉所拍的影帶中,找出幾句張嫂語錄作個比照。鄉下人,快樂就是如此簡單。

5 則留言:

匿名 說...

讀過點書的人不應只求快樂,真正的知識份子(有別於知識匠)不應追求自身的快樂,否則前人的苦心經營便會付諸東流。

有一個八歲男孩,晚上睡前經常這樣祈禱:“天主啊,外面有很多人不快樂,很多很多人就是痛苦的過活,如果我的性命可以給這些可憐人換來快樂的話,求您拿去吧!”

男孩十六歲時,接受並肯定了“先天下之憂而憂,後天下之樂而樂”的價值。書友們一般都定下了短期目標和人生方向:考進大學(管他是那個系),畢業後找份好工,那愁房子妻子兒子沒著落。。。總之組織個幸福家庭就是人生。

小夥子二十四歲,加入一個國際組織已五載那年,上天回應了他八歲時的禱告,拿著他的性命,放進一群經濟貧乏和來自破碎家庭的孩子當中,給孩子們換來了一點快樂。

三十二歲時,他已離開了那“說一套做一套,腦袋裏卻是第三套”的世界六個年頭,求財(其實是求生存)之餘,也開始努力求學(包括文憑)。他那時才體驗到單有愛心而沒有相當的知識,很難在知識型社會“製造”快樂。

不惑之年,大男人每天在法庭見盡人間醜惡與悲劇(通常律師比被告醜惡,法官比受害人可憐;無怪乎Joyce的外甥寧願到入境處找一官半職),硬要找快樂只是逃避和自欺欺人。[其實不追求名利的“小夥子”如果連AGC也不想當的話,可考慮到Intellectual Property Department一展所長,學以致用。]

四十八快到了,但是連一點點知天命的跡象都沒有,只知西方的啟蒙和現代化可以解釋為南京條約之遠因;日本的現代化雖然比西方晚了一點,但已足夠在二戰期間製造不只一場的大屠殺。中國的農民就是單純及容易滿足(因而快樂),如果可以選擇,他們寧願離土不離鄉;對很多人來說,到外面當農民工是權宜之計。在歷史的(全球化的)巨輪下,中國沒有選擇,中國的農民沒有選擇。個別的農民還可以快樂一下,但是太多人一起快樂的話,“物權法”和“勞動合同法”等便不能落實,農民上訪一萬次也沒用。火燒大了,誰都不再快樂。

亞當和夏娃在吃知善惡樹前很快樂,有了知識後,煩惱便來了。選擇做個真正的知識份子便等同放棄快樂(不過,他們還可以在平安中憂國憂民的),否則做個有名有利的知識匠也許會魚與熊掌兼得!

誰都不是在天堂裏出生,只願在離去時沒有把這世界變成地獄;快樂與否,各自演譯。

大男人

匿名 說...

知識分子不快樂,不是他不想快樂,而是因為他被灌輸要睥睨快樂,否則便是平庸的人了,真是何其戇居。

小女子

joyce ho 說...

好男難與女鬥,皆因好男目光遠大,女子眼光獨到。

匿名 說...

I believe there might be sort of mis-interpretation here!

"Happiness" per se is good. Its value is accepted and confirmed in the statement "先天下之憂而憂,後天下之樂而樂". No dispute at all in that regard.

An intellectual can hardly be doped; otherwise he/ she, without the 'good-enough' analytical ability, can't be labelled as "intellectual".

Authentic intelletuals just don't care if they personally are mediocre; they concern more what they can do for their people, if not 'man' as a whole.

The concept "intellectual" is nothing but an ideal type (pls check with Wikipedia for the meaning of this term).大男人thus can't claim himself as any intellectual. Obviously, he's not even up to the standard of "intellectual craftman".

The life of Max Weber is particularly inspiring; so are Fei Xiaotong's, B.Russell's, Liang Shuming's, among others.

Lastly, I don't think Joyce's blog is the right place to discuss serious issues, say, the philosophy of happiness, Maslow's concept of self-actualization, and the like. But I bet a nice and open-minded hostess like her would not mind people putting down feedbacks here. However, in case what I've contended is too dry and unbearable, 1000 apologies to Joyce. I'll keep my mouth (honeyed?) shut, then! :)


大男人
(BTW, I don't like this nickname. Don't know why Joyce addressed me so in her writing, a couple of days ago. It's simply for convenience, I suppose. Better call me 下岗中年.)

PS 下岗中年 currently is a cynic and skeptist. Religious value doesn't work on him. Can't be "doped"; not now, at least!

Joyce, pardon me for writing in English, again. I'm really slow in keying in Chinese characters.

joyce ho 說...

下崗書友:

承蒙賞面,在此留言,討論甚麼都可以,不要留下色情廣告就可以了。快樂和不快樂的討論都可以亦莊亦諧。

又,姊妹們都是字狠心慈人靚聲甜,單看文字,希望沒有嚇怕你。