Asking Right and Wrong before Defining Success and Failure
Everyone has his or her own sense of right and wrong and acts in accordance with it. However, we found that in real life, seldom does a man ask, "Why?", "Is it right?" or, "Should I do it or not?" On the contrary, if a man becomes too serious, his colleagues will make fun of him and his boss will give him the cold shoulder.
There are probably two reasons why people hesitate to ask right and wrong. First, people innately think "right and wrong" must be determined by leaders, predecessors, organizations or even nations. Second, when a man becomes suspicious of something and tries to ask "right and wrong," he ends up realizing the answer is often too complicated and troublesome. As a result, the man becomes complacent.
Since "right and wrong" is an issue that is usually asked by those in power, the common man often only works at "success and failure." In China, there's a saying that goes, "Winner takes all, loser stands small." There is an equivalent Western proverb: "History is written by the victor." The meaning is the same: If you want to talk about right and wrong, you must be qualified first.
But that's not right. Once common people hesitate to ask right and wrong, they may be temporarily "safe," but the human race edges a little closer towards danger.
Why is that? First, the criteria of yesterday will eventually become outdated regardless of whether they were correct at one time. The beauty of China is probably the sorrow of America. As time passes, the criteria for right and wrong, beauty and ugliness, shift. And the shift is inevitable for the advancement of humankind. Second, arrogant winners and selfish sages distort the criteria that are supposed to serve public interest, overall interest and future interest, and the distortions will worsen if no one bothers to ask why. Third, man is adept at imitating. If more and more "successful" people who obtain success on the basis of distorted criteria fail to ask right or wrong, their followers will do the same, thus exposing the world to potentially harmful consequences. Fourth, as the ruling species on Earth, man never stops developing tools to fight one another. Unchecked, today's science can bring destruction upon the world. In this context, if our most important "software design" - the sense of right and wrong- malfunctions, the world will become full of "nuclear buttons" set to detonate. At that time, the self-destruction of humanity will no longer be a possibility but an inevitability. Without the existence of man, ants and mice would live freely for hundreds of thousands of years. With the existence of man, the world has become exposed to the great danger of sustainability after only a thousand years'worth of advanced civilization. Is man lord and master of his dominion or chief criminal on Earth?
That's why I am always thankful for the sweeping financial crisis, which has slowed our mad dash to the cliff's edge. The crisis forced the aircraft of Man to land, and now we have the chance to change the engine and avoid a fatal crash.
Let us slow down and wait for our souls. Let us not lose our direction on a pair of ever-stronger wings.
The far-sighted statesmen of China raised the idea of "scientific development" and "harmonious society" several years ago. The newly elected American president, Barack Obama, swore to ignite new hope for man by returning America onto the right track.
People laugh at hopes, dreams and blueprints because they are invisible and ineffable, just as "asking right and wrong before defining success and failure" will most likely be jeered by successful men.
May people respond to those sneers and jeers with noble laughter because the purpose of asking right and wrong before defining success and failure is to pursue greater success and to make sure those who can tell right from wrong finally succeed.
Somebody may wonder how one asks "right and wrong" without a clear and unified standard. You must have heard that "there is a scale in everyone's heart" and "the public will tell right from wrong." As long as we have courage, three questions will always help us tell right from wrong. Will it hurt others? Will it harm our environment? Will it endanger future generations?
"Asking right and wrong before defining success and failure" is for the sake of the world's safety and health, for man's dignity and honor. It's time we did it.
