☆ 認識自我 Self Knowledge 是人生中最重要的知識之一
絕大部份我們從學校裡學到的知識都是「外向知識」
outer knowledge of the outer world,
「認識自我」屬於「知己」的「內向知識」,
inner knowledge of the inner world。
《「我」I 》
《自我批判、內省》(一)
《自我批判、內省》(二)
《自我批判、內省》(三)
《自我批判、自我教育》(一)
《自我批判、自我教育》(二)
☆ 道德判斷也是一種知識
The aim of education is the knowledge,
not of facts, but of values.
( William S. Burroughs )
大部份知識只不過是一件工具,既可為善,亦可為惡。
Knowledge without morality leads to exploitation.
凡是涉及人類社會的課題,道德判斷也是一種知識,
所以不懂得或放棄道德判斷的人是無知。
The saddest aspect of life right now is
that science gathers knowledge faster than
society gathers wisdom.
( Isaac Asimov )
Vanity of science.
Knowledge of physical science will not console me
for ignorance of morality in time of affliction,
but knowledge of morality will always console me
for ignorance of physical science.
( Blaise Pascal )
A little knowledge with a lot of confidence
is always dangerous.
Knowledge and physical power without wisdom
are even more dangerous.
( Jason Ling )
Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, and
knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful.
( Samuel Johnson )
☆ 「人以類聚」是一種「知己知彼」的知識
近朱者赤,近墨者黑,耳濡目染會日積月累,
所以我們應該非常謹慎選擇「密切往來的對象」,
如此就可以改變「人際環境」,提昇個人的價值,
因為「密切往來的對象」,
主宰了「人際環境」中最重要的部份,
從而主宰了我們的「成功」或者「成就」!
美國思想家和創業家 Napoleon Hill 認為
選擇朋友「應該和慎選吃下肚子的食物一樣嚴格」!
所以謹慎選擇同儕和朋友,無友不如己者,
懂得「和放棄人格的人割蓆」、「心裡上遠離愚昧的人」,
「慎防自私自利及袖手旁觀的人」,
及「和智慧的人同行」都是一些極為重要的「知彼」知識。
「與智慧人同行的,必得智慧;和愚昧人作伴的,必受虧損。」
《箴言 13:20》
「故君子居必擇鄉,遊必就士,所以防邪辟而近中正也。」
《勸學》(荀子)
「君子不重則不威,學則不固;
主忠信,無友不如己者,過則勿憚改。」
《論語。學而第一》
Wise men are hard to find,
easy for you to hate and then leave,
but impossible for similitudes to forget.
( Jason Ling )
西方文明對這一點有深刻的體會:
The object of life is not to be
on the side of the majority,
but to escape finding oneself
in the ranks of the insane.
( Marcus Aurelius )
Here we have the paradox,
the potentially tragic paradox,
that our relatedness to others
is an essential aspect of our being,
as is our separateness,
but any particular person is not
a necessary part of our being.
( R.D. Laing )
由於「人以類聚」,
道不同不相為謀,志不同不相為友,
所以無論是對追求智慧和堅持愚昧的人,
或者對不同種類的人來說,這句說話都是真理:
「成功的人際關係一定是由合得來、同樣智力,
同樣意識形態的人組成。」
追求智慧的人組成「智庫」,
堅持愚昧的人組成「愚樂圈」,
懶惰的人組成「吃喝玩樂黨」,合情合理。
一旦埋錯了堆,必然會有損失,
所以即使百般捨不得,也要學會「捨得」!
人種的是甚麼,收割的也是甚麼。
識英雄重英雄,識狗熊重狗熊,道理其實很簡單。
一旦從這個角度來看,
我們就明白下面這句和業力有關的說話,深具智慧:
Life is an echo.
What you send out comes back.
What you sow you reap.
What you give you get.
What you see in others exists in you,
perhaps in your past life.
Regardless of who you are or what you do,
if you are looking for the best way
to reap the most reward in your life,
you should bring out the good
in every person and in every situation.
That means you should try your best
to prevent people from doing evil things.
筆者認為「知己知彼」不在乎「百戰百勝」,
而在乎「明哲保心」,保守自己的心!