有堅持正面思維的西方人認為，
人只要記著面對陽光，就不會看見自己的影子。
換言之，就是採用似是而非的「正面思維」，
只著眼於從外界吸取正能量，不必處理個人內心的負能量。
修行真的是這樣容易嗎？
Good people are not those who lack flaws,
the brave are not those who feel no fear,
and the generous are not those who never
feel selfish. Extraordinary people are not
extraordinary because they are invulnerable
to unconscious biases. They are extraordinary
because they choose to do something about it.
( Shankar Vedantam )
It is the highest form of self-respect to admit our
errors and mistakes and make amends for them.
To make a mistake is only an error in judgment,
but to adhere to it when it is discovered shows
infirmity of character.
( Dale Turner )
不識廬山真面目，只緣身在此山中，
自我批判，就是離開廬山，站住遠處的高地再看廬山；
自我批判，就是既面對陽光，亦審視自己的影子；
自我批判，就好像佛教中的「覺悟」和「覺醒」。
我們可以這樣說：
「自我批判、戰勝自己」是行上「愛智」這條路的第三階段。
當一個人決志不斷地自我批判，
就好像將陽光放置在頭頂之上，盡可能減少自己的影子。
我們每一個人的身上，
都帶著很多來自父系、母系、祖父母，
甚至外祖父母的性格和情緒特徵，
有一些是我們應該珍惜，並且可以發揚光大的，
有一些是我們應該努力去捨棄的，
自我批判，當然包括這方面的反思。
Your soul (mind) is oftentimes a battleground,
upon which your reason and judgment wage war
against your passion and your appetite.
( Khalil Gibran )
百尺竿頭，更進一步。
自我批判，目的是看清自我，嚴厲地觀照自己的內心，
包括反省個人的成見、欺瞞的行為、恐懼、懦弱、驕傲、無知、
故作謙虛、不必要的虛偽、自私、卑鄙、暴力、陷人於不義 ……
等等屬於心靈上的軟弱和醜陋的現象，
作出真摰的懺悔，並要求自己改過。
用西方語言來說，即是
opening the “black box” of the mind，
並且勇於面對痛苦的真相
depressing revelations of truth.
中國儒家的傳統一向稱之為內省：
「見賢思齊，見不賢而內省。」《論語。里仁》
「內省不疚夫何憂何懼？」《論語。憲問》
因為孔子明白見到賢者的成就，固然可以給予我們教益，
見到不賢者的性格上的缺憾或者愚昧者行為的錯失，
都能夠給予我們教益，刺激我們去思考一下：
缺憾和錯失，到底是性格問題，運氣問題，人際關係問題，
思考能力問題，行動能力問題，早期教育問題，
抑或是由於幾種因素結合而產生的結果。
Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.
( Aristotle )
不懂得自我批判和內省的人，
就好像一位不知道自己置身在舞台上的愚昧者，
在舞台上展示個人的主觀、自負、偏見、成功，
誤以為自己只不過是台下的觀眾，觀看著別人的表演。
至於常常進行自我批判和內省的愛智者，
最怕就是自我批判不夠徹底！
The Truth shall set ye free,
but first it shall make ye miserable.
( Soren Kierkegaard )
Never be afraid to fall apart because
it is an opportunity to rebuild yourself
the way you wish you had been all along.
( Rae Smith )
To be fully alive, fully human, and
completely awake is to be continually
thrown out of the nest. To live fully
is to be always in no-man’s-land,
to experience each moment as completely
new and fresh. To live is to be willing
to die over and over again.
( Pema Chodron )
中國文化中的黃粱夢醒，就是西方人所說的覺醒！
一個覺醒的人開始明白追求「道/真理/智慧」的重要，
開始將「真和誠」視為生命中的「信仰」faith，
領悟到一個人必須對自己的人生負責，
最後鼓起勇氣重新開始檢視自己的思考！
所以追求智慧變成了一個去蕪存菁的破壞過程，
有如腦的大掃除，將腦裡的陳年廢物排出。
Just as we must clean, order, and maintain
our homes to move forward with anything;
we need to do the same with our minds.
( Sharon Lebell )
Enlightenment is a destructive process.
It has nothing to do with becoming better
or being happier. Enlightenment is
the crumbling away of untruth.
It’s seeing through the facade of pretence.
It’s the complete eradication of everything
we imagined to be true.
( Adyashanti )
覺醒之後又再放棄的人。往往是因為沒有勇氣，
害怕為自己的生命承擔責任。
Enlightenment means taking full responsibility
for your life.
( William Blake )
放棄覺醒的人就喪失了獨立思考能力。
Responsibility to yourself means refusing
to let others do your thinking, talking, and
naming for you; it means learning to respect
and use your own brains and instincts;
hence, grappling with hard work.
( Adrienne Rich )
試舉幾個西方人自我批判和反思的例子：
Why is it that we rejoice at a birth
and grieve at a funeral？
It is because we are not the person involved.
( Mark Twain )
對人類環境保護的反思和自嘲：
We’re so self-important. So arrogant.
Everybody’s going to save something now.
Save the trees, save the bees, save the whales,
save the snails. And the supreme arrogance？
Save the planet！ Are these people kidding？
Save the planet？ We don’t even know how to
take care of ourselves; we haven’t learned
how to care for one another. We’re gonna
save the fuckin’ planet？ And, by the way,
there’s nothing wrong with the planet in the
first place. The planet is fine. The people are
fucked！ Compared with the people, the planet
is doin’ great. It’s been here over four billion
years. The planet isn’t goin’ anywhere, folks.
We are！ We’re goin’ away. Pack your shit,
we’re goin’ away. And we won’t leave
much of a trace. Thank God for that.
Nothing left. Maybe a little Styrofoam.
The planet will be here, and we’ll be gone.
Another failed mutation,
another closed-end biological mistake.
( George Carlin )
對人類虛偽和詭詐的反思和自嘲：
Man is the only animal that can remain
on friendly terms with the victim
he intends to eat until he eats them.
( Samuel Butler )
對人類矛盾性格的反思和自嘲：
I don’t want any yes-men around me.
I want everybody to tell me the truth
even if it costs them their jobs.
( Samuel Goldwyn )
對人類競爭的反思和自嘲：
The trouble with the rat race is that
even if you win, you’re still a rat.
( Lily Tomlin )
對懶惰的反思和自嘲：
There is no pleasure in having nothing to do;
the fun is having lots to do and not doing it.
( John W. Raper )
It is impossible to enjoy idling unless
there is plenty of work to do.
( Jerome K. Jerome )
Hard work never killed anybody,
but why take a chance？
( Edgar John Bergen via Charlie McCarthy )
我們要思考為何追求智慧的人喜歡自我批判，
喜歡內省，甚至「吾日三省吾身」，
除了因為「我」是最重要的思考工具之外，
還因為追求智慧的人喜歡智慧布施，
而智慧布施者最怕就是誤人子弟，
所以一定會不斷修訂自己的思想和文章！
Remember the light is always inside of you
unless you cover it up. But if you feed it,
it will grow and lead you on your path.
最後，我們會發現大約有五類人需要晝夜思想，
需要培養內省的習慣和需要培養自我批判的習慣：
1. 真哲學家。
2. 真科學家。
3. 從事教育工作的人。
4. 任何宗教的真教徒。
5. 矢志不移地追求「道/真理/智慧」的人。