WHAT DOES HUMAN LIFE ULTIMATELY PURSUE?
Two stories, two different circumstances, but the same answer to the same question: What does a person’s whole life ultimately pursue?
STORY ONE
In a small English town, there is a guy who makes a living by busking in the streets.
In the same area, there was a Chinese girl, who left her family to work as a hire.
The two often go to a small restaurant to eat.
After many meetings they became close.
One day, the Chinese girl said to the young man, “Stop busking, do a job. I introduced him to China to teach. There, you can absolutely make more money than your current job.”
The young man finished listening, at first a little surprised, then asked again: “Is my current job not a career? I love this profession, it gives me and others joy. What’s not good? What do I need to go away, throw away my relatives, throw away my family, go to work that I don’t like?”
In England, whether they are old people or small children, they are surprised, they do not understand why, just to earn a little more money, they have to throw away their loved ones, give up happiness.
What’s so worthwhile?
In their eyes, families reunited, peace and peace, that’s the happiest.
Everyone in this small town felt that this girl was too pitiful.
SECOND STORY
An American trader sits on the pier of a small fishing village on the Mexican coast, watching a Mexican fisherman paddle a small boat to dock. On the small boat there were several Rhubarb fish tails and Tuna fins. This American trader praised the Mexican fisherman who caught such a high-value fish.
He asked the fisherman, “How long did it take you to catch those fish?”
The Mexican fisherman replied, “Just a moment to catch it.”
The merchant asked, “Why don’t you linger a little longer to catch more fish?”
The Mexican fisherman felt no need to do so and said, “This fish is enough for my family to use.”
The American businessman asked, “So there is a lot of time in your day, what do you do?”
The Mexican fisherman explained: “Me? I slept every day until I stopped being sleepy before I woke up, went to the sea to catch some fish. Then go home to play with the children, then take a nap with his wife. At dusk, with the brothers drinking some wine, playing guitar. My life went extremely well.”
The American businessman thought it was not good, and he thought of a plan to help the fisherman.
He said: “I am an MBA from Harvard University. I can keep you busier, spend more time fishing every day. By then he would have the money to buy a slightly bigger boat. Of course he would catch more fish, he would buy an even bigger boat. Then you can get a whole fleet of fishing boats.”
He continued, “At that point you don’t need to sell the fish to the fish trader, but directly to the fish processing facility. Then he was able to open a canning processing factory. Thus, he can control the entire process of production, processing, consumption. He was then able to abandon this small fishing village, move to Mexico, move again to Los Angeles, finally to New York. There, your business will constantly grow and expand.”
The Mexican fisherman asked, “How much time does this take?”
The American trader replied, “15 to 20 years.”
The Mexican fisherman asked, “What about then?”
The American merchant laughed and said, “Then you can stay at home as Emperor. The right time, he can put the stock on the market. Sell shares of his Company to the people. By then you’ll be rich. You can have a few billion, a few billion dollars in profits.”
“What next?”
The American said: “Until then you can retire. He can get to the coast of the small fishing village that he lives in. Every day sleep until waking up, go to the beach to catch some fish, play with the children, and take a nap with his wife. At dusk, join the brothers in the village for a drink and play guitar.”
The Mexican fisherman said suspiciously, “Am I not really like that right now?”
Harmonious families, peaceful lives, isn’t that already a kind of success and happiness?