Chapter 2 Chapter Two

Everyone knows what beauty is, and they are ugly, because knowing beauty is equivalent to knowing the difference between beauty and ugliness, so there will be things that praise beauty and derogate ugliness, causing disputes, exaggerating or shrinking, false and embellishing all kinds of beauty. In fact, it is not a beautiful weakness. If we all know what is good, then we are not good.Similarly, there are good and evil and countless subtle grade differences in between, there are promotion of good and evil, concealment of evil and promotion of good, or concealment of good (to opponents) and promotion of evil, so it is necessary to dispute, exaggerate or narrow, fake, and embellish this good. .And this is unwholesome.

Therefore, existence and non-existence, difficulty and ease, long and short, high and low, sound and sound, front and back, are all opposites complement each other, mutually inhibit each other, and exist by comparison, and no one can do without the concept of the other.It is impossible to have one without the other. Therefore, those who have the right way, those who have attained the way, do not do those vain things, and do not say those useless stupid words, empty words and lies.Don't fight hard and make things happen naturally, don't make a hoarse and exhausted, but let the education and nourishment be silent.Let all things develop and operate naturally, and don't overstep it.With creation and achievement, do not take it as your own.With action, do not rely on it to put on airs.With credit, it does not swell with pride.The more you don't compete and inflate, the more prestigious you will be.The more recognized achievements, the more they cannot be denied, obliterated, distorted, or covered up.

The second chapter of "Laozi" starts from the discussion of value issues, and the relativity of all concepts, and then enters into the proposition of the great proposition of inaction and non-speaking (hereinafter referred to as narcissism in speech), and develops to advocate a non-beginning concept. The spiritual realm of not having, not relying on, and not living, and thus achieving the successful result of "doing not to go". We all know that the judgment and pursuit of value is a fulcrum, a main driving force and cohesion of an individual, a group, a society, a country, a nation, and human civilization.Truth, goodness, beauty and fake, evil and ugliness, progress and retrogression, progress and backwardness, civilization and barbarism, prosperity and decline, virtue and evil, success and failure, health and disease, happiness and frustration, all of these have a value, value standard, and value judgment It plays a role in determining the direction and determining the start and end.Value is the ideal, the value is the soul, the value is the backbone, and the value is higher than life.The so-called Spring and Autumn Days, the so-called lofty ideals, the so-called progress of civilization, the so-called universal values, and the so-called ideology are all constructed and operated with value as the core.

The magic of Lao Tzu is that he saw the other side of things at such an ancient age.Value implies difference, and difference challenges ideals of wholeness and equality.Value creates disagreement, called value ambiguity.Values ​​will create paranoia, which is called value paranoia—for example, the concept of fame, integrity, loyalty and filial piety in Chinese feudal society.Value means value inflation and value exaggeration, such as voluntarism, continuous revolution theory and personality superstition in China's "Cultural Revolution".Value will also create value hegemony, and you must accept the value I believe, otherwise you will be forced.Value also creates value madness, such as terrorism.

Where there is value, there is anti-value.You think wealth is a value.I think wealth is a crime, poverty is the value, and three generations of poor peasants are the most glorious.You think it is human nature to seek beauty, and beauty is pursuit and dream.I think beauty is the extreme boredom and extravagance of the small and big bourgeoisie, and an excuse for the exploiting class to indulge in extravagance and oppress the proletariat.You believe that democracy and freedom are unquestionable universal values, and you are willing to fight for it.I think you are using this as an excuse to pursue hegemony and oil energy, to westernize and divide me, and to make me fall into the situation of a second-class country that is torn apart and beyond redemption.

If there is value, there will be false value, and there will be a display of value, making value an advertisement, a signboard, a technique to frighten or deceive people.There are those who falsely report their grades, those who speak big to deceive the world, those who put on a show, those who are hypocrites, those who are hypocritical, those who cater to the values ​​and needs of ordinary people, and those who are fake and shoddy. If there is value, there will be value disputes, as well as crowd differentiation, value competition, rankings, awards, and artificially created and artificially cultivated false models and false role models.Moreover, there are dissatisfaction, jealousy, plagiarism, posturing, cheating and cheating, and actions to meet certain value needs—unhealthy trends.For example, awards, ratings and professional titles are all good things, but they also have a dark side, such as secrets and scandals.

Where there is value, there are wars, such as religious wars, wars caused by different beliefs and ideologies, and ethnic wars caused by nationalism, nationalism, and even Nazism. In this way, Laozi's insights are advanced, but they are not without some futility, because it is impossible for human beings to return to the primitive ape society of ignorance, desire, and values. Lao Tzu's views are at least a reminder to examine values ​​objectively and avoid value paranoia, value hegemony, value madness, and value disputes within the possible range. From thinking about value to the relativity of everything.This is also a reminder.Where there is light there is darkness, where there is science there is superstition, where there is revolution there is counter-revolution, where there is progress there is retrogression, where there is happiness there is misery, where there is theism there is atheism.How to do it?There will never be a single victory, success, happiness, and light in the world. The medicine prescribed by Lao Tzu is to do nothing and not to speak.This prescription is too simple, because if there is no action, there will be action, and if there is no speech, there will be speech.Even everyone knows that when a fake is true, it is also a fake, and if there is nothing to do, there is nothing.

This prescription is also unmanageable because it is too thorough, or even completely excessive. Of course, in the era of unjust wars in the Spring and Autumn Period, in that era when you fought for each other, you killed me, you poked me, and you conspired against me, Lao Tzu emphasized more on doing nothing, not speaking, not beginning, not having, not relying on, and not living. , This is an ideal to rectify the current disadvantages, this is a thinker's utopian medicine and cold medicine. In fact, Lao Tzu has to bow to the reality. In this chapter, he concludes that "the husband only lives in the world, so he does not go."That is to say, only if you don't take credit for yourself, can your credit be recognized by everyone for a long time.Objectively speaking, this kind of statement is close to catching big fish with a long line, close to taking small losses to take advantage of big advantages, close to being wise and foolish, and close to the curve for oneself.In the eyes of some people, it seems to be advising the world, you should not boast, the more you boast, the less people will buy it; you have to be humble, and then you will have everything.Everything is there, this is so far people's sour reaction to the so-called successful people who are not convinced by themselves.

His words seem to appeal to those who are afraid that their achievements will be neglected and their pursuits will not achieve their goals.With Lao Tzu's great wisdom and superb realm, but he has to cater to people's selfish consideration of "doing not go", this can be regarded as an eagle sometimes flying as low as a chicken, right?As Lu Xun said. what else can we do?You have the right to pursue success, and Lao Tzu has the right to pursue the persuasion of his arguments.He also wants to succeed, and he wants to tell you that according to his method and wisdom, he can see things many steps earlier and things many feet deeper.Pursue long-term success with calmness and humility, at least not as cute and amiable as the kind of people who beg for nothing to confess themselves, brag about themselves, inflate themselves and hit others.

Lao Tzu has the right to consider the success or failure of himself and his followers. He thinks farther and wiser.Here I can use a saying I like to say: Wisdom is also a kind of beauty, but stupidity lacks beauty.