Chapter 94 ignorance

There is a passage in Milan Kundera's "Ignorance": "Everyone is wrong about the future. The only thing people can be sure of is the present moment. But is this statement true? Can people have the ability to judge the present? Of course not How can we argue about this present if we have no way of knowing which future it will lead us to? How can we say that this present deserves our approval, disbelief, or hatred?" Indeed, we are accustomed to using "logic" inferences to judge future "possible" situations, thinking that today's "cause" will inevitably lead to tomorrow's "effect". "But at the same time, the number of branches and counters is continuously reduced. In areas where online transactions are not popular, it stands to reason that the queues of people queuing up to the bank every day will become longer and longer, and the waiting time for "service" will be longer and longer. It will accumulate more and more; as long as competitors appear, these blind customers will overtake other branches, and, on other branches, they are looking forward to the closure of this big shop that deceives customers; the "reasoning about the future" "It's not bad to reach this level; but will this bank really go bankrupt because of "resentment"?Won't.It has made more money than other banks because it is smarter, meaner, self-interested than others, and it will live forever.

A city, in the same way, will constantly promote the scenic spots in the city to attract tourists; tourists have to take a taxi to visit the scenic spots. At this time, the question arises: Why do taxis prefer "auspicious cars" to drive to the docks and casinos, and then take a taxi? Two-hour wait for pick-up?Of course, they don't want guests to go to any attractions or shops, they hope to meet four or five male passengers, and they all want to go to the sauna or nightclub.Why?Because of carrying a carload of such "tourists", the driver can go home to have fun with his grandchildren, and rely on part-time pimps to support his life.Really, a large number of tourists, especially female customers, will complain and feel disgusted with this city if they cannot catch a taxi going to the brothel on the street.

The more attractions, the more tourists, and the imperfect supporting facilities, the greater the resentment; what kind of future will this city lead to? "Two great armies fought each other to the death for a holy cause; but it was a tiny black death bacteria that settled the warring parties." Kundera said.Will the "prosperity" of the city be destroyed by "tiny black taxis"?probably not.Decay, even if it is reasonable, is always unexpected; none of us can foresee the future, and the present belongs to the ignorant.