榕城老應
用調侃去書寫思考，以故事來敘述理論。
榕城老應
朋友寄來一個“漁夫與商人”的故事。
一個投資商人到了海濱，看到一漁夫高臥船頭舒適地在曬太陽。商人問：“哥們，這麽好的天氣為什麽不出海捕魚？”
漁夫說：“我已經釣到兩條大魚，夠我們一家今天吃的了。”
商人說：“老兄，你太缺乏進取心了。趁天氣好多捕一些魚，賣掉累積起來就是你的第一桶金，加上貸款可以買一條更大的漁船。”
“然後呢？”
“然後你可以捕更多的魚，攢更多的錢。”
“那又怎麽樣？”
“然後你可以雇人來捕魚，每天在這裏曬太陽。”
漁夫笑道：“我現在就是這樣了，為什麽還要繞這麽一大圈子的辛苦，還不知道以後怎麽樣。”
這個“漁夫與商人”是犬儒哲學（Cynicism）的經典故事，都是從古希臘西諾普的狄奧根尼的故事引申出來的，歸結成不同的訴求。
犬儒哲學主張清心寡欲，隨遇而安，鄙棄俗世的榮華富貴，要回歸自然。這一點跟中國老莊差不多。據說狄奧根尼就住在一個埋死人用的甕裏，以討飯為生。有人譏笑他活得象條狗，他卻不惱。“犬儒”之稱便由此而來。有段故事很有名，一天，亞曆山大大帝親臨探望這位著名的哲人，他正躺在地上曬太陽的。問他想要什麽賞賜，狄奧根尼回答說：“謝謝，就請你別擋住我的陽光。” 這就有點魏晉名士的風範了。
早期的犬儒哲學比較憤世嫉俗，後期則是玩世不恭，否定一切內在價值。這個漁夫與商人的故事在犬儒哲學中，隻是用來說明不必過於追求物質財富，勸導隨遇而安的自在。後人引述這個故事卻是想來說明不同的問題。投資管理和職業訓練部門，用這個案例來解說投資商引導失敗所缺失的要點。經過他們消化之後，編出來的後續故事便是這樣：
十年之後，商人又到海濱再遇漁夫。商人邀他出海釣魚，隻見海天一色，風和日麗，不多久漁夫便釣到兩條魚，商人仍無所得。漁夫笑道：“你不是幹這活的，何苦還來釣魚，我分你一條得了。”
商人道：“我這十年掙了盆滿缽溢，出來釣魚是怡情，有沒有魚倒無所謂。不像你十年了，仍然要以此謀生，這是眼界決定格局。”
富於思索的人便有些不平了，他們又加上一個後續故事。
又過了十年，滿腹心事的商人又在海濱遇上漁夫。大家都有些滄桑。漁夫問商人現在過得怎樣。商人回說：“生意是越做越大，有了兩個公司，離了兩次婚，現在幾個老婆孩子爭家產，十分頭疼。” 問漁夫過的怎麽樣？
漁夫說：“還是那樣，日子過得平和。不過近來屋頂漏了，還沒有錢修，希望最近不要下雨。”
所以說，性格決定命運，各有各的快樂，各有各的苦惱。
人生掙紮，經過千辛萬苦不過返回原點再找回曾經放棄的，仍然不能擺脫苦腦。這個故事的思考有時被推往極致，用來強調俗世追求的無謂，勸導宗教的信仰。其實在這“萬事皆空”的方麵佛教講得最多，故事詩詞也俯拾皆是，比如紅樓夢的《好了歌》就把名利情親一筆掃倒。
世人都曉神仙好，惟有功名忘不了。古今將相在何方？荒塚一堆草沒了！
世人都曉神仙好，隻有金銀忘不了。終朝隻恨聚無多，及到多時眼閉了！
世人都曉神仙好，隻有姣妻忘不了。君生日日說恩情，君死又隨人去了！
世人都曉神仙好，隻有兒孫忘不了。癡心父母古來多，孝順兒孫誰見了？
這類的立論是基於人生目的論。無限的欲望在有限的人生中終將落空，這個追求最後也就變成無謂的了。宗教的回答是人生迷茫，要追求身後的永恒。犬儒哲學說是追求和執著都是無謂，且享受當下。奮鬥的哲學則說，人生需要一個夢想，盡管這就像綁在驢子前麵的胡蘿卜，也許永遠夠不著。但享受追求的過程和每一次努力收獲的喜悅，叫著“人生在路中”。
在浩茫的世界中個人不過一粒微塵，曆史的長河中人生隻是一閃微芒。從進化的角度來看，這繁忙在世界中的渺小生命，不外乎為了更好生存，在拚命地適應環境，掙紮在方向不定的無常變動中。每一個生命都繼承了前輩流傳下來的基因來決定自己的形態行為，也在自己的生命行程中為後人留下自己適應環境的基因。經過自然選擇幸存下來的基因都有其適合的價值。這故事的不同回答都是前人留下閃耀著思想光輝的文化基因。
Whatever cynicism means, this story has some other implications as well. If the fisherman had taken the same life, he would have been a rival against the businessman, and the latter would have spent more years before he finally was able to enjoy fishing as a leasure, and there might not have enough species left for such leisure for either one, and they might have tried to kill one another. In reality, when China was kind of cynical agains Capitalism, US treated China as a rival. Now China is turning more capitalistic than US, but the two countries are still rivals. Many Americans probably still wish that Chian were what She was in the past rather what she is now becoming.
上麵的故事卻有更深的反思。原來的故事在於提示人們在追求更好的生活時往往放棄犧牲了很多東西，諸如健康，親情，自由，到了後來卻要花更大代價來贖回，苦苦追尋不過回到原點。
投資管理的後續在於說明雖然貌似回到原點，其實是不同的境界。
再續的故事說明無論到了什麽境界，都無可擺脫苦惱。
這是人人要麵對思考的scenarios。
another 10 years have passed.
-businessman: his company went bankrupt, his wives and kids are trying to get his money, his company bonds became worthless.. his girlfriend left him. he is now all alone, and miserable. he is about to take his own life by jumping off his high rise luxurious condo..because all his fortune is gone..
-fisherman: he got injuried in one of his fishing adventures.. and he is older now. he can't go out to the sea to do more fishing.. he can only move around in his house, although his wife and kids are kind to him, but they are not doing well.. his roof is leaking worse.. and he had to refiance his home for home equity loan to fix the roof.. then the bank threaten to take his home...
ideal scenarios:
-business: keep only one company and one wife.. doing well, retire well.. and enjoy fishing everyday after he retires..
-fisherman: work a little harder, invest some of his money wisely, and retire.. no more leaking roof, no more fishing.. he paid off his house in full and got a little left over. he lives with his wife and kids and enjoys occasional fishing as a hobby.
i guess the key is to know yourself, the strength and the weakness, and to learn to pursue limited things in limited life time..
any better scenarios?