陈凯博客： www.kaichenblog.blogspot.com

警惕为他为公的无私之人
Beware of Altruists - Corrupt Souls

价值一语： Words of Value:

"Those who want to do things FOR you will always end up doing things TO you." --- Unknown

那些声称为你着想的人往往是最伤害你的人。 --- 无名者

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By Kai Chen 陈凯 （Reprint 9/30/2011)

When on a dinner table some Chinese hosts start putting some food with their chopsticks into your plate, or bowl, without asking you whether you like it or not, how do you feel? Grateful to him? Or disgusted with him?

Some say this is only a difference between Chinese culture and Western culture. I don't think so, for such behavior of imposing one's will onto another is a gross violation of the principle of respecting an individual's free will. Many grotesque things happen in China all in the name of Altruism, or selflessness, or publich-minded.... All such behaviors and cultural habits violate that fundamental principle of human liberty and free will -- the Supremecy of the Individual.

In the West and America, you will always ask others' permission before you do something that intrudes upon them, regardless how good your intention is. This is because there is always a guiding principle in America among human beings regarding their relationship with each other -- individual free will.

A country without principles guiding human behavior is a dangerous country, for anything can happen in the name of some lofty goals and simply, power by hierarchy based on some ascribed social status, or usurpation by guns.

Logically, when someone putting food on your plate without asking whether you like it or not, he basically assumes that he knows your tastes and interests better than you yourself, that he knows what is good for you. Does he really?

This seemingly small occurance in daily life reflects much deeper problems facing China today:

People simply don'g know what they want for themselves. They have to constantly look into others' eyes and "social trends" to know how to behave and think themselves. There is simply a complete lack of individual assertiveness and claim of legitimacy on individual initiatives, and (or) individual tastes and idiosyncrasy.

Those who claim to do things for others and public, if you dwell on it a little deeper, originate their motives not on others' and public interests, but really on a fear to be different from others, on a fear to stand alone. When they are doing things "for" you, they are really saying: "Don't leave me alone, be with me on this!" Cowardice should be the word to descrive such imposition of will onto others.

So beware of those who claim to do things for you or for "publich interests", or for "national interests", for they are the dangerous ones who don't have an iota of idea what they want for themselves, and they will hijack your interests and public interests and national interests, just to hide their own agendas (if they have any), or more correctly, just to hide their own fear.