陈凯博客： www.kaichenblog.blogspot.com

你是个自由人吗？
Are You a Free Being?

“自由人”对抗“中国人”序列
"Free Beings" vs. "Chinese" Series

价值一语： Words of Value:

Whatever the place allotted us by providence that is for us the post of honor and duty. God estimates us not by the position we are in, but by the way in which we fill it. -- Tyron Edwards.

不论上苍在生命中给了我们什么样的荣誉与职责，他对我们的评价并不是那些头衔，而是我们用什么行动去给这些荣誉与职责赋予真实意义。 -- Tyron Edwards.

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By Kai Chen 陈凯 （Reprint 9/30/2011)

A small thing happened the other day, that is, small in America' every day life: My wireless router went out and the technician thought there is a defect in its software. He immediately sent a new router to me, and in two days as he promised, I received the router.

I always marvel about how much trust that exists in America, and how people takes their own individual responsibility seriously and honor their own commitments. I bet you have marvelled about these miracles all the time as I do: Whenever you pick up a pen to sign your personal signiture, there is a tremendous social trust involved and manifested in this small action. Have you thought about that?

Every day in America, I witness greatness of individuals, with their honesty, their integrity, their honor and trust of themselves as well as others... Just ordinary people, just small things..., there is so much greatness. When you order a pizza, have you wondered that people actually trust what you told them on phone is true?

Greatness manifested every day among ordinary people, not just some big shots, is what makes America great. Then you have to ask yourself: Are you measuring up to this greatness, as a free being?

It is exactly this greatness among the free beings with their responsibilities that are missing in China, and for that sake, in the most parts of the world. Americans' expect people to be individuals and to be free. Americans demand themselves as free beings with honor and responsibilities. Americans are saying that to the rest of the world:

"If I can do it， you can as well!" What an optimism! What an inspirition!

But the rest of the world often responds to America: "Don't demand so much from us. We are not you. We want your freedom and wealth and everything that is more advanced, but we don't want your freedom, especially those trust and responsibilities that comes with it. While we don't leave you alone, we want you to leave us alone."

What is missing here? What is wrong with this picture?

Freedom and responsibility is missing. Without individual freedom and responsibility is what is wrong here. It is just that simple.

Are you a free being, with joy and meaningful existence, with responsibility and trust?