Lin Zhao 林昭

陈凯博客： www.kaichenblog.blogspot.com

实践你自己的原则信念
Walk the Walk, Not Just Talk the Talk

价值一语： Words of Value:

If you can't walk the walk, don't talk the talk. --- Unknown

如果你不能实践你所信仰的原则，你最好也不要宣扬这些原则。 --- 无名者


The principles now implanted in thy bosom will grow, and one day reach maturity; and in that maturity thou wilt find thy heaven or thy hell. --- David Thomas

你所立下的那些原则信念会在你胸中成长。 有一天它们会成熟。 在它们成熟的那一天你会发现你要么是在天堂，要么是在地狱。 --- David Thomas

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By Kai Chen 陈凯 （Reprint 10/2/2011)

In my association with many of my peers, be they Chinese or not, seldom do I find real persons who practice what they preach. Once I have found someone who does, I will treasure them as I treasure the rarest gems, for they are real existences, not fake ones.

Especially in my encountering with people from China, even they love my ideas and ideals of freedom, happiness and existence, having suffered much in their lives in China, seldom have I found anyone who will practice these principles of freedom, living in reality and pursuing truth. They simply fall in love with the ideas of being free and happy, but they did nothing, are doing nothing and will do nothing to be free and happy. They remain in their miserable shells manufactured and fortified by their Chinese ancestors through thousands of years, they remain larva in their cocoons, unable to develop into butterflies flying away.

Many of these Chinese mainlanders resent what the communist regime did to China and to themselves. But they are so afraid of offending the communists and refusing to do something to rid the evil regime. Many or them have suffered political discrimination and gender discrimination in China, yet when they come to America, they display the same ignorance and stupidity toward people of other races and ethnicities. They put down others not because they are bad people, but simply because they are different. They lick boots of the powerful, and humiliate the powerless. They want to be free from tyranny, but they don't allow the Taiwanese people to determine their own future. They seem to enjoy life in America, but when there is conflict between America and China, they would rather side with Chinese government which they hate so much. They hate the power abuse in China, yet they refuse to use their brain and rationality to analyze particular cases to render judgment in daily lives. They'd rather resort to power itself and abuse others. "Virgin whore" is the term I use to describe them. I can't distinguish them from the communist officials once they have power.

Sometimes I wonder why they are only fascinated and in love with the ideas of being free and happy, yet reluctant to do anything themselves to be free and happy. There are some scienarios I can contemplate: One is that they are not willing to practice the principles of freedom. Another is they don't have guts to practice them. Still another is that they are unable to practice them, due to the language and previous castration of their mental and spiritual faculties, by the Chinese culture, society and themselves. None of them is good. And I don't think anyone else can practice these principles for them but themselves.

The principles of individuality, freedom, humanity, rationality, etc., have to be practiced in one's daily life in order for them to be meaningful. When you deal with your peers, are you treating them with respect and judge them not by their age, gender, race, ethnicity, class, but by the content of their characters? When you deal with your family, your parents and children, are you treating them with the same principle of respect, privacy, reason and love? When you face obstacles in life, do you have the courage to do something to overcome them, or do you just make excuses to evade your individual responsiblities? When you deal with your customers, bosses, subordinates, clients.., do you treat them with fairness and justice? When you have an accident, do you deal with it rationally with reason, not just emotions? When you have achieved something, do you feel guilty that others have not achieved the same? Or do you feel arrogant toward others because you feel superior? Or do you feel proud and use your achievement to inspire others? When you fail to achieve something, do you feel defeated, and give up, or do you feel more motivated to overcome obstacles by learning from the failures? When you are disappointed with something in life, do you let them put you down, or do you have the resolve to do something to improve your current situations? Are you a complainer? Or are you a fighter and an inspirer?

I will love to be in the company with those who not only talk the talk, but walk the walk, for I yearn and practice to be one. Are you willing, able and courageous enough to do the same?