我们追求的东西太多，多到眼花缭乱的地步。啥也不追求其实也是一种追求，就像静止状态是匀速直线运动的一个特例一样。人的追求和圣人的追求，还有神的追求应该是不一样的，圣人我不谈，神我也不谈，我只谈人。

  在中国有一个特定的人群，关于人类到底在追求什么，有一个观点他们都知道，甚至能背下来。哪个人群？出国留学人员。出国要考托福，学托福没有不看OG（官方指南）的。在官方指南的第二套试卷的听力真题里，有一道题是关于人类追求的。我把原文放在文章的最后，我只摘录一段汉语翻译：

  亚里士多德问：有没有什么东西是所有人都看重的……亚里士多德认为答案是肯定的。它是什么？幸福。他认为，每个人都会同意，幸福是最终目的……

  百度百科对幸福给了一个解释：幸福是指一个人自我价值得到满足而产生的喜悦，并希望一直保持现状的心理情绪。幸福划分为四个维度：满足、快乐、投入、意义。对于幸福的诠释涉及了哲学、心理学、社会学、经济学、文化学等多个学科。

  除了幸福，还有什么？自由。

  据统计，思想家对“自由”的定义有200多种，我不想取任何一种定义，我只取和我曾阅读过，认同过，并写在一篇诗评里的观点。

  在北大出版社出版的《文学是什么》里，有一段关于诗歌的阐述，大意是：

  诗歌这个东西是人类最早的文学形式，诗歌的产生是必然的，或者说诗歌是人类的一种生存方式。哲学家海德格尔说：“诗不只是此在的一种附带装饰，不只是一种短时的热情或一种激情和消遣，诗是历史的孕育基础。”海德格尔发现人的生存本质上是诗意的，人类不管在物质上取得了多么大的成就，还只是一种有限的世界，人类应该冲出这个有限的世界，达于无限。无限就是对有限超越中的一种自由状态，而这种自由只能存在于精神世界。

  海德格尔对诗作了深刻的阐释，他用的不是哲学的表述，他用的是诗人荷尔德林的一句诗：

  充满劳绩，

  但仍诗意地，

  栖居在这片大地上。

 想起前些年闹的沸沸扬扬的高晓松的一句歌词：“生活不止眼前的苟且，还有诗和远方的田野。”高晓松怎么也没想到会遭到那么多的批评，因为他认为那是一个常识：这句话是他妈妈说的，他从小就是在这样的环境长大的。

  在《高晓松184天监狱生活实录：人生还有诗和远方》里，高晓松是这么写的：“我妈说生活不只是眼前的苟且，还有诗和远方。我和我妹妹深受这教育。谁要觉得你眼前这点儿苟且就是你的人生，那你这一生就完了。生活就是适合远方，能走多远走多远；走不远，一分钱没有，那么就读诗，诗就是你坐在这，它就是远方。越是年长，越能体会我妈的话。我不入流，这不要紧。我每一天开心，这才是重要的。”  

  监狱是让你的身体失去了自由的一个地方，具有魔幻色彩。曾经有一位作家怎么提高都提高不上去，他就去请教一位大作家。大作家告诉他，你和伟大只差一次牢狱之灾。经过疫情的洗礼，很多人都体会到被长时间隔离的滋味，有些事应该可以理解。

  想起另外一个很普遍、很受欢迎的词，成功。

   成功出现在很多的地方。传销现场，“讲师”在台上高喊：“你们想成功吗？想不想？”底下一众人等嗷嗷地高喊：“想！”现场马上响起来准备好的背景音乐，好一点的场子，还有灯光师瞬间制造出欢乐的氛围，就像中国男子足球队夺得世界杯一样，全场一片欢腾。

  王朔在接受记者采访的时候谈到他对女儿的教育，他说：“我希望她快快乐乐过完一生，我不要她成功。我最恨这词儿了。什么成功，不就挣点钱，被SB们知道吗？！”

  快快乐乐是什么？就是幸福，就是亚里士多德说的人类追求的目标。王朔的女儿毕业于哪个大学？加州大学伯克利分校。伯克利，2020年U.S. News世界大学排名第4位、世界大学学术排名第5位。就教育本身来说，伯克利毕业算成功还是不算成功呢？

  说起成功，还要提及一个人，曾经的打工皇帝唐骏。他在被揭穿文凭造假之后，很多人为他鸣不平，认为他是成功的。成功不成功，不是看文凭，而是看业绩。支持他的人不少，估计都在文凭那吃过瘪。

  怎么解释这个事呢？看成功的定义吧。其实成功的定义里是包含一个前提的，那就是在不侵犯别人的合法利益的前提下，吧啦吧啦吧啦....文凭作假已经侵犯了别人的合法利益，至少侵犯了股东的利益。前提都没有，你跟我谈的哪门子成功呢？佛魔一念间，如果只看神通，那么魔比佛成功。佛陀在讲法的时候都知道会有一个末法时代，那时候魔的弟子远多于佛的弟子。其实什么时候都是魔的弟子众多，即使佛陀在世的时候也一样。

  我记得很多年前，有一个很大的企业，董事长乐于带着高管们去听各种讲座。听了半天，也没听出个好来。大家知道，商业领域“大师”多，“理论”多，讲座多，听众多，听完屁用没有的也最多。董事长觉得，可能钱没花够，便宜没好货。就找到华人世界里最贵的讲座，还得预约，还得出国，总之，历尽千辛万苦，带着一干人等去听了。

  承蒙瞧得起，我收到听这个课程的人发给我的第一节课的录音，他问我怎么看？我听了二十分钟。我说：这个人玩了一个小花招，他在开始的时候用了一个概念，他故意不解释这个概念，你们也以为你们很清楚这个概念，不需要解释。从这个概念开始，这位大师就开始论证了。整个论证过程的逻辑极为缜密，毫无破绽。这是高级骗术，你们识别不了。

   举个例子，讲解一下这类骗术。我问你：“你想成功吗？”你不会问：“成功应该咋定义啊？”你会脱口而出：“想啊！”我再接着问：“你是不是觉得你的上司无能又占着高位呢？”所有人都觉得他的顶头上司无能，这是人性，你当然会说：“是啊！”再问：“你是不是觉得你其实很优秀，你只是缺一个机会呢？”你说对啊...

  其实，成功这个概念，没有它，反而更能看清楚问题。把“成功”从你的大脑里清除掉，它是别人对你评价，而你做为主体是不能使用这个概念的。用什么概念呢？用“完成”，你设定了一个目标或者过程，你完成了，或者没完成，就这么简单。

  我们一般会使用两种导向，一种是以目标为导向，一种是以过程为导向。第一种，先确定目标，然后倒着推回去，看我该咋做。你的目标是上清华，你告诉我，电脑游戏你放不下，懒觉要睡够，上课不注意听讲，作业打算抄，...你告诉我，你这是上清华吗？你这是拿清华开玩笑呢。第二种，我不管目标，有可能是我确定不了、看不清楚，也有可能是我不想限制自己，那我就盯着过程。这两种方法，一般来说是交替使用的。一段时间用这个，一段时间用那个。抬头看路、埋头拉车；仰望星空、脚踏实地...

  总之，不管你怎么生活，生活再怎么多种多样，你都逃不开对哲学问题的回答，除非你暴死，想的机会都不给你。有句老话叫：“人之将死其言也善”，为什么会善？因为他在生命的最后一刻被迫回答哲学问题。只是他的儿女正在琢磨着怎么分遗产，没人听他讲那些形而上学的话。

  趁着你还年轻，趁着瘟疫出不了门，趁着经济不好没有挣大钱的机会，有些最简单、最基础的概念可以思考一下，你将受益终生。

  我可能说的没啥水平，但是我说的都是大实话。我不骗人，欺骗是最大的罪恶，不管它打着什么旗号（医生除外）。

  我要吃早饭去了。

  2020年6月6日写于广汉

附录：托福听力题原文：

Narrator:

  Listen to part of a lecture in a philosophy class.

FEMALE PROFESSOR:

  OK. Another ancient Greek philosopher we need to discuss is Aristotle–Aristotle's ethical theory. What Aristotle's ethical theory is all about is this: he's trying to show you how to be happy–what true happiness is.

  Now, why is he interested in human happiness? It's not just because it's something that all people want or aim for. It's more than that. But to get there we need to first make a very important distinction.Let me introduce a couple of technical terms: extrinsic value and intrinsic value.

  To understand Aristotle's interest in happiness, you need to understand this distinction.

  Some things we aim for and value, not for themselves but for what they bring about … in addition to themselves. If I value something as a means to something else, then it has what we will call "extrinsic value." Other things we desire and hold to be valuable for themselves alone. If we value something not as a means to something else, but for its own sake, let us say that it has "intrinsic value."

  Exercise. There may be some people who value exercise for itself, but I don't. I value exercise because if I exercise, I tend to stay healthier than I would if I didn't. So I desire to engage in exercise and I value exercise extrinsically...not for its own sake, but as a means to something beyond it. It brings me good health.

  Health. Why do I value good health? Well, here it gets a little more complicated for me. Um, health is important for me because I can't...do other things I want to do–play music, teach philosophy–if I'm ill. So health is important to me–has value to me–as a means to a productive life. But health is also important to me because I just kind of like to be healthy–it feels good. It's pleasant to be healthy, unpleasant not to be. So to some degree I value health both for itself and as a means to something else: productivity. It's got extrinsic and intrinsic value for me.

  Then there's some things that are just valued for themselves. I'm a musician, not a professional musician; I just play a musical instrument for fun. Why do I value playing music? Well, like most amateur musicians, I only play because, well, I just enjoy it. It's something that's an end in itself.

  Now,something else I value is teaching. Why? Well, it brings in a modest income, but I could make more money doing other things. I'd do it even if they didn't pay me. I just enjoy teaching. In that sense it's an end to itself.

  But teaching's not something that has intrinsic value for all people–and that's true generally.Most things that are enjoyed in and of themselves vary from person to person. Some people value teaching intrinsically, but others don't.

  So how does all this relate to human happiness? Well, Aristotle asks: is there something that all human beings value...and value only intrinsically, for its own sake and only for its own sake?If you could find such a thing, that would be the universal final good, or truly the ultimate purpose or goal for all human beings. Aristotle thought the answer was yes. What is it? Happiness. Everyone will agree, he argues, that happiness is the ultimate end...to be valued for itself and really only for itself. For what other purpose is there in being happy? What does it yield.The attainment of happiness becomes the ultimate or highest good for Aristotle.

  The next question that Aristotle raises is: what is happiness? We all want it; we all desire it; we all seek it. It's the goal we have in life. But what is it? How do we find it? Here he notes, with some frustration, people disagree.

  But he does give us a couple of criteria, or features, to keep in mind as we look for what true human happiness is.True human happiness should be, as he puts it, complete.Complete in that it's all we require. Well, true human happiness...if you had that, what else do you need? Nothing.

  And, second, true happiness should be something that I can obtain on my own. I shouldn't have to rely on other people for it.Many people value fame and seek fame. Fame for them becomes the goal. But, according to Aristotle, this won't work either, because fame depends altogether too much on other people.I can't get it on my own, without help from other people.

  In the end, Aristotle says that true happiness is the exercise of reason–a life of intellectual contemplation...of thinking. So let's see how he comes to that.