Mr. Mo Yan, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature, once said in his representative work "Frog": "When a bowl of water is uneven, only by sacrificing the kindest can the wind and waves be calm." Once the good person is unwilling to sacrifice any more, he will be labeled as a destroyer of peace. ”
In this bloated world, justice and humanity are often challenged. We often say that "good is rewarded with good, and evil is rewarded with evil", but the reality does not always seem to be this way.
When the weight of injustice comes, the purest kindness can be lost, and the most innocent people are often forced to make sacrifices.
This price sometimes even makes people question, is kindness worth persevering?
Kindness is a word that carries positive connotations in all cultures and contexts. It represents selflessness, generosity, compassion, and gentleness, and is one of the most respectable and appreciative traits of human nature.
The power of kindness is enormous, it can cross the gap between people, ease conflicts, repair relationships, and promote social harmony and progress.
Acts of kindness, such as helping others, dealing fairly, and being honest and trustworthy, build the foundation of trust in interpersonal relationships and form a stable and harmonious social structure.
However, kindness is not omnipotent, and in real life, kindness is often overlooked, and kind people may be seen as vulnerable objects.
In a competitive environment, those who follow the principles of honesty and fairness may suffer losses or be excluded in the short term.
Kindness can also sometimes be abused because of a lack of boundaries. Good people may be too concerned about the needs of others and neglect their own rights, leading to more personal sacrifices than are reasonable.
In this case, kindness becomes a burden and may even be detrimental to the interests of the individual.
People are looking for a balance in this complex society. But the reality is often not so simple, and the balance of society is often unbalanced due to factors such as power, interests, and status.
In this state of imbalance, sacrifice often accompanies it, and the greatest sacrifice is often the kindest person.
The sacrifice of a good person comes from the deep compassion and sense of responsibility in his heart. They see the imbalance in the scales, and their inner intolerance drives them to lend a hand, even if it means that their own interests will be harmed.
In some cases, good people will silently take on more because they believe that this will bring more harmony and balance to society.
Their sacrifices are often voluntary, for the sake of collective interests and social stability, but this practice may also raise the question: when kindness becomes a normal sacrifice, does it subtly become an expectation, thus perpetuating the imbalance?
Let's look at some specific cases.
Case 1: A doctor in a small town
In a remote town, there is a doctor who is known for being extremely kind to his patients. He often provides free medical treatment to patients who are unable to pay for their medical bills.
As time went on, more and more people began to expect free services, which led to the deterioration of the financial situation of doctors.
In the end, despite his efforts to earn respect and affection for his acts of kindness, he had to face the harsh reality of his near-indebted clinic.
The price paid by the doctor was his financial security, a sacrifice that was clearly unsustainable on a material level.
Case 2: The Philanthropist's Dilemma
A philanthropist who is dedicated to helping underprivileged communities. Huge sums of money have been invested in the establishment of schools and health centers, in the hope of improving the quality of life of local residents.
However, due to the lack of good management and the dependency psychology of the locals, these facilities quickly fell into trouble.
The philanthropist had to keep pumping more money to stay afloat, and this was far beyond his initial expectations.
His good intentions did not bring about the desired change in self-sufficiency, but instead resulted in a waste of resources and growing dependence.
Case 3: Kind friends
On a personal level, there is a person who is known in the circle of friends for his kindness and helpfulness. Whenever someone asks for help, he is always the first to lend a helping hand and does not ask for anything in return.
Over time, some so-called "friends" began to take advantage of his kindness, seeing him as a shortcut to solving problems.
He spent a lot of time and energy helping others solve problems, but gradually found that his projects and personal life were affected.
His kindness cost him dearly, both in his personal career and in his private life.
These cases reveal a common theme:When you blindly give to others, others are easy to have a "dependence" on you, and when one day you suddenly stop this so-called giving, then you will be disgusted.
So kindness has a cost, whether that cost is financial, resourceful, or emotional, and acts of kindness are often accompanied by personal sacrifices.
In some cases, this cost can have far-reaching consequences for individuals, harming their interests or even their ability to survive.
At the cost of kindness and the balance of imbalance, we inevitably touch on the theme of social responsibility, that is, the responsibility that individuals or collectives should assume for the benefit of society and sustainable development. So how do you do that?
The first step in reshaping the scales of justice is to recognize that everyone has the ability and deserves to make a difference in their place.
This recognition encourages us to focus not only on individual good deeds and sacrifices, but also on institutional changes to prevent inequality from arising and perpetuating.
It's not just a promise to those in need, it's also a protection for those who are willing to lend a hand.
The realization of social responsibility requires us to both praise good deeds and prevent kindness from becoming a tool to be exploited. By working collectively, we can move towards a more equitable and sustainable future.
Kindness should not be a victim, and fairness should not be a mere slogan.
For the sake of those who sacrifice themselves in the midst of inequality, and for the sake of the health of society as a whole, we must act to ensure that every person who chooses to be good is given the respect and protection they deserve.
Only in this way can we collectively build a fairer, more humane society.