Hello, I'm shallow.
The book shared today is Maupassant's Ball of Sheep Fat.
The story is very short, and the general content of the story is: there is a prostitute named Sheep Fat Ball, and 9 other people who are counts, countesses, merchants, and nuns, and they are a group of 10 people, in order to avoid the war, get on a carriage and go to other countries.
On the way, he met an officer from an invading country, the officer asked the sheep fat ball to sleep with him, the sheep fat ball refused, and the other companions lobbied in various ways, but the sheep fat ball agreed, but was rejected by the peers.
The sheep fat ball in the story, she is very kind, although she has no way to choose her origin, but compared to those who have a noble identity, she is more noble than any of them in quality.
She is unlucky, she has given a lot, not only has she not been reciprocated, but these efforts have become the source of harm to her.
Throughout the story, the misfortune of the sheep fat ball is hidden in her 3 concessions.
As the saying goes, "People are good at being bullied, and horses are good at being ridden by others." ”
The three weak concessions of the sheep fat ball made others look down on themselves, and the excessive kindness of the sheep fat ball just became their arrogant capital.
01 The first concession: Speak up and let the gentleman and wife of status who hurt themselves with words eat.
Among the 10 people in the group, for the others, the prostitute sheep fat ball is the one with the least status, and they look down on such a merry woman from the bottom of their hearts.
However, on the way, they were so hungry that only the sheep fat balls prepared food.
At this time, Mr. Bird was embarrassed, but in the face of hunger, he was willing to put down his shirt and beg the sheep fat ball to give him a little food, and the wife of the cotton mill would rather faint from hunger than say a word of apology.
In the eyes of a person with status, even if she asks for help, she is unwilling to let go of her arrogant figure and make peace, but she is still embarrassed and afraid of being rejected and invites them to eat together.
They walked up the stairs, as if they were a reward, and reluctantly gave the sheep fat ball a face, even if they ate a lot of food from the sheep fat ball, the sheep fat ball was unwilling to be touched by a person of their noble status.
As far as I'm concerned, this kind of person is both hypocritical and shameless, who looks up to everything on the surface and is very dark on the inside.
The mutton fat ball seems to use a basket of food to shorten the distance between everyone, but in fact it is just a temporary friend.
In the adult world, there are no permanent friends, only eternal interests. At that time, everyone was on the way forward, and it was good for everyone to help each other, which was just a consensus reached on the surface.
02 Second concession: agreed to sleep with the Prussian officer.
Although she has a low status, she has a patriotic heart.
She was powerless to stop the invasion of Prussian officers, but she always remembered that she more or less represented her country, and she angrily refused the Prussian officers' requests.
She hated these soldiers who invaded her country, and she would not compromise with the invaders for the sake of passage.
However, after her third refusal, the Count's wife, the Lady Bird, and the Cotton Mill Lady, using various ancient examples, implied that the sheep fat ball agreed to the Prussian officer's demands, which was not excessive, and it was only a roundabout strategy.
Sacrifice is for a greater purpose.
At the same time, the two nuns are not afraid of life and death, but they also mean that they cannot die, and there are still many people waiting for their help.
The nuns are righteous and awe-inspiring, but in fact they are just a false believer who is talking about helping many people here, however, in the back, when the sheep fat ball is rejected by everyone, they are cold sidelines, and they can be regarded as a member of the **.
Under multiple agitations, Sheep Fat Ball relented, and she agreed to the request that made her particularly angry - to sleep with the invaders.
Sheep fat ball listened to everyone's nonsense, and her excessive kindness, made her willing to sacrifice herself in exchange for greater returns, the intention was good, but she paid the wrong person.
Some people don't deserve to be gentle from the beginning, and those who think very highly of themselves, who think that the sheep fat ball is just doing something that they are accustomed to again, and now they refuse, but they are pretending to be high.
In their eyes, they only have interests and status, and there is no country to speak of, and they cannot understand and empathize with the spirit of sheep fat balls that transcends personal interests and rises to the national level.
This concession of the sheep fat ball also laid the groundwork for the unfortunate encounter in the future.
03 The third concession: self-sacrifice for everyone's travel, in exchange for everyone's cold treatment.
After the night, those who think they have status are eager to keep the sheep fat ball away from them.
The story comes to a climax, which is also in stark contrast to the beginning.
When they first came out, everyone didn't bring any food, only the sheep fat ball brought a basket of food, and the sheep fat ball generously shared its own food with everyone, so that everyone would not suffer from hunger.
At the end of the story, everyone brought food, but the sheep fat ball was in a hurry and did not have time to prepare, at this time, everyone was satisfied with the food they had prepared, but the sheep fat ball was hungry, and no one was willing to lend a hand to her. Their ruthlessness and selfishness are on full display at this moment.
Obviously, the mutton fat ball was to save everyone from fire and water and make self-sacrifice, but it was disliked by everyone.
Sheep Fat Ball was angry that everyone treated her like this, and even more angry that she had compromised and hurt herself, but she finally swallowed her anger and sobbed on the side.
Written at the end: After reading "Sheep Fat Ball", I have the following insights:
1.If you make concessions without principles, you are a bad person.
Kindness is a good quality, and the biggest misfortune of the sheep fat ball is that she is too kind, and excessive kindness has become a sharp weapon for others to pinch her.
In the face of the contempt of others, she still extended a helping hand, in the face of the persuasion of others, she chose to sacrifice herself in order to save everyone from fire and water, and in the face of everyone's indifference, she could only bear it silently.
It is often said on the Internet: "Your kindness must be sharp." This sentence is telling us that kindness is good, but there must be a limit, and the premise of kindness is not to embarrass oneself, not to blindly be a good person who will not refuse.
2.Don't overestimate relationships, don't underestimate the rules of human nature.
Those who have status have a very high opinion of themselves, and while looking down on the sheep fat balls, they have to put down their bodies for food.
When they wanted to leave, they had to get the approval of the Prussian officer, and when they learned that the sheep fat ball had refused the officer's request, they blamed her for being ignorant, pretending to be high-minded, and using unpleasant language.
In order to persuade the sheep fat ball to agree to the request, they tried all kinds of great things to preach the spirit of sacrificing the ego to fulfill the ego, which is great and meaningful.
The discrepancies between the words before and after are actually due to interests. Similarly, at the end of the story, everyone looks at the mutton fat ball coldly, but the mutton fat ball has no use value.
Being valuable to each other is the strongest relationship, and the rest may be the moon in the water, which is gone when touched.
3.Identity labels should not determine a person's value judgments.
There is a scenario in the book, which roughly means that whether it is an enemy or a friendly army, it is wise to make the corresponding choice in the corresponding situation.
That is, at some point, they can do anything to save their lives.
They are all people of noble status than sheep fat balls.
And the sheep fat ball chooses to refuse, she will not please others. She outspoken insults at her enemies to express her anger, she has a personal faith, and she is not afraid to sacrifice to defend her beliefs.
Obviously, the personal value of the sheep fat ball is more precious.
4.In the whirlpool of **, we must have the courage to be hated.
The misfortune of the sheep fat ball is that in the face of their respective remarks, she kindly chose to wronged herself and fulfill everyone.
The Catcher in the Rye says, "In the midst of the uproar, stay awake and hold on to your inner voice." ”
When our choices can't be at the same time as everyone, it is easy to have many voices, telling us what we can't do, what to do, in the face of ** in all directions, we must have the courage to be hated, stick to the inner voice, and believe in our own choices.