August 16, 2012

  • 只要精神在理性的指示下理解事物,無論那觀念是現在事物、過去事物、或未來事物的觀念,精神有同等感動。- Baruch de Spinoza

August 15, 2012

  • In the telephone, I told Ken:

    “You know sometimes I really hated you. It’s like awakening from a bad dream, a nightmare, I could really feel that my conscious mind started only from F.5. Before that I was acting and living, but always felt that my actions are out of impetuosity and fear. If we have not met, if I have not joined in the debate teams, perhaps less damage could be done to both people around me and myself.”

    “I know, you talked about it before.” He said.

    “And you remember how I asked you, when your father passed away, after a few months or so, that was your mother a bit better, you remember how you answered?”

    “Yes”

    “You said that being said, time actually does not wash away any memories, it makes you realise how important things are around you, that other things fade away, the thing that you treasure the most become increasingly clear.”

    “I did”

    “And now that I feel, although I was not conscious at that time, always felt some vigorous emotions manipulating myself instead of I know what I am doing, I am still very grateful to them. Sometimes I think back, all the people who were kind and considerate to me, I am thankful. Like waking up from a bad dream, now things are clear.”

August 13, 2012

  • 1The thing I noticed, after some continuous realisation and change for four years, is that :

    I spent five years getting bullied because I obey rules and like recognition so I’d often sold my friends out.

    Spent another five years to earn their approval because you’d realise you are more out-school than in-school, nobody’s gonna protect you when school’s off. Even though they continue to bully you, you just feel increased wanted their approval, leading the anger to your brothers.

    Fear+Pressure in top school = Another five years wasted in Secondary School making no friends until F.5.

    Four years wasted bemoaning and semi-deliberately doing badly + devil-may-care in school to let yourself comfort yourself, offending all others.

    Now it’s year three. A mistake can be forgive, a second mistake can be forgiven, not a third one.

    2In internship, because of the culture and they really treat you as a co-worker, there isn’t something like the usual mentor-trainee thing. They just treat you as one of them, no talk, no sharing, just business.

    Guess that’s also because it’s External Affairs, all women, and as I have said my passionate intentions turned bad and people thought I was egocentric. I am not, but that doesn’t matter, because people felt I was. It’s hard to change a woman’s impression, lest a dozen.

    Time to live up to an adult. I really feel sucked when the school called me asking how am I doing. It’s like nowadays Uni grads are so weak, need help in finding intern, must also comfort them lest they feel bad in working like primary school kids, although they’d call everyone.

    3In the past when I said I wanted to change, I felt impulsive, excited, eventually that emotion frittered away easily. Like an immature relationship.

    Now that I am trying to get myself back into the game, I don’t feel anything particular, just plans, dates, being resourceful, making proper and accurate judgments. Like how I feel in my workplace, no talk, no chatter, no nice consolation (Except from school), they treat you as a real staff, an adult. New experience, a good experience too, for reality is shown.

    Feeling that’s more like it.

    4 If I’d like Second Honours, ‘d be needing all A or A- in my studies in all subjects in my following semester. But then I overworked a bit in the past semesters, need only four subjects each semester.

    Probable, let’s just start with all B+ and see how things go. Moaning is not helpful, act in the only way possible and available. Play on, wait and hope.

August 12, 2012

  • 三點

    1.報上說獨立媒體被人襲擊。我自己反思一下,如果我既可以收錢,又可以發洩暴力,只是破壞而不是傷人,別人又認不出我,加上有勢力人士撐我腰……我應該做得出。

    想起那個史丹福監獄的實驗。

    2.小時候所受的創傷導致的性格缺陷,加上隨後引發的一連串慾望和失敗,高考和大學那些日子其實算一段浪蕩與放逐。日子作息毫無規律,對學業只要少許Implusive的熱度,對人輕佻傲慢,轉個頭來又自憐自傷常想不開。

    到頭來只是控制不了壓力,也不理解情感。一方面想給對方最好,其實只是細水長流就已經好很不錯,不過到頭來壓力又摧毀一切,也一廂情願以為對方會欣賞,但那只是自以為是的傻逼的犧牲,和實際貢獻意義不扯邊,只是圖個舒服。

    一次可以原諒,兩次也可以原諒,第三次就不可以了。想好好的找回目標,不想繼續自暴自棄下去,覺得憤怒空虛不滿沒有人明白我,毀掉自己毀掉一切。

    這些日子不斷從作息、飲食、運動著手,想慢慢找回紀律和節拍,很辛苦但也有點成績。要好好努力下去。

    3.兩個弟弟很可能一下子離我和爸媽而去,同時去外國升學。自己也快畢業,前路茫茫想多讀碩士或法律也不知能不能。說來自己兩年前的心態和學習習慣是讀不了的。如果出來社會工作,也不知是什麼光景。

    其實有點擔心,不過自知,人,素來對不清楚的事會恐懼,不安和憤怒,還因不理解下自己編一大堆自以為的解釋。有些事這個時候解不通,但將來總會解得通。

    回想時覺得剛才說的善意的罪惡,為愛為情而犯下的罪和錯,其實才最含糊而危險。讀書人常有思考糾結的危險,務需慎之切切。

  • Every night before sleep I would talk to my pillow, imagine it as my ex-girlfriend.

    I think I am hopeless.

    A good habit must be cultivated by inertia. There were times I just let go of myself, being angry, pessimistic, dissatisfied with reality and ruined myself for the anger of it.

    Now I’d sleep more, control my diet, exercise a bit, discipline myself. Once you are in it, it’s easy to keep a balance, whereas it’s hard to start over.

    A casual stroll in the lunatic asylum shows that faith proves nothing. – Nietzsche

August 11, 2012

  • I said sometimes when I talk to my mentor, she would not be really warm, like “Suppose it’s not proper to talk anything other than business.” She said.

    She said she used to be a reporter, I had expected chit-chats over some intern experience of her, sharing, encouragement, maybe some disapproval would be good.

    And she just “Good”, “Okay”, “Thanks for sharing”.

    Now I’d incline to believe that she really treated me as a co-worker. Not all the time emotional-sharing, talking about a proper relationship of lukewarm concerns, private-working life. I am just a new co-worker, it seems normal then.

    It’s time to grow up, cut the excessive emotional sharing, back to business.

August 9, 2012

  • Somebody’s drowning, you don’t go out and try swimming to him, cause he is in fear and will grab anything around him, that would drown you as well.

    All you can do, after some aimless attempts, is to leave him alone, either he drowns, or learns to relax after utterly fear and impulses prove nothing. That would be the only way to save himself, and yourself.

August 8, 2012

  • 本來無物

    其實是不懂得控制壓力,事情糟透了跟別人無尤,跟自己也無關,不能老是Punish自己,那只會埋了問題所在。

    總是想給愛人、朋友、家人、老師、上司,身邊的人自己的最好最好。很著緊他們的看法,甚至回到兒時的經歷,要有靠表現來留住他們的慾望(慾望這詞這裡用得挺准)。不安感也孕育了凡事都需要在自己掌握之中,不能放手的問題。

    這樣的想法容易形成虛偽和瘋狂,做事只能憑首三分鐘的熱情,不能長期慢慢地完成,及後換來的是完全的冷漠和不關心不在乎。忽冷勿熱,一口砂糖一口屎,臭甜。

    過於強烈的情緒也形成不准確的判斷,常常做出一些旁人難以理解,有悖常理人情的事來。不能站在事情的角度上,奮身犧牲來推一些自己以為有價值但原來不合用的東西,別人不領情就恨之入骨。

    然後所謂反省又反錯了方向,其實只有兩個結果:要不繼續焚身以火直到精盡人亡,要不就透過懲罰自己來迫使自己做得更好,而自己潛意識受壓更大表現更差。

    工作上總想跟上司多聊,例如她之前的工作經歷,看法等等。但她說除公事以外沒什麼好聊,我想這也和我之前的表現有關,也可以是她真當我是同事而不是Mentor。

    熱遇冷,不改其熱,多情難得;
    熱遇冷,調校成冷,無負於義。

    讀了很多書看了很多人,想來想去,人生的事當然有情,但歸根到底還是四字:無負於義。有人以有常看,我這看法算是無常,以有待待有常。

August 2, 2012

  • 從破衣袋口找零錢

    書展太多人所以沒去,寧願靜靜的在家看書,對於讀者而隨處也是讀書的地方而不必拘泥。書展整體而言把書當成是商品,趕忙的來了又走,都是網上要快速拿資訊的習慣,看書不是這樣。

    上兩星期訂下的書終於來了,其實錢鍾書比倪匡更早堅持用繁體字,有部份書是不出簡單,現在真是為簡單創作都來不及,僅能守微博。本來想買天地的版本,可是居然都絕版了,真是丟自己的寶,連錢鍾書的書都能絕版。

    幸好中國的三聯書店有他的書,簡體也買下了。如果要讀建議先讀寫在人生邊上,再讀圍城和人獸鬼,然後是寫在人生邊上的邊上,才讀七綴集。

    讀中文很多人聽過龍應台和余光中,比較少人聽過的錢鍾書其實文采更好甚至是最好,連前兩位難免夾雜的英語寫法都沒有,民國來的讀古文根基深文字純正深厚,取勝的是出奇精巧的理解,能把先人創見合成頭頭是道的新看法。

    取《論俗氣》首幾段作例子:

    找遍了化學書,在炭氣、氧氣以至於氯氣之外,你看不到俗氣的。這是比任何氣體更稀淡、更微茫,超出於五官感覺之上的一種氣體,只有在文藝裏和社交裏才能碰見。文藝裏和社交裏還有許多旁的氣也是化學所不談的,例如寒酸氣、泥土氣。不過,這許多氣都沒有俗氣那樣難捉摸:因為它們本身雖然是超越感覺的,它們的名字卻是藉感覺中的事物來比方著,象徵著;每一個比喻或象徵都無形中包含一個類比推理(analogy),所以,顧名思義,你還有線索可求。說到酸氣,你立刻聯想著山西或鎮江的老醋;說起泥土氣,你就記憶到夏雨初晴,青草池塘四周圍氤氳著的氣息。但是俗氣呢?不幸的很,“氣”已是夠空虛的了,“俗”比“氣”更抽象!所以,有亞爾特斯·赫胥黎(Aldous Huxley)先生的機伶,在《文學中之俗氣》(Vulgarity in Literature)那本小冊子裏,他也不能抓住俗氣,像孫行者抓住妖風一般,把鼻子來辨別滋味。

    赫胥黎先生以為俗氣的標準是跟了社會階級而變換的;下等社會認為美的,中等社會認為俗不可耐,中等社會認為美的上等社會認為俗不可耐,以此類推。又說:“俗氣就是流露出來的一種下劣性”(vulgarity is a lowness that proclaims itself)。這上中下階級想是依照知識程度來分的,每一個階級又分好多層,上等之上,下等之下,還有階級,大概相當於利馥絲(Q.D.Leavis)《小說與讀者》(Fiction and the Reading Public)一書中高眉(highbrow)、平眉(middlebrow)、低眉(lowbrow)的分別;若說根椐銀行存款的多少來判定階級,赫胥黎先生斷不至於那樣勢利的。

    俗氣跟著社會階級來變換的,不錯!不過,赫胥黎先生的說法只讓我們知道俗氣產生的淵源(origin),沒有說出俗氣形成的性質(nature),只告訴我們怎麼樣有俗氣,並沒有講清什麼是俗氣。“一種下劣性”是什麼,我們根本就不懂;把它來解釋俗氣,真是ignotum per ignotius了。因此,我們的問題是:上等社會批評東西“甲”俗,中等社會批評東西“乙”俗,下等社會批評東西“丙”俗,(盡許此階級認為俗的就是較下的階級認為美的),它們批評為俗的東西雖不同,它們批評為俗是相同的,這個相同是到什麼程度?換句話說:當一個上等社會的代表(typical)人物看見他認為俗的事物時,一個中等社會的代表人物看見他認為俗的事物時,和一個下等社會的代表人物看見他認為俗的事物時,他們三個人的心理反應或感想一定是相同的,否則決不會同聲說:“俗!”

    這三個不同的事物中有什麼相同的品質使這三個不同的人發生相同的感想?對於清潔成癖的人,天下沒有一樁東西是不髒的;同樣,俗的東西的多少也跟一個人的風雅的程度成為正比例,但是,不管他評為“俗”的東西的數量的大小,這許多東西裏一定有一個像算學中的公因數(common factor),做他的批評的根椐。

    赫胥黎先生討厭坡(Edgar Poe)的詩,說它好比戴滿了鑽戒的手,俗氣迎人。這一個妙喻點醒我們不少。從有一等人的眼光看來,濃抹了胭脂的臉,向上翻的厚嘴唇,福爾斯大夫(Falstaff)的大肚子,西哈諾(Cyhano)的大鼻子,涕澌交流的感傷主義(sentimentality),柔軟到擠得出水的男人,鴛鴦蝴蝶派的才情,蘇東坡體的墨豬似的書法,乞斯透頓(Chesterton)的翻筋斗似的詭論(paradox),大塊的四喜肉,還有——天呀!還有說不盡的etc.etc.,都跟戴滿鑽戒的手一般的俗。這形形色色的事物間有一個公共的成分——量的過度:鑽戒戴在手上是極悅目的,但是十指尖尖都拶著鑽戒,太多了,就俗了!胭脂擦在臉上是極助嬌豔的,但是塗得仿佛火燒一樣,太濃了,就俗了!肚子對於人體曲線美是大有貢獻的,但是假使凸得像掛了布袋,太高了,就俗了!以此類推。

    同時我們胸中還潛伏一個道德觀念:我們不贊成一切誇張和賣弄,一方面因為一切誇張和賣弄總是過量的,上自媒人的花言巧語,下至戲裏的醜表功,都是言過其實、表過其裏的。另一方面也因為人家的誇大反襯出我們的渺小來,所以我們看見我們認為過當的事物,我們不知不覺地聯想到賣弄,不管那樁事物確是在賣弄(像戴滿鑽戒的手)或是出於不得已(像大肚子)。

    因此,我們暫時的結論是:當一個人認為一樁東西為俗的時候,這一個東西裏一定有這個人認為太過火的成分,不論在形式上或內容上。這個成分的本身也許是好的,不過假使這個人認為過多了(too much of a good thing),包含這個成分的整個東西就要被認為俗氣。所以,俗氣不是負面的缺陷(default),是正面的過失(fault)。骨瘦如柴的福爾摩斯是不會被評為俗的,肥頭胖耳的福爾斯大夫便難說了。簡單樸實的文筆,你至多覺得枯燥,不會嫌俗的,但是填砌著美麗詞藻的嵌寶文章便有俗的可能。沉默冷靜,不會應酬的人,你至多厭他呆板,偏是有說有笑,拍肩拉手的社交家頂容易變俗。雷諾爾慈(Joshua Reynolds)爵士論羅馬宗和威尼斯宗兩派繪畫的優劣,也是一個佐證:輕描淡掃,注重風韻(nuance)的畫是不會俗的,金碧輝煌,注重色相(couleur)的畫就跡近賣弄,相形之下,有些俗氣了。

    批評家對於他們認為“感傷主義”的作品,同聲說“俗”,因為“感傷主義是對一樁事物過量的反映”(a response is sentimental if it is too great for the occasion)——這是瑞恰慈(I.A.Richards)先生的話,跟我們的理論不是一拍就合麼?俗的意思是“通俗”,大凡通俗的東西都是數量多的,價錢賤的;照經濟常識,東西的價值降賤,因為供過於求,所以,在一個人認為俗的事物中,一定有供過於求的成分——超過那個人所希望或願意有的數量的成分。從“通俗”兩個字,我們悟到俗氣的第二個特點:俗的東西就是可以感動“大多數人”的東西–此地所謂“大多數人”帶著一種譴責的意味,不僅指數量說,並且指品質說,是卡萊爾(Carlyle)所謂“不要崇拜大多數”(don’t worship the majority)的“大多數”,是易蔔生(Ibsen)所謂“大多數永遠是錯誤的”(a majority is always wrong)的“大多數”。

    看了以後你說你怎能不拜服。

August 1, 2012

  • 弟昨晚看非死不可後,似笑非笑還是不讓我看,想也該是看到些和前女友有關的東西,可能男朋友之類。其實我真的好想她,但你明白的,像長大了以後有時會想哭,你但是你理智又知這其實是活該,居然又哭不出來。

    最大的安慰是工作之後通常都會花三十分鐘看著海,什麼都不做,就看著海。

    細數之前工作的原因,無非是將自己將工作都看得太重要,事實是Intern做的多是沒人在乎的小事,不是不重要,是總之你不是特別慢就沒有所謂。

    過去幾星期反映了幾個問題:

    只依據著一些以為是為對方為事情是最好的做法,然後一廂情願地拼命的做,犧牲了別人不接受不欣賞就酸刻。覺得為什麼自己替對方拼命做了而對方不欣賞。

    對於一些無法去改變的事,例如被人發現小開,總是新入職的比較吃虧,老是覺得不公平怨恨,而不想辦法去改變適應,覺得任何事情都應該公平。

    缺乏耐性,做事只能夠靠一開始的衝勁完成,如果不能就會失去完成的意志,如果能就不斷的加強要求自己,不知不覺將自己耗盡,一股有時自己都不能控制像賭徒般麻木的來回。

    就算是之前圖書館的暑期工作,其實我也不是沒有錯,辭職了那八百元沒有要回來。嘴說是要不得,但其實根本就是塞了別人錢來責怪別人,用錢來買感覺良好。想回來發覺自己頭腦愚狡之此,可堪一絕。

    而且做錯事了,還是會以為是為對方的好。倒寧願自己真正不在乎其他人,那麼說來起碼知道自己的錯,但這是以善意作動機的錯誤,而無人相信,沒有什麼再比無知的錯誤更差。Sherlock中說麻木其實就是毫不在乎,但愛是一種更Vicious皈Motivation,以此窺人性的惡,會更上層樓。

    而且看最近地鐵打風下議員和乘客的表現,打風非人為能控制,也該留乘客於站以安全作考慮,真的沒有理由要道歉。徐濠榮網上表示在假期休息時對粉絲的不斷拍照不滿,引網上圍攻。現在在這個可以隨意匿名隨意罵,不會考慮自己所接收信息真假,動軏就輕易對人用最強烈的字眼批判,雖然和文革還差很遠,但暴民政治就是這種。

    我個人絕對反對以罷課作抗爭,國民教育有疑問要再檢討才推行是一定的,但不能以停課作手段,那只會害了自己。