看看社会上“有福”的人,有几个人的福是因为老实而得?看看那些发了横财、飞黄腾达的人,考察一下他们的发达过程,你便会得出另一个结论:不老实的人也会有福,这样说来,“吃亏是福”难道真的错了?
其实,并不错的,不吃亏的福,与吃亏的福,虽同是“有福”,含义却大大不同。二者的差别是:不吃亏的福,福气浓烈,但“福兮祸所伏”:吃亏之福,福味清淡,但福祚长久。福,没有固定和统一的标准,是在相互比较中的一种感受,和粗茶淡饭、平民布衣相比,灯红酒绿、宝马香车的人就是福;和坐牢枪毙的人相比,躬耕陇亩、好好活着就是福。从这个角度说,“吃亏是福”永远没有错。
In fact, it is not false. The good fortune that doesn’t suffer losses and the good fortune that suffers losses, although both are “blessed”, vary greatly in meaning. For the former, the blessing is strong but there is misfortune hidden behind it; for the latter, the blessing seems light but lasts longer. Without a fixed and unified standard, blessing is a feeling in mutual comparison. Compared to ordinary people who live a simple life, those who indulge in extravagant pleasure are considered to be privileged; while compared to people who are imprisoned or have been sentenced to death, those who can earn one’s own living or are still alive are considered fortunate. From this point of view, the saying that suffering losses is a blessing is always true.