Three Levels of: The First Step Is to Leap Out of the "Well" of One's Own Perspective 三重境界：人的第一步是要跳出自我视角这口“井”
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Recently, while visiting the Japanese Food Street in Jurong, Singapore, my child asked in puzzlement: "Why are Japanese products labeled in English instead of Japanese?"
I asked: "You are from XX [a specific place]; why do you speak Mandarin instead of the XX dialect?"
The child paused, then had a sudden moment of realization: "Oh!"
I explained: "Because, in reality, English is the world's *lingua franca*—the 'common language'—while Chinese is an East Asian dialect."
The child said: "I get it now!"
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Today’s most advanced software and hardware—spanning the humanities and social sciences, science and technology, and the mainstream international community—operate primarily in English. This fact will not change for the foreseeable future.
We are Han people; the Han are a type of human being, just as the South China tiger is a type of tiger, or the ginkgo is a type of deciduous tree.
We must be people-centric. Language, culture, attire, artifacts, values, and so on—whether traditional or modern, indigenous or foreign, tangible or intangible—are all created by humans. Ultimately, they exist to serve humanity and to enable us to lead better lives.
Therefore, just as people from XX speak Mandarin rather than the XX dialect, Han people must master English to avoid falling behind the times.
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Where a person comes from is relatively less important; what matters more is: where are you going?
Your birthplace, your upbringing, your family of origin, your race and nationality, and the imprints left upon you by your ancestors—these constitute your point of origin. They provide you with a foundation and a sense of belonging to a community: a shared identity.
As you grow, you shape your own personality, pursue your goals, and define your own destination.
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An individual will stand up for their own rights and strive for their own happiness. By extension, a family, an organization, a locality, a nation, or an ethnic group will do the same.
Yet, there is no need to attach labels to this behavior—such as individualism, egoism, familism, corporatism, local protectionism, nationalism, statism, or humanism.
This is because people’s interpretations of the meaning behind a single label vary widely, or may even be diametrically opposed; applying such labels can obscure the actual substance of the behavior.
Take nationalism, for instance: some manifestations seek peaceful coexistence and mutually beneficial cooperation; others are aggressive, hostile, and exclusionary; some blend the best of indigenous civilization with advanced foreign culture; while others regard native culture as a sacred, inviolable principle. Therefore, it is better to look past these labels and focus on the actual substance of the matter.
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From one's own perspective, a place might seem wonderful and significant, yet to an outsider, it appears entirely ordinary. Life offers countless examples of this phenomenon.
One must step out of this "well" of limited perspective and return to one's own authentic self; only then can one develop and fulfill oneself with clarity and wisdom.
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Humans instinctively view the world from their own perspective—this is the first level of observation and thought. The second level involves viewing the world from a vantage point outside of it. The third level entails returning to one's own perspective—and using that external insight to guide one's actions—after having viewed the world from that outside vantage point.
These three levels build upon one another, fostering depth and breadth of thought.
The philosophies of Nietzsche and Wang Yangming view the universe from the self's perspective, championing individual agency. Hegelian philosophy and theoretical physics view the universe from the perspective of an objective outsider, eliminating the biases of the self. Taoist teachings—such as those of Laozi—represent the third level: adhering to objective laws while actively exercising human initiative.
The "Tao" (the Way) exists in the universe, but one cannot simply sit and wait for it to take effect on its own. As John Locke observed, God bestowed natural resources upon humanity, but He will not spoon-feed us.
Therefore, one must take active steps to ensure the "Tao" comes into play—and works to one's own benefit.
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近日在新加坡裕廊日本美食街时，小孩纳闷地问：怎么日货上面印的是英文，不是日文?
我：你是XX（地名）人，为什么要说普通话，而不是XX话?
小孩一愣，再恍然大悟状：哦！
我：因为事实上，英语是世界普通话，汉语是东亚方言。
小孩：明白了！
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现在最先进的软件硬件：人文社科、理工科技，和主流国际社会，是以英语为主要语言。在可预见的很多年内，这一点不会改变。
我们是汉人，汉人是人的一种，正如华南虎是虎的一种、银杏是落叶乔木的一种。
要以人为本，语言、文化、衣冠、器物、价值观等等，无论是传统的、现代的、本土的、外来的、有形的、无形的，都是人创造，归根到底是为了人服务，要让人、让我们过上更好的生活。
所以，XX人说普通话而不是XX话，汉人要不落后于这个时代，掌握英语是必要的。
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一个人从哪里来，相对没那么重要，更重要的是：你要往哪里去?
你出生在哪、成长在哪，原生家庭、种族国籍，你原有的被祖先打上的烙印，是你的来处，这给了你一个基础，也给了一个共同体的归属：共性。
你在成长，形成自己的个性，追求、自定义你的去处。
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一个人会维护自己的权益，为自己争取幸福。推而广之，一个家庭、一个单位、一个地方，一个国家，一个民族……都会。
但我们不必给ta贴上：个人主义、自我主义、家庭主义、企业主义、地方保护主义、民族主义、国家主义或是人类主义……这些标签。
因为人们对同一个标签的内涵理解不同，甚至相反。贴上标签，会让人不明白ta实质的具体内容是什么?
以民族主义的标签来看，可能有的追求和平共处、合作共赢，有的张牙舞爪、斗狠排外，有的融本土优秀文明和外来先进文化于一炉，有的将本土固有文化视为神圣不可侵犯的原则……所以，我们还是越过这些标签，看它的实质内容为好。
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站在XX的角度，觉得XX很好、很重要，而站在局外观之，XX只是很普通的一个地方。我们在生活中，这样的例子不胜枚举。
人的思维要跳出这个“井”，又要回归自我主体，这样才能清醒、睿智地发展自我、成就自我。
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人本能地会以自我的视角去看世界，这是观察思考的第一重境界；继而从世界之外的视角看世界，这是第二重境界；再以世界外的视角看过世界后，回到自我的视角去看世界，去指导行动，这是第三重境界。
这三层层层递进，就达到思维的深度和广度。
尼采、王阳明思想是以自我的视角看宇宙，张扬个人的主体性；黑格尔哲学、理论物理，是以天外高客的视角看宇宙，消弭自我的偏颇视角；老子等道家学说，是第三层，遵循客观规律而发扬人的主观能动性。
天地间是有“道”的存在，但你不能坐等“道”自动发挥作用。如洛克所言，上帝将自然资源赐给了人类，但上帝不会将饭喂到你的嘴里。
所以，一定要通过人的努力行动，让“道”发挥作用，发挥有利于你的作用。
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