「要麼庸俗，要麼獨處」Either be Vulgar, Or be Alone

04-27

在這個浮躁的時代，我們都太容易被他人左右。

「他人」不單單指我們身邊的同學、老師、朋友、家人，還包括了各種社交平台上所謂的「網友」。的確，隨著社交圈的逐漸擴大，我們的眼界也許會更加開闊。但，在這個過程中，你是否意識到，漸漸地，你已經開始隨波逐流，與世浮沉？買東西會買所謂的「潮牌」，為了在社交平台上得到更多的贊和評論而發一些你認為大家會喜歡看的內容，在某些輿論沒有弄清事實前「跟風」評論…… 可當你真正安靜下來，仔細想想，那些「潮牌」真的實用，你真的需要嗎？在社交平台上發表的見解真的是你真實所想並不是為了得到大家的關注？對於不了解的事情你真的和「他們」想法一樣？答案是否定的。而導致這一切無意義的衝動的，就是「孤獨」。因為孤獨，人們開始無時無刻地尋找外界刺激：貧乏無趣的社交談話，五花八門的社交、娛樂、奢侈……在這之後，以為自己得到了真正想要的精神慰藉，其實只不過是窮奢極欲後暫時的心理安慰。

科技的飛速發展使得我們的世界變小了，小到我們只需要一部手機就可以與世界各地的人交流，獲得世界各地的各種信息。但同時，我們的世界也變大了，大到我們漸漸看不見自己，迷失自我。

叔本華曾說過：「人在這個世界上，要麼選擇獨處，要麼選擇庸俗，除這兩者之外再也沒別的選擇了。」獨處不代表孤獨，是指精神上的「獨處」。而只有當一個人的精神世界變得足夠豐富的時候，他才能真正做到精神上的「獨處」。為什麼說天才是孤獨的，不是因為天才的行為舉止都很奇怪，不願與他人交往以至於沒有朋友，只能「獨處」而孤獨。相反，天才也可以有很多朋友，也能在新的團體中與大家打成一片，只不過沒有人能窺探到他的內心世界而覺得天才是孤獨的，殊不知真正孤獨的是自己。天才是永遠不會感到孤獨的。一個內心世界豐富的人怎會感到無趣？內心世界豐富的人總能發現身邊的樂趣，把自己所見所聞所感都記錄下來，結合自己的想法，不斷充實自己。這就好像在一張白紙上作畫，總有一天這張白紙會被畫滿，變成自己獨一無二的彩紙。《Hillbilly Elegy》的作者 J. D. Vance生於窮苦的村莊。在那裡，幾乎他所有的「懶人」同鄉都秉著「只要去礦場工作，不需要學歷就能發家致富」這一十分落後的觀念或是不工作只靠政府的最低救助過活。他不甘陷於這泥潭，上進、努力，做瓦工賺取學費。大學期間，即使身兼數職也要苦讀到半夜。可見，J. D. Vance就是一個內心世界豐富的人。一個內心世界豐富的人不會活在他人的目光下，飄忽不定，隨波逐流。他們坦然接受思想上的孤獨，即使現實總是不盡如人意，他們也覺得只要能夠活在自己的世界裡就足夠了。

成大事者不謀於眾，謀於眾者必流於庸俗。

人，要麼庸俗，要麼獨處。?

Now, in the fickle times, we are so likely to be influenced by others.

Not only do the 「others」 include our classmates, teachers, friends, family, but also they involve those so-called friends from the Internet. Indeed, our horizons could be broadened due to the growing social circle; however, in this process, have you ever realized that you are just becoming vulgar, only to be the same as the majority? You are busy following the trend, posting views aligning with those of others to get more likes and comments, making comments consistent with those of others before truly understanding the facts…. Regaining composure, you should contemplate: Are those so-called fashions practical? Are you really thinking in that way, instead of catering for the tastes of majority? Are you genuinely sharing the same ideas with 「them?」 The answers are exactly the same: NO. It is the factor, loneliness, that causes the meaningless impulse. People are feeling so lonely that they are finding stimulation-boring conversation insufficient in content, various social contact, recreation, luxuries etc. They THINK they have already got the consolation for their mind, which yet is just kind of temporarily psychological content.

The fast-developing technology has made our world smaller so that we can communicate with people from all over the world, and get all sorts of information with a mobile phone. Nevertheless, meanwhile, our world is getting larger so that we are gradually losing ourselves.

Arthur Schopenhauer has said, 「Living in this world, we have only two choices: either be alone, or be vulgar. Being alone does not mean being lonely, instead, it means being mentally alone, the realm where only those whose inner world is varied and colorful can reach. Why do we say that prodigies are lonely? It is not because they are so weird that no one is willing to become friends with them so that they always have to stay alone and consequently become quite lonely, but because after playing and becoming friends with them, others found that they, the prodigies, are hard to read, and it is difficult to know what they are really thinking. Thus, prodigies are considered lonely; however, in fact, the truly solitary people are those considering prodigies lonely. Prodigies are never lonely. How can people with colorful inner world be lonely? They can always discover interesting things around them, note them down and combine them with their own thoughts so that they can unceasingly enrich themselves, which can be compared to painting on blank paper. Eventually, the paper painted entirely will become the unique color paper of their own. The author of the Hillbilly Elegy was born in a backwater where all villagers either considered to work in mines rather than to study at schools, or were barely living off relief funds from the government. In spite of these, he worked as hard as he can: taking part-time job as bricklayer to earn enough money to pay for his tuition. During his time at university, he persisted in studying till midnight, although doing several temporary jobs. Evidently, J. D. Vance is exactly the kind of person whose inner world is colorful. People with colorful inner, instead of catering for the tastes of others, never care about how others may think of them. Even if reality could be so cruel that it is not to their liking, they are able to adapt loneliness since they think that living in their world is well enough.

Great men never linger in majority; those who wander around must be vulgar.

Either be vulgar, or be alone.