原创 Liz I 亚杰 素簡人生Suliving
Minimalist Diary 15: The Essence of Emotion and Rationality
在《孟子》中，有一段对话揭示了人为何有时感性，有时理性：
In the "Mencius," there is a dialogue that reveals why people can be emotional or rational at times:
公都子问孟子：“同样是人，为什么有些人被称为君子，有些人却被称为小人？”
Gongduzi asked Mencius, "Why are some people called gentlemen while others are called petty people, even though they are all human beings?"
孟子回答：“关注大事者为君子，关注小事者为小人。”
Mencius replied, "Those who focus on big matters are called gentlemen, while those who focus on small matters are called petty people."
公都子追问：“既然大家都是人，为什么有些人关注大事，有些人只关注小事？”
Gongduzi further asked, "Since everyone is human, why do some people focus on big matters while others only focus on small ones?"
孟子解释道：“耳目只负责感知，容易被外物牵引，无法自主思考。而‘心’则有思考的功能，思考就能得出答案，不思考则得不到。这是上天赋予我们的能力。只要我们优先考虑大事，琐事便无法扰乱心灵，这就是君子的道理。”
Mencius explained, "The senses are responsible for perception and are easily swayed by external things, unable to think independently. However, the 'heart' has the function of thinking; thinking yields answers, while lack of thought does not. This is a capability granted to us by Heaven. As long as we prioritize important matters, trivialities cannot disturb our minds. This is the principle of a gentleman."
如果把人的五官比作五个孩子，那么心就是这群孩子的妈妈。这五个孩子中，‘口’是大哥，其他都是弟弟妹妹。如果大哥没有带好头，其他弟弟妹妹就可能跟着胡闹，这让妈妈操碎了心。然而，如果妈妈有智慧，能够带好老大，那么其他弟妹也会效仿大哥，自动学好。家里有两三个孩子的父母对此应该深有体会。
If we compare the five senses to five children, then the heart is the mother of these children. Among these five, the 'mouth' is the eldest brother, and the others are younger siblings. If the eldest brother does not set a good example, the younger siblings may misbehave, causing the mother much worry. However, if the mother is wise and can guide the eldest well, the younger siblings will follow his example and learn properly. Parents with two or three children can relate to this experience.
感性与理性的差异，源于我们是否善用“心”的思考功能。感官易被外物牵引，而思考让我们专注于真正重要的事物。极简人生在于简化选择，聚焦重要。一旦我们确立了人生的大方向，小事就不会再占据我们的心灵。
The difference between emotion and rationality lies in whether we make good use of the heart's thinking function. Senses are easily swayed by external things, while thinking helps us focus on truly important matters. A minimalist life is about simplifying choices and focusing on what matters. Once we establish the big direction in life, small matters will no longer occupy our minds.
简化生活，简化思维。少即是多，专注于那些真正值得思考的事情。
Simplify life, simplify thinking. Less is more; focus on what truly deserves consideration.
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《孟子》原文：
公都子问曰：“钧是人也，或为大人，或为小人，何也？”
孟子曰：“从其大体为大人，从其小体为小人。”
曰：“钧是人也，或从其大体，或从其小体，何也？”
曰：“耳目之官不思，而蔽于物，物交物，则引之而已矣。心之官则思，思则得之，不思则不得也。此天之所与我者，先立乎其大者，则其小者弗能夺也。此为大人而已矣。”
原标题：《极简日记14: 感性与理性的本质》
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