榕城老应
用调侃去书写思考，以故事来叙述理论。
榕城老应
朋友寄来一个“渔夫与商人”的故事。
一个投资商人到了海滨，看到一渔夫高卧船头舒适地在晒太阳。商人问：“哥们，这么好的天气为什么不出海捕鱼？”
渔夫说：“我已经釣到两条大鱼，够我们一家今天吃的了。”
商人说：“老兄，你太缺乏进取心了。趁天气好多捕一些鱼，卖掉累积起来就是你的第一桶金，加上贷款可以买一条更大的渔船。”
“然后呢？”
“然后你可以捕更多的鱼，攒更多的钱。”
“那又怎么样？”
“然后你可以雇人来捕鱼，每天在这里晒太阳。”
渔夫笑道：“我现在就是这样了，为什么还要绕这么一大圈子的辛苦，还不知道以后怎么样。”
这个“渔夫与商人”是犬儒哲学（Cynicism）的经典故事，都是从古希腊西诺普的狄奥根尼的故事引申出来的，归结成不同的诉求。
犬儒哲学主张清心寡欲，随遇而安，鄙弃俗世的荣华富贵，要回归自然。这一点跟中国老庄差不多。据说狄奥根尼就住在一个埋死人用的瓮里，以讨饭为生。有人讥笑他活得象条狗，他却不恼。“犬儒”之称便由此而来。有段故事很有名，一天，亚历山大大帝亲临探望这位著名的哲人，他正躺在地上晒太阳的。问他想要什么赏赐，狄奥根尼回答说：“谢谢，就请你别挡住我的阳光。” 这就有点魏晋名士的风范了。
早期的犬儒哲学比较愤世嫉俗，后期则是玩世不恭，否定一切内在价值。这个渔夫与商人的故事在犬儒哲学中，只是用来说明不必过于追求物质财富，劝导随遇而安的自在。后人引述这个故事却是想来说明不同的问题。投资管理和职业训练部门，用这个案例来解说投资商引导失败所缺失的要点。经过他们消化之后，编出来的后续故事便是这样：
十年之后，商人又到海滨再遇渔夫。商人邀他出海钓鱼，只见海天一色，风和日丽，不多久渔夫便釣到两条鱼，商人仍无所得。渔夫笑道：“你不是干这活的，何苦还来釣鱼，我分你一条得了。”
商人道：“我这十年挣了盆满钵溢，出来釣鱼是怡情，有没有鱼倒无所谓。不像你十年了，仍然要以此谋生，这是眼界决定格局。”
富于思索的人便有些不平了，他们又加上一个后续故事。
又过了十年，满腹心事的商人又在海滨遇上渔夫。大家都有些沧桑。渔夫问商人现在过得怎样。商人回说：“生意是越做越大，有了两个公司，离了两次婚，现在几个老婆孩子争家产，十分头疼。” 问渔夫过的怎么样？
渔夫说：“还是那样，日子过得平和。不过近来屋顶漏了，还没有钱修，希望最近不要下雨。”
所以说，性格决定命运，各有各的快乐，各有各的苦恼。
人生挣扎，经过千辛万苦不过返回原点再找回曾经放弃的，仍然不能摆脱苦脑。这个故事的思考有时被推往极致，用来强调俗世追求的无谓，劝导宗教的信仰。其实在这“万事皆空”的方面佛教讲得最多，故事诗词也俯拾皆是，比如红楼梦的《好了歌》就把名利情亲一笔扫倒。
世人都晓神仙好，惟有功名忘不了。古今将相在何方？荒冢一堆草没了！
世人都晓神仙好，只有金银忘不了。终朝只恨聚无多，及到多时眼闭了！
世人都晓神仙好，只有姣妻忘不了。君生日日说恩情，君死又随人去了！
世人都晓神仙好，只有儿孙忘不了。痴心父母古来多，孝顺儿孙谁见了？
这类的立论是基于人生目的论。无限的欲望在有限的人生中终将落空，这个追求最后也就变成无谓的了。宗教的回答是人生迷茫，要追求身后的永恒。犬儒哲学说是追求和执着都是无谓，且享受当下。奋斗的哲学则说，人生需要一个梦想，尽管这就像绑在驴子前面的胡萝卜，也许永远够不着。但享受追求的过程和每一次努力收获的喜悦，叫着“人生在路中”。
在浩茫的世界中个人不过一粒微尘，历史的长河中人生只是一闪微芒。从进化的角度来看，这繁忙在世界中的渺小生命，不外乎为了更好生存，在拼命地适应环境，挣扎在方向不定的无常变动中。每一个生命都继承了前辈流传下来的基因来决定自己的形态行为，也在自己的生命行程中为后人留下自己适应环境的基因。经过自然选择幸存下来的基因都有其适合的价值。这故事的不同回答都是前人留下闪耀着思想光辉的文化基因。
Whatever cynicism means, this story has some other implications as well. If the fisherman had taken the same life, he would have been a rival against the businessman, and the latter would have spent more years before he finally was able to enjoy fishing as a leasure, and there might not have enough species left for such leisure for either one, and they might have tried to kill one another. In reality, when China was kind of cynical agains Capitalism, US treated China as a rival. Now China is turning more capitalistic than US, but the two countries are still rivals. Many Americans probably still wish that Chian were what She was in the past rather what she is now becoming.
上面的故事却有更深的反思。原来的故事在于提示人们在追求更好的生活时往往放弃牺牲了很多东西，诸如健康，亲情，自由，到了后来却要花更大代价来赎回，苦苦追寻不过回到原点。
投资管理的后续在于说明虽然貌似回到原点，其实是不同的境界。
再续的故事说明无论到了什么境界，都无可摆脱苦恼。
这是人人要面对思考的scenarios。
another 10 years have passed.
-businessman: his company went bankrupt, his wives and kids are trying to get his money, his company bonds became worthless.. his girlfriend left him. he is now all alone, and miserable. he is about to take his own life by jumping off his high rise luxurious condo..because all his fortune is gone..
-fisherman: he got injuried in one of his fishing adventures.. and he is older now. he can't go out to the sea to do more fishing.. he can only move around in his house, although his wife and kids are kind to him, but they are not doing well.. his roof is leaking worse.. and he had to refiance his home for home equity loan to fix the roof.. then the bank threaten to take his home...
ideal scenarios:
-business: keep only one company and one wife.. doing well, retire well.. and enjoy fishing everyday after he retires..
-fisherman: work a little harder, invest some of his money wisely, and retire.. no more leaking roof, no more fishing.. he paid off his house in full and got a little left over. he lives with his wife and kids and enjoys occasional fishing as a hobby.
i guess the key is to know yourself, the strength and the weakness, and to learn to pursue limited things in limited life time..
any better scenarios?