第1个回答 2006-03-02
TheWorldAsISeeIt
-AlbertEinstein-
Howstrangeisthelotofusmortals!Eachofusishereforabriefsojourn;forwhatpurposebeknowsnot,thoughhesometimesthinkshesensesit.Butwithoutdeeperreflectiononeknowsfromdailylifethatoneexistsforotherpeople-firstofallforthoseuponwhosesmilesandwell-beingourownhappinessiswhollydependent,andthenforthemany,unknowntous,towhosedestiniesweareboundbythetiesofsympathy.AhundredtimeseverydayIremindmyselfthatmyinnerandouterlifearebasedonthelaborsofothermen,livinganddead,andthatImustexertmyselfinordertogiveinthesamemeasureasIhavereceivedandamstillreceiving.IamstronglydrawntoafrugallifeandamoftenoppressivelyawarethatIamengrossinganundueamountofthelaborofmyfellow-men.Iregardclassdistinctionsasunjustifiedand,inthelastresort,basedonforce.Ialsobelievethatasimpleandunassuminglifeisgoodforeverybody,physicallyandmentally.
Idonotatallbelieveinhumanfreedominthephilosophicalsense.Everybodyactsnotonlyunderexternalcompulsionbutalsoinaccordancewithinnernecessity.Schopenhauer'ssaying,"Amancandowhathewants,butnotwantwhathewants,"hasbeenaveryrealinspirationtomesincemyyouth;ithasbeenacontinualconsolationinthefaceoflife'shardships,myownandothers',andanunfailingwell-springoftolerance.Thisrealizationmercifullymitigatestheeasilyparalyzingsenseofresponsibilityandpreventsusfromtakingourselvesandotherpeoplealltooseriously;itisconducivetoaviewoflifewhich,inparticular,giveshumoritsdue.
Toinquireafterthemeaningorobjectofone'sownexistenceorthatofallcreatureshasalwaysseemedtomeabsurdfromanobjectivepointofview.Andyeteverybodyhascertainidealswhichdeterminethedirectionofhisendeavorsandhisjudgments.InthissenseIhaveneverlookeduponeaseandhappinessasendsinthemselves-thisethicalbasisIcalltheidealofapigsty.Theidealswhichhavelightedmyway,andtimeaftertimehavegivenmenewcouragetofacelifecheerfully,havebeenKindness,Beauty,andTruth.Withoutthesenseofkinshipwithmenoflikemind,withouttheoccupationwiththeobjectiveworld,theeternallyunattainableinthefieldofartandscientificendeavors,lifewouldhaveseemedtomeempty.Thetriteobjectsofhumanefforts-possessions,outwardsuccess,luxury-havealwaysseemedtomecontemptible.
Mypassionatesenseofsocialjusticeandsocialresponsibilityhasalwayscontrastedoddlywithmypronouncedlackofneedfordirectcontactwithotherhumanbeingsandhumancommunities.Iamtrulya"lonetraveler"andhaveneverbelongedtomycountry,myhome,myfriend,orevenmyimmediatefamily,withmywholeheart;inthefaceofalltheseties,Ihaveneverlostasenseofdistanceandaneedforsolitude-feelingswhichincreasewiththeyears.Onebecomessharplyaware,butwithoutregret,ofthelimitsofmutualunderstandingandconsonancewithotherpeople.Nodoubt,suchapersonlosessomeofhisinnocenceandunconcern;ontheotherhand,heislargelyindependent,oftheopinions,habits,andjudgmentsofhisfellowsandavoidsthetemptationtobuildhisinnerequilibriumuponsuchinsecurefoundations.本回答被提问者采纳