老二哲學 The Philosophy of Being the Second

在這個世界上很多人都想爭取到第一流的工作職位，第一流的薪水，因此往往站上頂端的人都要承受無數的壓力。在這競爭過程中使出厚黑甚至卑鄙的手段也是在所難免，我最近體會到一種屬於我自己的老二哲學，似乎比較符合我目前的需求。

Many people are eager to get a first-class job position and to earn rich income, so people standing on the top-ranking positions often bear enormous pressure. In such strong competitions, it can hardly be avoided that business opponents use tricky even despicable means to beat us. Recently, I realize a kind of thinking belong to me, which is suitable for me.

畢竟第一名就是只有那一個，其他的都不是第一名，如何接受自己不是頂端的那一個，但卻能保持積極的態度對我來說是重要的。我發現即使當我們各方面能力都比在上位的那些人的好，在現實裡，常常遇到的狀況是那些在上位的人並不會因為他自知不如你就會慷慨坦然大大方方的把位置和高薪讓給你。相反的，表現出太過積極於爭取高位或高薪的動作往往讓在你上面的人感受到強大的威脅，反而處處想辦法防堵你。所以我覺得，不管我多努力，我都要能接受，可能一輩子就是在第二流的職位，拿二流的薪水，至少沒有第一，我也要努力爭取第二的目標，來輔佐別人成就第一的位置。
In fact, because only one can be the first, the others are not, how to keep aggressive, positive attitude, and how to accept myself for the fact I am not the top one is important for me. Generally, I found that even we are better in most aspects then some people at the upper positions, however, in the reality, they don't give their seats and high salary chances to you with generous mind. Ironically, it causes they feel strong threatened by your aggressiveness of winning a position, then try any possible ways to guard against their imaginary enemies. I think of a principle, which is: I must learn to accept that maybe I only can take the second-class position and have low salary even how effort I make in my life. Although I would not be the first one, I should make my biggest efforts for being the second, and to assist others to get the first one.


老二哲學並不是說什麼都第二就好了。但什麼事情要爭取第一呢？不是信奉老二哲學就不力爭上游，相反的，我雖不做第一流的位置，拿最多的錢，但我期許，也要求自己要積極儲備第一流的實力，成就整個團隊第一流的業績，為所屬公司或是自己的公司站上該產業第一流的位置，同時也希望整個工作環境和為這塊土地打拼的人民能夠享受第一流的物質和精神生活。當我儲備了第一流的實力，假如公司在上面的人因為被挖角或是升遷的時候，我已經培養了足夠能力來頂替上面的位置，也能承擔起更多的責任以符合公司的需要。這種從下面浮起來的模式應該會更為穩固，同時說不定反而更快速就能夠站上第一的位置。
“The philosophy of being second” doesn't mean that everything just only being "second". It is not OK. So, what I should fight for the first-class? I don't approve that we don't strive for the best for our goals. On the contrary, though I am not at the top position, not earning the most money, I wish, and demand myself to prepare and develop the first-level ability, to make the top accomplishment with team works, work hard for our company to stand on the first place in related business field, and also important, help other people to enjoy first-class material and cultural life. When I have enough ability, if some people who were originally at the upper job position have to leave due to promotion or recruited by other companies, I would have prepared myself to do that kind of job. Also, I am able to take more responsibilities to keep company operation well. I say this mode "emergence". It is solid. And this kind of thinking way may help us stand on core positions quickly.


有很多事情是很矛盾的。
There are many contradictions when making choices.

只求每日好好付出努力，這種注重過程的態度可以讓身心處在較好的狀態，但卻缺乏以目標導向所能激發最頂尖5%菁英競爭潛力
"To play everyday's roles well" this attitude focusing on the process usually decrease pressure and keep our mind condition well. However, this thought may let us lack inconceivable potential aroused by aim-result competition with top 5% elites.

不隨波逐流堅持自己理想以及做自己認為正確的事情，但卻不知到自己的堅持是否正是一種固執--如同安麗演講所提及--自己不改善自己大腦的DNA以致於永遠都在做錯的事情？
I insist on my ideals and what I think they are right when facing difficulty. However, is my insistence a kind of pigheadedness? As I heart in that Amway speech: if I do not change my "Brain DNA", how can I not make the same mistakes in the future? How do I make sure which way I should take?


昨晚看完一本書叫做追逐日光 Chasing Daylight by Eugene O'Kelly 我想我在裡頭找到了一些答案。
Last night, I read a book named “Chasing Daylight” by Eugene O'Kelly. I thought I found some good answers in that book.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/30/books/30masl.html?ex=1296277200&en=447a4efcce8c6a8e&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss


我們知道，當發生空難時，應先把自己的氧氣罩帶好，再去處理別人的！
I realize that when in an emergency in an airplane, I should wear my oxygen mask first, so that I can survive and help my children or other people to wear theirs!


沒錯。要贏！！
That is Right. We need to Win!

先擺平想置我們於死地的商場惡意對手，才有資格談理想！
To have the qualification for doing something good, beat hostile business opponents who want to doom us to death first, so that we can talk our ideals loudly!

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看開 Understanding

我曾經在想，如果我是一個主管我會希望我管理的團隊有個怎麼樣的一個工作目標。
I ever thought about that if I am a manager, what aim I want to achieve with a group I manage.

我希望我的團隊可以樂在工作。簡單的說也就是她們都能夠快樂。我目前的想法可能跟現今市場上主流--完全績效式的工作要求所強調的中心思想有些部分差異。當然，我這麼主張並不代表說強調工作快樂就一定要跟不賺錢，低績效劃上等號；而搞的緊張兮兮，每週評定工作績效，如此神經緊繃的職場生態難道就會讓每一個人的工作效率大增？不管怎麼說，一個很簡單的思維，假如工作現實讓你痛苦，或者工作壓力大賠掉了健康，家人友誼等，那真的是本末倒置。因為賺錢不就是你認為賺了錢以後你就會快樂，生活品質更好才去辛苦追求的嗎？那過度的不快樂是不是已經違背了此一原則呢？
『題外話：那些聘請你有錢的大股東老闆當然你能為他們賺更多，這樣他們就更快樂囉….有時候員工的快樂與否他們不是把這些放在關心的重點項目裡』
I hope my working team being happy in their job. Simply to say, I hope they are happy in office. My idea probably has some differences with present mainstream marketing—completely emphasizing achievements evaluation requirements. Of course, my argument doesn’t mean that focusing on working happy is just equal to getting a result of earning no money or low efficiency; on the other hand, so nervous and stressful by every week’s score, in such a working situation, would it the best way to increase the work efficiency? Whatever to say, a simple idea: if the job let you be unhappy, or lose your health because of work stress even make trouble on your family and friendship, it is like putting the cart before the horse. Don’t you think earning money will let you happy and enjoy better life so that you work hard? So, if you are unhappy, does it conflict with this principle? Even you have a lot of money?
* By the way, these bosses and stockholders absolutely hope you can make more money for them, so that they will be happy :) …. Sometimes but not always, employees’ happiness is not an important consideration for these rich managements.*


今天我看開了，我把這個想法延伸到我的日常生活裡。身為一個男人，大多數其實努力一生追求的不外乎A. 成就工作事業上的意義 B. 獲得良好的經濟能力與財富 C. 找一個好對象並跟自己心愛的人結婚 D. 組織一個美滿的家庭，獲得快樂的生活。 但世界總不是那麼完美，人在比較上也會有強弱之分。假如一個人因為過去沒有念明星大學科系以致於後來工作薪水不合乎期望，或者長的矮又禿頭追不到條件理想的老婆而感到不快樂，是不是也犯了本末倒置的錯誤呢？ 我們追求剛講到ABCD幾點 也就是為了獲得一種快樂的滿足，假如追求了半天才發現自己一點都不快樂，或是因為自己在這些方面做的不夠好而太沮喪，那恐怕就失去了原來追求快樂的意義。從這個角度來解讀，或許即使賺不到錢，及使沒有找到好對象組織一個家庭，也應該設法擺脫掉這種自己給自己或是社會觀念給我們的強大壓力所帶來的不快樂。人生真的很短暫。
Today, I understand. I extend this idea to my daily life. Being a man, most have these similar life goals to achieve for a life: A. Achieve career success and meaning. B. Have good economic condition and fortune. C. Look for a nice woman and marry her. D. Have a happy family life. However, the world is not that perfect. If one person didn’t enter in an Ivy League university and can not make so much money he wants or can not look for a perfect woman he likes because of his face or he is bald, does it right that he is unhappy by these reasons? Yes, we seek for A and B and C…. many life goals, it is sure that we want to get satisfaction from achieving these goals. But…I am afraid to say that we lose and forget our original ideal if we find ourselves unhappy or depressed because we can not do it well. From this angle of view to explain, even we are poor, or even we can not find a good wife to compose a family, we should get rid of this unhappy feeling coming from ourselves or the pressure from our society. People’s life actually is really short.


把追求快樂當為中心理念，我想，不是事事過度的曲解，把追求快樂一直掛在嘴邊，避免所有可能不快樂的壓力，面對挑戰時的緊張，繼而放縱生活或者碰到不愉快的事情就馬上逃避。那這就掉入了追求快樂的陷阱。不快樂跟快樂的情感本身就是兩者並存的，而且天天都在我們的生活中上演，互相的拉鋸。為了獲得一個更大的成就以及追求更有價值的事情，有時候痛苦也是很必要且不可避免。主要的觀念還是在於不要因為為了追求快樂而讓自己到頭來以痛苦收場或者因為在競爭的環境裡追求不到你所要的金錢或社會地位而痛苦，那人生就不美滿了。如果真的窮了，也應該想辦法擺脫心靈上的痛苦。
Regarding pursuing happiness as a main idea, I think, is not over stress on happy itself for everything. Say “we should be happy” all day long (*stupid*). It is wrong to avoid all the pressure which will make you unhappy, escape from difficulty just as the reason of being happy for life. It is a trap of happiness and we hope not to drop in. Happy and unhappy, both exist at the same time, happening in our daily life pulling and dragging to each other. To complete a meaningful goal or pursue a valuable issue, sometimes pain is necessary and can not be avoided. I think the main idea is: do not be unhappy in the long run when pursuing your goals or be sad because you fail to get your aim, like not making money or position in highly completed surroundings. That kind of life is not successful. If really fail, think and try to get rid of pain in mind.


要做到這些，我覺得真不容易。當然，我馬上體會到，即使做不到100分，也不要不快樂，是吧？:)
To do these well, I feel it is not easy. Sure, I think about if I can not get 100 score, I don’t need to be unhappy, right? :)

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兒時情景 The memory of childhood

今晚去書店買東西的時候看到書店老闆娘就讀小二的女兒在櫃臺邊寫著家庭作業。現在看小孩子真是天真純淨又可愛。
This evening when I went to a bookstore near my house, I saw the owner's 2-grade daughter writing her homework around the counter. Now I feel children are simple, pure and cute when seeing them.

我很懷念我小時候的快樂時光。
I miss the happy time of my childhood.

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我記得以前還是小孩子時，假日的時候經常全家四人擠在爸媽房間的大床上，大家講述著一些好笑的事情，胡扯一通，無憂無慮。
I recall that while I was a child, I usually crowded in my parent's big bed with whole my family on holiday, chatting and talking funny stories. We talked nonsense, bullshit, and we were lighthearted.


我以前到外婆家的時候，還很喜歡跟我表兄弟在二樓陽台玩耍。那種星際大戰飛行的航空母艦有沒有….，我就像是個艦長一樣，雙手抓著鐵欄杆坐在陽台鐵架上面，轟隆轟隆的駕駛整個房屋。那個時候外婆家門前的馬路正在進行拓寬打通的工程，很多工人和遊民來來往往。我印象很深刻，玩到起勁時我就把他們當作卡通裡的敵人，把剛剛吃完花生殻朝著他們頭上丟去，轟轟轟…..哈哈
When going to my grandmother's house, I liked to play with my cousins on the second floor balcony. Remember the Star Wars aviation fly-boat? I just was like a captain, holding on the iron railing with my hands and sitting on iron frame to drive my grandmother's “house” HUM..Hum..humlong… with shaking sound. At that time, a construction of road broadening and opening in front of my grandmother's house was processing. Many workers and hobos just went around nearby. It was a deep impression that in the high mood while playing, I saw these people as enemies in cartoons, and I threw peanut shells to these people's head, bombarding hummmm.. haha.


今天老闆娘結帳時跟我說現在的小朋友比較辛苦，要學很多，而且現在的小孩要跟全世界競爭。我跟他說，其實我們這一世代才真的要跟全世界競爭，而且她們小孩子從小已經知道要跟全世界競爭了，不像我們，小時候沒有這樣的心理準備，大學『由你玩四年』…現在卻面臨殘酷的全球化競爭
The owner's wife told me that children nowadays are harder than children in the past because they need to learn everything, studying two languages, arts, math,… They compete with all the children in the world. I said: in fact, our generation (1980-1990) just meets severe global challenge. They children now have preparation and already know that. Not like us, we didn't have such a preparation in mental and playing in our studying. But now, the situation changes so fast that we can not respond facing cruel global competition.


我覺得小時候快樂，單純，而且有耐心。長大以後越來越沒有耐心。我小時候天天練習法國號，也沒想說可能要練個五年十年才能把樂器吹好實在太久了，就還是天天這樣笨笨的練。反觀大人好像都比較講究速成，什麼都等不急了，非要看到立竿見影的效果。要我現在好好學小提琴五年，我相信還是可以拉到一個程度，問題是，我能夠有這樣的耐心跟恆心嗎？
I felt I was happy, simple and patient in my childhood. Seems that I lose some patience after growing up. I practiced playing French horn every day when I was young but I don't think it would be too long that I need to spend 5 or 10 years to learn it well. I just practice it foolishly. By contrary, adults are more particular about fast effects, and can not wait, want to get rapid results. If now I'd like to learn to play the violin for five years, I think I can play it well. However, the problem is, do I have enough patience and stability to accomplish it?

要怎樣才能重拾小時候那種純淨的心靈以及沒有煩惱而且快樂的生活呢？
How to recover the childlike pure heart and happy life?

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雜記 Notes of random thoughts

我只是想記錄幾樣事情在此篇
Just record some things in this.

首先，我一個朋友的部落格 La Boheme
First, my friend’s blog “La Boheme”. Good! Look it.
http://clchopin.spaces.live.com/PersonalSpace.aspx?_c02_owner=1

還不錯，有空去看看

再來 and then…

再來，今天我們的陳總統在台灣歷史上第一次上電視澄清弊案。
有貪污，當然很糟，沒貪污，國內政治如此藍綠惡鬥也悲哀。
Then, today, our president gave a speech on TV to clarify his possible fraudulent practice. If he is not honest, it is awful. If he is clear, it is sorrowful that our political parties fight made political unrest.


還有，今天陳定南先生過世，他可說是一個很清廉的人，相比其他藍綠貪污，更顯得他可貴。


我在想，以後我出來工作以後當然我能夠避免貪污，但是有時候商場及官商勾結的事情很多。要是我不做，我會不會沒辦法賺到錢？我會不會因為公司的任務我必須要被逼著牽連涉入很多黑暗的事情？ 這些都是將來的挑戰
I am thinking about that if I work in the future, I am confident that I do not corrupt. However, sometimes in business there are many situations politics and business fields are deeply related. If I don’t do something, do I not make money? Will I need to be forced to be involved with some dark issues because of company operation? These are all challenges in the future.

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