It's better to forget each other in the vast world than to cling together in hardship.

     In the *Zhuangzi*, specifically the chapter "The Great Master," there is a saying: "It is better to forget each other in the rivers and lakes than to moisten each other with saliva." However, at some point, people only remembered the first part, "moisten each other with saliva," forgetting the second part, "forget

    each other in the rivers and lakes." Is this a result of misinterpreting the meaning, or does it reflect people's beautiful blessings and expectations? Let's examine the original meaning of this saying: "When the spring dries up, two fish are stranded on land, breathing on each other and spitting saliva to moisten each other, appearing to share hardship and showing kindness and loyalty. Is this more leisurely and carefree than when the lake is full, each swimming back to the rivers and lakes, forgetting each other forever?" Thus, "forgetting each other in the rivers and lakes" is the fish's normal life, while "moistening each other with saliva" is merely a bargaining chip for their shared hardship. In human society, in a society where men and women coexist, forgetting each other in the rivers and lakes is a shameful act, while "moistening each other with saliva" has become a harmonious ideal that people universally admire. This may be the difference between humans and fish. Fish typically live a life of mutual detachment, while humans, driven by higher ideals, crave a life of mutual support and companionship. Perhaps because most people live in an abnormal situation of mutual detachment, they value this mutual support so much.

    This may also be because most people fail to grasp the principle in the saying, "It's better to forget both than to praise Yao and condemn Jie." Thus, childhood sweethearts and mutual support emerge. This selective interpretation, seemingly freezing and praising an ideal, actually distorts the truth of evolutionary absorption. If one day we lose sight of the origin of this saying, this distorted interpretation will become a accepted fact in the eyes of future generations. "It's better to forget each other in the rivers and lakes than to be mutually dependent," is the complete picture. In this process, mutual support is a necessary dependence for fish, while forgetting each other in the rivers and lakes is the true chapter of their lives, their moral code.

    When we regard the "mutual support in hardship" that fish disregard as a form of praise in the human world, then the fish's middle state becomes humanity's ultimate goal. Perhaps we find praise for some, but we also add a layer of bias born from misinterpretation. As just two examples among countless species, because of differences in survival and perception, humans choose "mutual support in hardship," while fish choose "forgetting each other in the vast world." However, in this parting of ways, we must understand that "better to forget each other in the vast world than to support each other in hardship" is a holistic concept, at least for fish. Those who part ways are no exception, and those who share a bed but dream different dreams are even more so.