The dictionary definition of "厚道" (hòu dào) is: sincere, tolerant, and not harsh. It also means being upright, honest, and straightforward, never calculating against others, and rarely suspecting others of trying to trick them. Synonyms for "厚道" include: loyal, honest, and reliable.
When people think of "厚道," they often picture a simple, dark-skinned person with a round, chubby face, kind eyes, thick lips, and a憨憨 (hān hān) smile. This image seems to be fixed in people's minds—a kind, approachable, and reliable person. However, whether someone is truly reliable and "厚道" cannot be accurately determined by their appearance; it is determined by their inner qualities.
In daily life, we often hear people talk about someone who is honest, trustworthy, and "厚道," and we enjoy being around them and feel comfortable associating with them. Such a person will likely have many true friends. It seems that "厚道" is an excellent quality that everyone should possess, and it should be something everyone strives for. Human principles. If everyone were kind and honest, our society would be a paradise. However, in this complex society, are there truly people who are unkind?
Students often talk about their parents who promised them: "If you do well on this exam, I'll buy you XXX; if you're obedient, I'll do XXX for you..." But when the child believed them and worked hard, their hopes were dashed. The child was upset and questioned why the promises weren't kept, but the parents were speechless, having completely forgotten them, and instead, they righteously scolded the child for being immature. Imagine the impact such parents have on their children? Isn't it...? Have they long forgotten their responsibility as their child's first teacher, and even more so, their role model? Think about it, are such parents truly ethical? And
look at the husbands, whether in reality or in movies and TV dramas—how many husbands shower their wives with sweet words while secretly pursuing other women, their mouths full of flattery and their minds full of deception: "Honey, I'm sorry! I have to work overtime today." "Honey, I can't have dinner with you today, I have a business dinner." "Honey, I'm sorry, you'll have to work hard at home, I have to go on a business trip for a few days..." What kind of morality is this? They deceive and coax their wives into staying home to raise the children, care for the elderly, and act as their servants, while they themselves indulge in unrestrained and carefree lives. The air is filled with fragrance. How can one bear to do this? How can this be called kind?
A netizen told me about some teachers in their area who thoroughly investigated and recorded the information about students' parents. Then, based on the parents' status and position, they determined the candidates for class officers, with the parents' rank directly affecting the child's position. Students with poor grades became sports committee members, euphemistically called "motivation"; those who weren't good at sports didn't need to worry about organization... This behavior made me realize "behind-the-scenes manipulation." Teachers are supposed to be role models; how can such teachers be teachers? How can they set an example? Are such teachers kind enough?
I always see "Saving lives and healing the wounded, practicing revolutionary humanitarianism" prominently displayed in hospitals. "Slogans like this are misleading. Doctors' duty is to treat and save lives. When families entrust patients to hospitals, they also entrust them with their trust. Do doctors truly live up to this trust, or do they decide on treatment methods and plans based on the red envelopes (bribes) given by the patient's family? In reality, in recent years, a tacit understanding has formed between doctors and patients. Some anesthesiologists worry that if they don't give red envelopes, the anesthesia won't be effective; some surgeons worry that if they don't give red envelopes, they might accidentally insert scalpels or scissors into the patient's abdomen… Is this treating and saving lives? Patients suffer immensely and are at the mercy of others! How many people can't afford to get sick, let alone die, because the unspoken rules of crematoriums also make life unbearable for ordinary people? It sounds terrifying; where is the humanity in that?
In today's society, what profession earns the most money the fastest? Everyone will unanimously say—celebrities. Yes, a single appearance can cost tens or hundreds of thousands, even hundreds of thousands. And that's not all." So, making hundreds of millions from a single advertisement is easy enough, isn't that enough? These celebrities have already amassed fortunes, yet some still go so far as to create false advertisements, speaking with feigned seriousness and eloquence, acquiring ill-gotten gains. Where is their conscience? This is utterly unethical!
Then look at some pot-bellied leaders, sitting upright on stage, preaching anti-corruption and advocating strict control measures based on Party policies. Yet, behind the scenes, they readily accept bribes and abuse their power for personal gain, without batting an eye. They always think they are powerful figures, far removed from the emperor's reach. Such officials are not public servants; the people are their servants. They have no regard for morality whatsoever!
Since ancient times, no merchant is without guile; therefore, as businessmen, selling inferior goods as superior ones, shortchanging customers—these are common practices; making it their profession to cheat consumers out of their labor. People are never truly kind.
Development and construction are booming in cities, some developers are lining their pockets, construction workers are getting rich, they drive cars and live in villas. They should be incredibly wealthy, yet some individuals remain greedy, their eyes gleaming at the sight of money, itching to grab what they can. Even the hard-earned wages of workers are embezzled, leaving hungry and cold workers unable to return home—a truly outrageous act. Where is the kindness in this?
The above examples show that dishonest people are everywhere. In fact, many are kind. But is it easy to truly be a kind person?
There was a cashier in a company who was always honest and straightforward, even to the point of being naive. He exposed the company's leaders and accountant's collusion to falsify accounts, resulting in his dismissal and making him unemployable to any other company because of his excessive honesty.
Recently, in the newspapers… A reporter was published who, after truthfully reporting the facts about a company, was hunted down and forced to use his counter-surveillance skills to flee for seven days, suffering severe psychological trauma. Although he eventually received a public apology, how can the damage from being on the run heal? This is the suffering of honest people.
According to news reports, a traffic policeman blocked the car of a county party secretary while on official business and was beaten severely without explanation. Being loyal to one's profession and diligently doing one's job is wrong? Who would dare to be so honest? The much-
discussed "miracle doctor" Zhang Wuben, with his fabricated lies, deceived countless honest people.
There's also the online celebrity "King of Migrant Workers" Tang Jun, who paraded around, using his fame as a facade to mislead his honest admirers.
Famous actresses, in their pursuit of fame, didn't hesitate to expose their private lives, tainting the honest public's perception.
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So, is kindness truly wrong? No! Kindness is a universally acknowledged virtue, essential for interpersonal relationships in life, for diligent work, and most prominently and effectively demonstrated in the face of repeated disasters.
The shadow of the Wenchuan earthquake, the tragedy of the Yushu landslide, the devastation of the Danqu mudslide… tens of thousands of volunteers rushed to the disaster areas from all directions, joining hands with the people there, sharing the hardships, racing against time to search for and save countless lives. Unwavering and persistent, they created immortal miracles. They said: "Doing what we can to help the people in the disaster areas is the joy of life…" I think this is the enduring song of kindness—
we believe that kindness will always be the main theme of humanity, and those who violate kindness are ultimately isolated cases, always condemned by the people. As long as there are those who advocate for kindness and support it, the shame of those who lack kindness will be ashamed and vanish!
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