电书摊

telebookstall

没有剑的剑客,没有书的书摊
telegram

Life Relationships

John Constable - The Hay Wain (1821)

Establishing Life Relationships#

However, the essence of man is not an abstract quality inherent in a single individual; rather, it is the sum of all social relations. — Marx, "Theses on Feuerbach"

Novels are written for people to read. The content of a novel is people. A novel writes about the character and emotions of a person, several people, a group of people, or thousands and thousands of people. Their character and emotions are reflected from the horizontal environment, from vertical experiences, and from the interactions and relationships between people... Some novels write about animals, deities, ghosts, and monsters, but they also treat them as people. — Jin Yong, "New Preface to Jin Yong's Works"

The Issue of Social Relations#

In "Theses on Feuerbach," Marx points out that Feuerbach "isolates religious feelings from the historical process and observes them in isolation, assuming an abstract — isolated — human individual." In fact, we can also say that Marx isolates the process of life, observes social relations in isolation, and assumes an abstract — isolated — human society.

Intelligence is essentially a depiction of the objective world; wisdom is like the "clink of a half-full bottle." When we attempt to abstract, this clink begins. We all stand at a certain level trying to reflect the essence of humanity, making it difficult to escape the level we are at. If we stand at the level of life, there is no isolated human society, nor even an isolated earthly life. If we trace back to the era when human intelligence was half-awakened, how could humans write all life into the score of human social relations? However, if we start from "individualism," everything is within the individual; for individualism to survive, everything is within the group, which can also be said. But remember, if the essence of humanity is the sum of social relations, it requires us to view the world as much as possible from outside social relations, after all, the world is objective. A person's world can exist, and a group's world can also exist, but this is not the objective world.

The Earth after the Fall of Man, 1690. Oil on canvas 64.5 x 82.5 cm. Inv. KMS1899. National Gallery of Denmark

Novels also originate from human society and are a depiction and reconstruction of social relations. Jin Yong said, "Novels are about people," and the characters in novels "are reflected from the interactions and relationships between people." He believes that animals like monsters and spirits in novels are written "as if they were people." In other words, novels still write about human social relations rather than the social relations between animals and humans.

Through Marx and Jin Yong, we find that they seem to place greater importance on the social relations between people in their respective fields. In fact, life relationships do not oppose this understanding, because in the vast majority of cases, people interact with people. And social relations also belong to life relationships. But I can't help but ask, can other lives not play the role of humans? Must other lives as characters in novels be "written as if they were people"?

Completing Life Relationships#

I really like the confrontation between the old man and the big fish in "The Old Man and the Sea." However, in this process, we do not regard the fish as a highly intelligent being, nor do we "write it as if it were a person." As mentioned above, anything that humans can see is within the individual. That is to say, any novel will have a narrator, that is, a person. This is inevitable. Similarly, humans can face any life using relationships within the group, which is also inevitable. From a different perspective, a group of wild monkeys can certainly consider the essence of monkeys to be the sum of all monkey group relations. Even if humans give themselves a banana, they will think that if they do not hold it and have not experienced their own labor, then this banana is meaningless. And being able to eat the banana is the reward for their own labor (taking and eating). The monkey king can also snatch the banana from the monkeys; in his eyes, as long as he handles the social relations of the monkey group well, he has the world.

I once raised a dog that was very spiritual. Although I could decide its life and death, the master could also decide my life and death. We cannot deny the relationship established between it and me simply because of the unequal power between the two parties. Some may say this is human empathy; in fact, the ability of people to understand each other is also empathy. The world is external; we cannot and do not need to seek the essence of others, just as when I buy an egg from a merchant, I do not need to understand his eight generations of relationships. The relationships we establish with animals are simple and real, more solid than those established with people; how can this be "written as if they were people," and which person can replace the value of animals in our hearts?

Winslow Homer - The Gulf Stream - Metropolitan Museum of Art. 1899

Furthermore, we would consider a three-year-old child to be a person, even if her intelligence is not particularly high; we can already establish some relationships with her. Moreover, those intelligent animals have even higher IQs. Therefore, it is precisely because of our group's overwhelming strength over animals and our IQ over animals that we do not regard them as subjects. Just like in those impoverished, morally degraded villages, there are often people who bully the foolish at will. This is the result of the weak power of individuals.

Similarly, this is also why many science fiction novels depict humans being kept as livestock after the arrival of aliens. Those lives that are not equal in power to us, what qualifications do they have to be the subjects of social relations? They are merely objects. How can objects become social relations? On the contrary, if there exists a life group that can be equal to me, then they might also be called humanity.

So, if we abandon our prejudices against life and simultaneously expand the theoretical applicability, we can certainly say that everything is the sum of life relationships. And reading novels is not only about the social relations between people but also about all life relationships; writing novels can also write about all life relationships. In this world, what truly excites is life. Even if all things are not sentient, sentience can make all things.

Initial Exploration of Life Relationships#

The content of life relationships certainly includes the content of social relationships, but this is not the perspective of life relationships. If we follow the old path, imitating Dong Shi's frown is meaningless.

Edvard Munch: The Sun 1911

In "Definition of Life," I briefly introduced my understanding of life: "Survival is the highest principle of life." "The core of the survival principle is to accumulate energy and reduce entropy." This pursuit of survival without cause is the survival instinct. The "survival instinct" is like the sun, emitting endless light and heat, supporting the survival of life; I once referred to it as the "nucleus of desire."

The Scope of Life Relationships#

Between lives, there seems to be no relationship. What relationship do I have with a certain ant on Earth, a certain indigenous person in a city, or a certain extraterrestrial life in another galaxy? Indeed, there is no relationship. Perhaps there is, but like starlight, even if that distant star is large, apart from a supernova explosion, it is far inferior to the brilliance of the sun.

Therefore, life relationships must belong to relationships between lives of the same level. The standard for judging the same level is whether that life has individual power to influence the other. Just like the mosquito in my room, although small, it can cause me great pain. For example, a certain emperor, strategizing within the tent, can "decide victory" from thousands of miles away. Of course, he can influence the fate of all humanity. However, this does not entirely represent the life itself but rather the will of a certain part of the group. Groups can also be construed as life. Of course, more often, it is our surroundingpeople.

New planet, Konstantin Yuon, Painting, 1921, 71×101 cm

From this perspective, the essence of humanity is indeed very much social relations, because it must significantly influence our lives and must be at the same level as us. And at the same level, the most important is people. Therefore, we generally do not talk about life relationships.

What I have always thought about is pure life. This life is about balancing various social relations as much as possible to achieve a state of not being manipulated by external factors. Those at a high level can navigate various relationships; those at a lower level can also achieve this effect by reducing stronger relationships.

The Levels of Life Relationships#

Survival is the greatest religion, and life relationships unfold because of it.

Predatory Relationships#

The Hippopotamus and Crocodile Hunt, Peter Paul Rubens, 1615–1616

Life never appears alone but rather in clusters. Some lives choose to absorb the sun's energy, some choose to graze, some choose to eat those that graze, and some prefer to eat meat... All lives emit a gravitational field of desire, ruthlessly absorbing energy; this is the most fundamental relationship between lives — the predatory relationship. Except for plants that photosynthesize, everything animals eat was once alive. Who preys on whom is not important; as long as you sign the survival contract, you will fall into the dark forest. It can truly be said, "Death is like the wind, always at my side."

Coexistence Relationships#

However, life does not always need to feed. Eating is necessary, but it is not the only condition for survival. Because besides the starving ghosts, there are also those who die from overeating. It is not that being full means one will not die; one can also die from being full. Therefore, in a state of being full, lives primarily focus on how to obtain a longer and better existence. Since the predatory rule of "you die, I live" is not violated, it can be said that there is also a coexistence relationship among lives. At least, it is a case of "the well water does not offend the river water."

The Sleeping Gypsy, Henri Rousseau, 1897

See: pure life

Cooperative Relationships#

At a deeper level, there are cooperative relationships; when two lives come together, it is more beneficial for our survival. The deepest is the symbiotic relationship, living together but not dying together. The reason it evolves into living and dying together is that the relationship between the two is so close that it cannot be separated, hence they must die together.

Difficulties in Maintaining Cooperative Relationships#

However, between different life species, there are generally predatory relationships, followed by coexistence relationships. As for higher-level cooperation, it is too difficult. Except for the results of a few life forms that have evolved over a long time, the vast majority of lives can only cooperate and coexist if they possess sufficient intelligence. That said, if cooperation and mutual benefit cannot be achieved, coexistence relationships are unstable and can easily evolve into predatory relationships due to environmental changes or resource scarcity.

Rioters in Dungarvan attempt to break into a bakery; the poor could not afford to buy what food was available. (The Pictorial Times, 1846).

The Superiority of Groups Lies in Cooperative Relationships#

Even if we can eat meat every day, we do not boast all day about our great achievements in slaughtering other lives. Because as a group, the benefits of cooperation and coexistence outweigh the disadvantages. Overly promoting the true relationships of life will lead to the disintegration of the group, degenerating into a zero-sum game of cannibalism. Therefore, within a group, unity is always greater than confrontation. Only groups can develop large-scale cooperative relationships. This is also the superiority of groups, especially the superiority of intelligent groups, in cooperative coexistence. Because of intelligence, they can escape predatory relationships; even if aliens come, they will cooperate in an unequal manner, of course, in a way that does not largely violate predatory relationships.

Abraham Teniers - Barbershop with monkeys and cats (1629–1670)

The Decline of Groups is the Degradation of Cooperative Relationships#

Thus, the lowest level of life relationships is the predatory relationship, and the highest level is the cooperative coexistence relationship. The former can occur between any lives, while the latter mostly occurs within groups. Therefore, I once wrote in "In the End Times|The Ease of the End Times":

The death of an individual is a predetermined event, while the decline of a group, for the individual, may be a kind of ease. The end times are relative; what humanity considers the end times may be the rise of a new species. Therefore, the end times are not about how broken things are; as long as it is not suitable for human survival, it is considered the end times. Compared to individuals, the end times are more about the end of the group. An individual may live very well.

The Magic of Life Relationships#

Looking back at all the content written here, it is all related to life. Whether it is a group or an individual, survival or death, justice or evil, butcher or slaughter, village or civilization... even my ultimate ideal is to construct a world, a world of life, rather than a world without life.

I can't help but wonder, why do life relationships have such magic that they can always haunt my dreams? Is it because I enjoy hunting other lives or being hunted by other lives? Or do I enjoy the pure state of being in and out with other lives, where the well water does not offend the river water? Or do I like to cooperate with other lives to create value together?

Undoubtedly, I hate dark villages; that is a cruel predatory relationship. I cherish cooperative relationships; although we are already strangers, we once coexisted. I am content with coexistence relationships, not seeking to gain power through slaughter, but just wanting to secure a corner and survive.

Although I like coexistence relationships, I cannot say that this is the magic of life relationships.

Asgårdsreien The Wild Hunt of Odin(1872) by Peter Nicolai Arbo

But I believe that life is a variable, just as I discussed in "The Right Way — the path of the divine brings life, the path of the demonic leads to destruction."

Life relationships are not dead relationships; they are living relationships. Cooperative coexistence is certainly excellent, but "I often think it is the multitude that has transformed the Buddha." Between predation and coexistence, we have always observed everything, choosing what we want to appear. Whether tragedy or comedy, we express a belief and pursuit of the truth of life. This strong desire to survive, the infinite exploration of possible survival, is the very meaning of life.

This pursuit of survival without cause is the survival instinct. The "survival instinct" is like the sun, emitting endless light and heat, supporting the survival of life; I once referred to it as the "nucleus of desire."

So, interestingly, we explore the magic of life relationships and then return to the meaning of life. The cause is that humans aspire to beauty; tragedy is beautiful.

Summary of Life Relationships#

The core of this article lies in the levels of life relationships, especially cooperative relationships and groups.

I want to share a few simple inferences.

Without Cooperation, We Move Towards Predation#

At this time, predation is not in the narrow sense of food relationships but rather a zero-sum game of interests, specifically referring to a social atmosphere. Just like I mentioned in the Dark Village, "Your bad deeds are someone else's good deeds; in this mutually harmful society, since everyone cannot see the distant hope, it is better to fall into the abyss and curse each other."

Groups are like rowing against the current; if they cannot coexist and cooperate, they will fall into a survival of the fittest. Because the scaffolding of group cooperation can also become the battering ram for the group's destruction.

"Mad Meg" (Dutch: Dulle Griet). 1563. Oil-on-panel. 115×161 cm Museum Mayer van den Bergh (Antwerp, Belgium)

Just like the Peng Yu case in Nanjing, if you didn't hit someone, why did you help? If so, what reason does such a group have to continue to maintain itself? There are no absolute strong or weak individuals in a group because people are replaceable. When more and more people discover that contributing to the group is merely dressing someone else's wedding gown, what will they do?

"To die is to die; to make a big plan is also to die; to wait for death is to die; can we die for the country?"

It does not mean that the lower class will make a big plan; they will simply choose to overturn the table, a method of mutual harm, commonly known as "the barefoot are not afraid of the shod."

However, after experiencing death, the relationships between people tend to cooperate, and a new group relationship is reborn.

How to Establish Cooperative Coexistence Relationships?#

The foundation for maintaining good group relationships lies in cooperation. The foundation for maintaining good interpersonal relationships also lies in cooperation. And the root of all this is flow, releasing goodwill.

This platform advocates individualism and pursues purelife, which is a state of self-isolation. Why? Because what I want to do is a personal matter that does not require cooperation. I do not compete with the world, so no one blames me.

If one wants to gain the benefits of the group, one needs to cooperate with others as much as possible, like a peacock spreading its tail, tirelessly showcasing itself. And this display must allow others to gain benefits. Just like flattery, it is a good lubricant for interpersonal relationships, but many people do not do it well; gaining benefits is not a one-sided flattery but genuinely allowing the other party to benefit; this is a technical skill. Flattery is not bad; what is bad is that some use flattery to undermine the rule of law and harm the interests of the group.

Jan Theodor de Bry after Pieter Bruegel the Elder, The Man with the Moneybag and His Flatterers, NGA 47612

However, cooperative coexistence makes it simple to satisfy others' interests, but difficult to satisfy one's own interests. If I sell cold skin, if I give it away for free, I will go bankrupt; but if the cold skin is about to spoil, it is better to give it to customers than to eat it myself, allowing others to benefit. As long as I do not lose money, we will always cooperate and coexist, and the relationship will be close.

"Flattery" is not only a technical skill but also a philosophical question — do I want to flatter him, and is what I gain from flattering him what I want?

Therefore, the first principle of this platform's posts is to satisfy the freedom of self-expression of ideas, and the second principle is how to satisfy subscribers. The former always takes precedence over the latter.

However, the concept determines interests; the independent value of flattery may be the philosophical basis of a sycophant.

The Most Effective Method is to Stay Away#

The scope of life relationships describes strong life relationships and weak life relationships; the former often makes people dance like puppets, while the latter is a more peaceful relationship.

Leaving is the most effective way to survive. If you are unhappy in your country, you can go to uninhabited places, to places that do not annoy you, to places where people can cooperate with each other.

Woodcut of Kraków from the Nuremberg Chronicle, 1493

Any life that wants to interact requires a certain amount of space and time; if we are in the right time and place, we can obtain the life we desire.

If you are on Mars, Earth being attacked by light particles has nothing to do with you.

Cooperative Coexistence Requires Respect for Life#

Humans indeed have the ability to dominate all lives on Earth. Humans can indeed discard all pretenses of goodwill and enjoy the feast of life's remains more nakedly. Since life is survival of the fittest, why can't I be more unrestrained? Why can't I casually torture lives? Why would anyone care about the life and death of others?

August Friedrich Albrecht Schenck - Anguish - 1878

It is all because of the cooperative coexistence relationship. Life is not just a battleground of strength; there is also a more powerful cooperative coexistence. The slaughter of life is due to the survival needs of another life. It is only natural to live and let die for survival. Cooperative coexistence is also to create greater benefits and to survive better. However, meaningless slaughter is an abnormal state. This kind of meaningless slaughter not only affects the trust foundation of cooperation but also impacts coexistence and predatory relationships. It belongs to the enemy of life.

This explanation is also a utilitarian explanation, superficial, and can be said to capture the essence of objectivism.

This is the life relationship, completed on the night of August 31, 2024, dedicated to all lives that have once cooperated and coexisted with me. In this life, I cannot accompany you through, but if life were only as it was at first sight.

Loading...
Ownership of this post data is guaranteed by blockchain and smart contracts to the creator alone.