在生活中，我們經常需要對各種事情進行評價和判斷，這不僅涉及到工作、學習或人際關係，還關係到道德觀和價值觀。如果能掌握一套客觀絕對的標準，那麼，我們對事情的評價和判斷將更為合理和公正，也將更有效率。
從孩提時代起，我們就習慣於一些極端對立的分類，例如，好與壞、對與錯等等。這些分類使我們維持一種簡化的思考模式，並常常被用作評價和判斷事物的標準。然而，這種評斷標準的有效性，往往取決於個人的主觀看法和感受，並不穩定。例如，對於同樣的挫折，有些人覺得是一種磨練，因此是好的，而另一些人則會覺得是打擊，是壞的。另一個例子是，現在看來是對的事情，我們以後會認為是錯的。
因此，如果以好壞、對錯作為標準，我們就很難對事物做出合理、公正的評斷。大部份時間裡，我們都不會處在極端的情況。即使是在死亡這種極端的情況下，我們也不能簡單地評斷好壞、對錯。如果我們使用極端式的評斷模式，就會忽略很多細節，增加了誤判的機會，並可能為此付出沉重的代價。
顯然，我們應該採用更全面的評斷模式。當評價一款產品，除了個人喜好外，我們還應考慮產品的性能、價格、品質等多方面因素。我們可以運用批判式思維，分辨信息的真偽，或者對事物作分析和解構，從現象看到本質，進而作出對生命最有利的判斷。實際上，對事物作出評價和判斷，是對生命的一種最有效的保護。
從本能或意識的層面看，我們都希望自己的生命延續下去，因此，我們希望事情對自己有利。從這一點出發，我們可以考慮以"有益身心"作為一種評斷事物的客觀絕對標準。有益身心意味著能夠促進我們身體健康，以及心理平衡。例如均衡飲食能促進身體健康，而閱讀和思考則能促進我們心理平衡。
至於如何確定一件事情是否有益身心，我們可以建立一個合理的信念：那些有益於整體生命的事情，必定有益於我們的身心。這是因為，既然大自然演化出生命，生命對於大自然必定有其重要性。對生命延續有利的事情，就是順應自然的事情，所以有益我們的身心。我們可以確信，只有有益於身心的事情才值得做。
對於生活中的許多事情，我們都可以先按是否有益身心這個標準，評斷其可能的後果，然後才採取行動。例如跑步鍛鍊身體，我們可以根據自己的體重和關節情況，首先考慮身體能否承受，再考慮時間和心理問題。如果我們應付得來，即可評斷為有益身心。另一個例子是，在決定是否幫助長者過馬路的時候，我們需要觀察長者是否真的需要。如果長者沒有行動不便，也沒有即時的危險，我們就可以決定不提供幫助。這樣可以讓長者保持自主，也節省我們的時間，是有益身心的。
我們還可以將有益身心的標準，與好壞、對錯標準結合，形成一種新觀念：有益身心的事情是好事，做這些事情就是對的。這樣，我們就更容易評斷一件事是否值得做，甚至可以用這個標準來解決道德和價值觀的問題。在無法確定是否有益身心的時候，我們可以逆向思考，轉而判斷是否有損身心。例如，我們為累積財富而努力，本質上是為生命延續而努力，所以，如果反過來損害了我們的身心健康，就應該考慮放慢速度或調整方向。在模糊的情況下，如果一件事無法確定是否有益身心，或者有損身心，那麼我們很應該考慮放棄，而不是堅持去做。
然而，即使有了客觀絕對的評斷標準，我們仍需要擁有健康而充份的意識，這個標準才能發揮作用。我們不僅需要避免因自己的習慣、情緒或偏見而扭曲事物，還需要把事物放在一個更大的環境中，看到整體生命的利益，從而做出更為客觀和公正的評價和判斷。在涉及性別或種族歧視等社會議題上，我們更需要超越個人和文化背景的侷限，以有益於每個人身心的平等原則，來評價和判斷相關的問題。
總的來說，只要我們具備足夠的知識和思考能力，就能以"有益身心"這個客觀絕對的標準評斷事物。我們可以加強學習和思維訓練，並時刻關注自己的生命，在實踐中逐漸掌握這個標準。這個標準也是一個全面有效的標準。 如果能夠遵循這個標準，我們就能不斷為身心健康而努力。
在實施這個標準的過程中，我們也會遇到一些困難。我們有時會被情緒或慣性思維所影響，而忘記了甚麼事情對自己的身心有益。我們需要與別人保持密切的聯繫，讓別人能夠及時提醒我們關注自己的身心，從而克服這些困難。此外，牢記"有益身心"這個標準，也能使我們更容易擺脫負面情緒或慣性思維的困擾。當我們不斷提高意識，並保持客觀地評斷事物，就能更好地理解世界，更不容易受騙。這樣，我們就能理性地保護生命。
81. 充份意識到言辭的力量 (上一篇)
83. 聆聽讓我們收穫美滿的關係 (下一篇)
The path to Tranquility (82)
Judging things with an objective and
absolute standard
In life, we often need to evaluate and judge various things, which not only involves work, study or interpersonal relationships, but also relates to moral views and values. If we can master a set of objective and absolute standards, then our evaluation and judgment of things will be more reasonable and fair, and also more efficient.
From childhood, we are accustomed to some kinds of extreme opposition classification, such as good and bad, right and wrong, and so on. These classification allows us to maintain a simplified thinking mode, and is often used as a standard for evaluating and judging things. However, the effectiveness of this judgment standard often depends on individual subjective views and feelings, and is not stable. For example, for the same setback, some people feel it is a kind of tempering, so it is good, while others will feel it is a blow, it is bad. Another example is that what seems right now, we will think is wrong later.
Therefore, if we use good or bad, right or wrong as the standard, it will be difficult for us to make reasonable and fair judgments on things. Most of the time, we will not be in extreme situations. Even in the extreme situation of death, we cannot simply judge good and bad, right and wrong. If we use an extreme judgment mode, we will ignore many details, increase the chance of misjudgment, and may pay a heavy price for it.
Clearly, we should adopt a more comprehensive model of judgment. When evaluating a product, in addition to personal preferences, we should also consider multiple factors such as product performance, price, and quality. We can use critical thinking to distinguish the truth of information, or analyze and deconstruct things to see the essence from the phenomenon and then make the most beneficial judgment for life. In fact, evaluating and judging things is the most effective protection for life.
From the level of instinct or consciousness, we all hope that our lives will continue, so we hope that things are beneficial to us. Starting from this point, we can consider "beneficial to the body and mind" as an objective and absolute standard for judging things. Beneficial to the body and mind means that it can promote our physical health and psychological balance. For example, balanced diet can promote physical health, and reading and thinking can promote our psychological balance.
As for how to determine whether a thing is beneficial to the body and mind, we can establish a reasonable belief: those things that are beneficial to the overall life must be beneficial to our body and mind. This is because, since nature has evolved life, life must have its importance to nature. Things that are beneficial to the continuation of life are things that conform to nature, so they are beneficial to our body and mind. We can be sure that only things that are beneficial to the body and mind are worth doing.
For many things in life, we can first judge the possible consequences according to the standard of whether it is beneficial to the body and mind, and then take action. For example, when running to exercise, we can first consider whether the body can bear it based on our weight and joint condition, and then consider time and psychological issues. If we can cope with it, it can be judged as beneficial to the body and mind. Another example is that when deciding whether to help an elder cross the road, we need to observe whether the elder really needs it. If the elder does not have mobility impairments and is not in immediate danger, we can decide not to provide assistance. This allows the elderly to maintain their autonomy and saves us time, which is beneficial to the body and mind.
We can also combine the standard of being beneficial to the body and mind with the standard of good and bad, right and wrong, to form a new concept: things that are beneficial to the body and mind are good things, and doing these things is right. In this way, we can more easily judge whether a thing is worth doing, and even use this standard to solve issues of morality and values. When we are not sure whether it is beneficial to the body and mind, we can think in reverse and judge whether it is harmful to the body and mind. For example, our efforts to accumulate wealth are essentially efforts to extend our lives, so if it in turn damages our physical and mental health, we should consider slowing down or adjusting the direction. In a vague situation, if it is unclear whether something is beneficial to the body or mind, or harmful to the body and mind, then we should consider giving up instead of insisting on doing it.
However, even with an objective absolute judgment standard, we still need to have a healthy and sufficient consciousness for this standard to be effective. We not only need to avoid distorting things due to our own habits, emotions or prejudices, but also need to put things in a larger environment, see the benefits of the overall life, and make more objective and fair evaluations and judgments. On the social issues such as gender or racial discrimination, we need to transcend the limitations of personal and cultural backgrounds, and evaluate and judge related issues based on the principle of equality that is beneficial to everyone's body and mind.
In general, as long as we have sufficient knowledge and thinking ability, we can judge things with the objective and absolute standard of "beneficial to the body and mind". We can strengthen learning and thinking training, and always pay attention to our own life, and gradually master this standard in practice. This standard is also a comprehensive and effective standard. If we can follow this standard, we can constantly strive for physical and mental health.
In the process of implementing this standard, we will also encounter some difficulties. Sometimes we are influenced by emotions or habitual thinking, and forget what is beneficial to our body and mind. We need to maintain close connection with others so that others can promptly remind us to pay attention to our body and mind in order to overcome these difficulties. In addition, keeping in mind the standard of "beneficial to the body and mind" can also make it easier for us to get rid of negative emotions or inertial thinking. When we continue to raise our awareness and judge things objectively, we can better understand the world and be less likely to be deceived. In this way, we can protect life rationally.
On July 25, 2023
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