Dreams Are the Stuff of Life

卡洛/Carroll

我相信自己是一個幸運的人。

我一生生活都平穩，毫無波瀾。我從未經歷過經濟危機或情感危機，但我擁有的一切并不是依靠溺愛、遺產或特權，而是通過自身努力工作得來的。

生活中的我從不濫走極端，我始終認為工人就應當工作，商人就應當獲利，藝術家就應當獲取報酬。

正因如此，我討價還價的能力沒有絲毫長進，所以我從不試圖過分吹噓自己。盡管我知道自己的酬勞少于實際應得的，但我仍會繼續工作。我發現，這樣一來，我從未因害怕失業而做出任何違背原則的事。

的確，像我這種在精神、身體、情感與經濟上都如此幸運的人，少不了很多人曾給予的幫助。有些幫助是刻意的，但大多數則是偶然為之，盡管如此，我依然認為必須報答他們。這并不是說我為同胞們奉獻出了自己的一生，我也不是那樣的人。但我覺得應該盡自己所能去幫助他人，就像別人幫助我一樣。

我認為，現在所說的這些正是我信仰中的一部分。即使很難，但為了自身利益，每個人都應將生活的信仰縮減至600字，并將其與他所享有的東西作比較——不比擁有的房產、金錢和物品，而是比愛、健康、幸福和歡笑。

我不相信，今生的生活方式會在來世遭到報應。生活與獎賞，生活與懲罰，對我而言，都是同一回事。這就是我的信仰，與之緊緊相連的，是我堅信上帝創造并操縱著這個世界，使“任何人都不是獨立的孤島”。某一個人的欺詐會破壞所有人的正直。無論何處的道德淪喪了，都會使整個社會的道德變質。我認為，只有誠實與道德才擁有真正的精神價值。

我相信，永遠不應嘲笑對構建擁有誠實與道德的社會的期望。最理想化的夢想往往預示著未來。如今我們覺得實在、實用甚至不可或缺的許多東西，曾經也只是夢想。

因此，我希望這個世界不再是自相殘殺的世界。我不認為自己是多管閑事的人，但我覺得自己有義務去幫助他人，就像他人也有義務幫助我一樣。

總而言之，“無論做什么，你希望別人如何待你，就要如何對待別人。”這句話正好涵蓋了我的生活與信仰的全部。“要想別人如何待你，你也要如何對待別人。”暗示著禮尚往來的交易。然而，不做連自己都痛恨的事則是對意志力的一種磨煉，這也會使人際關系有所改善。

希勒爾說：“己所不欲，勿施于人。這就是全部法則。”他還概括說，“余下的所有只是對它的闡述。”

I believe I'm a very lucky man.

My entire life has been lived in the healthy area between too little and too much. I've never experienced financial or emotional insecurity， but everything I have， I've attained by my own work， not through indulgence， inheritance or privilege.

Never having lived by the abuses of any extreme， I've always felt that a workman is worthy of his hire， a merchant entitled to his profit， an artist to his reward.

As a result of all this， my bargaining bump may be a little underdeveloped， so I've never tried to oversell myself. And though I may work for less than I know I can get， I find that because of this， I'm never so afraid of losing a job that I'm forced to compromise with my principles.

Naturally in a life as mentally， physically， emotionally and financially fortunate as mine has been， a great many people have helped me. A few meant to， most did so by accident.I still feel I must reciprocate.This doesn't mean that I've dedicated my life to my fellow man.I'm not the type.But I do feel I should help those I'm qualified to help， just as I've been helped by others.

What I'm saying now is， I feel， part of that pattern. I think everyone should， for his own sake， try to reduce to six hundred words the beliefs by which he lives—it's not easy—and then compare those beliefs with what he enjoys—not in real estate and money and goods， but in love， health， happiness and laughter.

I don't believe we live our lives and then receive our reward or punishment in some afterlife. The life and the reward … the life and the punishment—these to me are one.This is my religion， coupled with the firm belief that there is a Supreme Being who planned this world and runs it so that"no man is an island， entire of himself…"The dishonesty of any one man subverts all honesty.The lack of ethics anywhere adulterates the whole world's ethical content.In these—honesty and ethics—are， I think， the true spiritual values.

I believe the hope for a thoroughly honest and ethical society should never be laughed at. The most idealistic dreams have repeatedly forecast the future.Most of the things we think of today as hard， practical and even indispensable were once merely dreams.

So I like to hope that the world need not be a dog-eat-dog jungle. I don't think I'm my brother's keeper.But I do think I'm obliged to be his helper.And that he has the same obligation to me.

In the last analysis， the entire pattern of my life and belief can be found in the words "Do not do unto others that which you would not have others do unto you." To say "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you" somehow implies bargaining，

an offer of favor for favor. But to restrain from acts which you， yourself， would abhor is an exercise in will power that must raise the level of human relationship.

"What is unpleasant to thyself，" says Hillel， "That do not unto thy neighbor. This is the whole law." and he concluded， "All else is exposition."