2009年8月14日星期五

盡力想盡力學

天下之大,學問無崖。若我將天下之學問比喻為一張大黑紙,那就算最聰明的愛恩斯坦,其學問也只會是用大黑紙上的一點,細小得有如laser pointer 的光點,學問僅照亮了一個極少的地方。我們這些凡人,其「光點」更可能細小得肉眼也看不到。

當有些人做了一些傻事時,你可能會說:「難道你沒有腦袋的嗎?你不會先想一想才去做嗎?」所做的事是天下事,那你的學問之光就要照遍整張黑紙。只可惜,凡人的光點細小得很,他們就算如何盡力想,其思考範圍也只是其光點之內,其餘的黑位就是他學問照不到的地方。

就是因為這樣,無論他如何努力地想,也只是在他極有很的光點內進行思考,很多時也無法解決問題。

人有人的局限,例如情緒、體質等等,要想得透徹談何容易,更說要不斷從思考中擴大光點,然後再將所學會的東西再就不同的問題進行思考,這差不多是沒有可能的事。

不過,就算了解人的不足,但人還應該要不斷盡力思考之餘,亦不斷盡力將光點擴大,擴闊眼光,擴闊視野,爭取有限之中的無限。

2009年8月11日星期二

問銀神

我相信很多人也嘗試過用擲亳的方法來處理二選一的難題。雖然我非經常性地用這方法來處理問題,但我卻不知道這個決定方法還有「問銀神」的別名,直到最近聽到有人這樣說才知道。

巧合地,我在舊雜誌中看到一段文章,一個很重要的問題,就是用了「問銀神」的方法來做決定。

NET WORTH November 18, 2008 (SCMP)

The trouble I've seen ...
UP FRONT
Richard Witts
Nov 18, 2008


In 1973 when the market was collapsing, two Chinese members burst into my office at the Hong Kong stock exchange shouting at each other. “I sold you 10,000,” yelled one. “No, it was 1,000,” cried the other.” Mr Witts, you have to sort this out.” Indeed, but how, since I had only been general manager of the exchange for about six months and was unsure of the regulations for settling this kind of dispute – particularly as there were no witnesses. But with prices collapsing these men needed a solution more or less immediately.

So I pulled a coin from my pocket and said: “I am going to toss this coin. Heads it was 10,000 and tails it was 1,000. Is that OK?” They agreed and it came up heads. They shook hands and to my relief off they went. Maybe there was something in this approach which appealed to them – to let chance decide.



我想說的,就是世界沒有規定你解決複雜問題必定要用複雜方法。