How easy it is!

I was watching YNTV-2 the other day and there was this story about an environmental protection project somewhere in Yunnan. I can’t recall any details but something the reporter said at the end had been stuck in my mind.

She said that nowadays it still costs to protect the environment but doesn’t to harm it. The tone she used was rather normal but the words spoke for themselves. Perhaps we can generalize this particular saying and say that it costs to do the right thing and it doesn’t to do the wrong ones.

Think about it: isn’t it true?

Spitting to the ground costs you nothing but the action itself; spitting to a piece of tissue or a rubbish bin costs you time and a lot more actions.

Well, my apology if this spitting example has made you uncomfortable. It is real and similar incidents happen everywhere.

The restaurant near where I live in Kunming, there are a few tress outside in the front. One day I passing by, a young girl – apparently one of the restaurant staff – came out with a bucket of wastewater. Truthfully, I wouldn’t be surprised if she pours the wastewater all way to the floor. Trust me, everybody does that. Instead, however, she poured it to the square of clay where a tree is planted in.

I was quite shocked and I then looked at her. She looked back with no expression on her face like it’s another daily activity of her. I kept thinking on my way home this hilarious and ever-outrageous thing happened. Why would she do that? Wasn’t there anywhere to get rid off the wastewater?

I’m only guessing that she did so simply because it was the most convenient option she thought she had. Moreover, and more importantly, she might think that the tree needs water anyway! The wastewater would just do fine.

She made the choice to go with the easiest thing. She would have to run a few more procedures before the wastewater was taken care of. 

I begin to believe further that it’s human nature to do the easy stuff but not the right stuff. Unfortunately, easy stuff is usually not right.

December 21, 2008