Our society is saturated with two sets of standards—hypocrisy that exists in almost every interaction.
🎭 Double Standards in Politics
- The DPP Perspective: When Wu Yi-shung of the KMT was caught in an extramarital affair at a Wego motel, the DPP demanded his recall while the KMT remained silent.
- The KMT Perspective: When Chen Chih-chung (son of Chen Shui-bian) lost his court case regarding a prostitution scandal, the KMT called for accountability while the DPP remained silent.
In both cases, these are issues of personal morality, yet public opinion shifts dramatically depending on one’s political allegiance.
👶 Disputes in Daily Life
- Scenario A: My child breaks your child’s toy. I offer a “sincere” apology and feel that should be enough. If you keep complaining, I view you as unreasonable and petty.
- Scenario B: Your child breaks my child’s toy. An apology is expected, of course, but first, let’s discuss how you are going to compensate me for the loss.
Conflicts between children often escalate because adults intervene, turning a simple lesson into a clash of interests where values are twisted to suit personal benefit.
🧭 Truth and the Human Standard
If you believe in the existence of Truth, then Truth has told us many times: there is only one standard.
However, “two sets of standards” can, in a way, be seen as a single truth of human nature—it is the reality of being human.
The ancients said: “Be strict with yourself, be lenient with others.” (Though today, most people are lenient with themselves and strict with others). This is a standard that encompasses two approaches. Humans naturally choose what is beneficial to them. Being strict with oneself is a way to increase self-worth and pursue a higher level of fulfillment.
Humans are inherently unstable and inconsistent creatures.
I firmly believe in these core principles:
- Do not do unto others what you would not have them do unto you.
- A person of integrity knows what to do and, more importantly, what not to do.
If life were too simple and easy, without the friction of these moral dilemmas, where would the joy of overcoming life’s trials be?