Finally, when they came to arrest me, no one stood up to speak for me anymore.
This sentence is often used to condemn those who remain silent, saying that they are also part of the perpetrators.
At first, I also agreed with this sentence, until I remembered the fallacy of binary thinking in the book "The Fallacy of Dichotomy" (link: here). The so-called fallacy of dichotomy refers to dividing the world into only two groups of people. However, in the real world, there are many "spectrums," which means that silence does not necessarily mean inaction. Maybe someone is silently working behind the scenes, and you just haven't seen it. Speaking up also does not necessarily mean agreement; it could be just casually liking and sharing something before moving on to other things.
What I want to say is that for every issue, each person has their own spectrum of understanding. Some people may deeply engage in politics and social issues, while others may only have a general understanding.
Also, when contemplating these issues, we often forget the important factor of time. When I was six years old, the things I cared about were eating donuts and quickly going to the park after school. As I grew older, my interests and concerns naturally changed with age and profession.
Today, I want to talk about those who fight while carrying wounds. Let me tell you a story:
In high school, I used to ride my bicycle to school every day. One day, a motorcyclist approached me in a panic and asked, "Can you lend me 100 bucks? I need to ride back to Fengshan, but I'm short on gas. Please, please." Being naive at the time, I hesitated because 100 bucks was my daily food allowance. In the end, I decided to give him the money.
"I'll pay you back when I see you around here later," the motorcyclist said with a smile, and then rode off. Of course, I didn't hold any expectations of getting the money back from him.
I saw him again a few weeks later, at the same intersection, using the same method to deceive passersby and ask for money. Honestly, this method was much more effective than begging.
Later, the trend of selling pens for charity became popular. Every time I entered Zuoying Station, I would see them selling pens. If someone showed interest, they would call their friends over. I was one of the victims too.
If you haven't seen the news or encountered similar situations, it's easy to be influenced by their idealistic speeches. Even though it felt strange, I treated it as a form of support and handed over the money. I still remember the look of satisfaction on their faces when I took out the money.
In college, I occasionally saw people selling chewing gum and toilet paper while pushing wheelchairs on the roadside. At that time, I happened to be in need of toilet paper, so I bought a pack. I only remember that it was much more expensive than regular toilet paper, but the material inside was low-quality recycled paper.
On my way home from work (probably after 11 pm), I encountered a man walking towards me and asking if I could lend him 300 to 400 bucks to take a bus to Taichung. Because of past experiences, I kept asking questions to make sure he really needed to take the bus. He sounded sincere, so despite my struggle, I gave him the money. But once again, after a week, I saw him appearing on the same street in Taipei.
These experiences may not seem severe, at least not as severe as being sold into Cambodia or having limbs amputated, or having my savings emptied. But for me, they were enough to leave a shadow.
Although there are still people who genuinely need help, they are hard to come by. Even when I'm not doing well myself, it's disheartening to have my goodwill taken for granted. It's more practical to save money to buy some video games or enjoy a few cups of coffee.
I believe there are also those who have spoken up and taken action, only to be attacked and deceived, and eventually silenced. How many people in this world have had their ideals shattered after being wounded by their efforts, and then labeled as "the silent ones"? Those who can remain in the public eye, aren't they all covered in wounds?
Don't measure others by your binary standards.