Cake cutter.

A beautifully made cake was quietly placed in the middle of the table. People's greedy eyes focused on it. Everyone wants a piece of cake, but they are embarrassed to touch it first.

So people enthusiastically recommended an old man who was recognized as amiable and concerned about his neighborhood to cut the cake.

The elder looked at everyone, counted the number of people, thought a little, and pressed the knife. The cake was cut into pieces of different sizes, and the elders took the largest piece first.

People looked at each other with expressions of discontent, but no sound was made, and no one went to get the rest of the cupcakes.

The elder smiled kindly: "Why don't you do it? Isn't everyone looking forward to tasting this exquisite cake? I cut it for you. Why don't you accept it? Must I hand the cake to each of you myself? "

Looking at this old man who is not angry and arrogant, people feel for the first time that he is not as kind and amiable as people think, because he gives people a selfless and caring neighborhood image on weekdays.

"Why did you take the biggest piece away? Who gave you this right? " Someone asked the first question, although the voice was very small, but in the silent space, this question made people feel its power.

There was a little commotion.

"Yes, since we have counted the number of people, why not try to distribute them equally?" A fat woman chimed in.

The elder smiled at everyone and encouraged them to speak freely.

"I think it makes sense for the old man to serve everyone and cut the cake. Let him take the biggest piece. He filmed it himself, but it was a live performance.

If we were you, who wouldn't be eager to get the biggest piece except seemingly embarrassed to take it? "

A well-dressed man is full of sincerity, but also very cautious. He looked around with inquiring eyes as he spoke, hoping to get everyone's approval. However, no one stood up to support his point of view.

"I don't think so." A handsome young man put his hands on his chest, frankly speaking. His eyes are bright and firm.

"Since the elders accepted everyone's entrustment to cut the cake, they should be worthy of this trust. Didn't people recommend him to cut cakes because of his caring neighborhood and kind people?

If he usually maximizes his own interests as he does today, who will trust him and recommend him to finish the task of cutting cakes? Say one thing and do another, and it's hard to convince people in the end. "

The young man spoke sincerely and openly, which attracted everyone to clap their hands subconsciously.

"Xiao Shuai is right." A sister smiled at the young man. The nickname she gave him made the young man blush and made people laugh.

"The elders cut the cake and make their own rules. He cut the cake into different sizes, but he took the biggest piece for the first time after cutting it. The remaining small pieces are also inconsistent with the number of people on the scene, which is bound to cause people to compete.

This rule is actually equivalent to no rules, and people will definitely question: Why do you make rules? Why did you take the biggest piece? Why do most people want to compete for that small piece of cake, but one person can take most of the resources away? "

The question raised by the elder sister made people nod frequently.

"Yes, you have the right to cut the cake, but you can only get yourself the biggest piece. How can we sincerely convince everyone? Then I also want this right and give myself the biggest piece of cake. "

"Elder, you have the right to make rules, but you don't consider everyone's interests. All the benefits are given to you. How can you make everyone really respect you in the future? "

"Yes, yes, since you have divided the cake, why can't you share it equally?"

"But let's think of it this way. If the elders were not the first to take away the biggest piece, would we have a big fight over the biggest piece and hurt our peace? " A teacher in the crowd pondered and asked a question.

People quieted down and had to say that the teacher's question was deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. Yes, the elders took the biggest piece of cake, and people's most inspiring reaction was verbal dissatisfaction.

But if this big cake is in front of us, but there is no direction, then its existence, the temptation to people, won't arouse the crazy competition of human beings still in the process of evolution?

No one spoke because there was no answer. Although people are dissatisfied with the old people's practices, they have not come up with a better way to solve their inner unwillingness and reluctance.

The elder smiled. He said to people, "Please wait for me." With that, he turned and left the crowd.

After a while, the old man returned to the crowd with a big box in his hand. He still calmly opened the box and took out a more beautiful cake from it.

People's eyes are focused again. Only this time, there is less greed and more doubts and expectations.

The elder raised his knife, counted the number of people again, and carefully planned it, so the cakes cut out were basically the same size, but two cakes were still visible to the naked eye, slightly smaller than the others.

Putting down the knife, the elder smiled kindly at everyone: "Come and get the cake yourself." With that, he took a step back.

Because the number of cut cakes is available to people; At the same time, the size is even. Don't rush forward, but go to the table in an orderly way and take your own piece of cake. The elder noticed that these two cakes, slightly smaller than the other two, had been quietly in the box.

When people took away almost all the cakes and there were three cakes left in the box, a lady and a little girl came one after another. The lady said to the little girl, "Take it first, son."

The little girl smiled at the lady: "thank you, aunt", and then she took a cake slightly smaller than others. The lady naturally took the larger of the remaining two cakes.

At this time, the old man came over and happily picked up the slightly smaller cake left in the box and kindly said to everyone, "Now, are you happy?"

"Happy, fair, thank you, senior, you have worked hard." People answered the elders with various opinions and sincerity.

"That's good." The elder nodded, and his kind face was slightly red, which made people feel very warm: "Thank you for your comment and reminder. As a trustworthy cake cutter, I really shouldn't blindly cut, let alone take the biggest piece at the first time and let you compete for the rest of the cake.

There is no absolute fairness in the world, but people should have a sense of advocating fairness. The person who cuts the cake and divides it should not be the same person. If you have to be alone, then this cake cutter must be the last person to take the cake. "

People don't understand the true meaning, but they agree with the old man's practice. Seeing people's puzzled expressions, the elder patiently explained his views.

"Don't try to test human nature, and don't challenge human morality. Humans are instinctively selfish. When I have the right to cut the cake and can be the first choice, I will definitely take the biggest cake. This is human nature, and it is understandable that anyone will do this, which has nothing to do with nobility and meanness.

If I get the right to cut the cake, but I am not given the right to take it first, but I am not told that I must take the cake last, then my own rules may still be unfair.

As a wise man said just now: If I don't take the biggest piece, it will make people compete more fiercely. In that case, maybe the result will be more painful.

However, if I get the right to cut, I am asked to take it away at last. At this time, out of people's selfish instinct, I will cut the cake as evenly as possible, so that after people choose their own cakes, I can still get delicious food similar to others, which is psychologically acceptable to me.

As an elder who is respected by everyone on weekdays, even if the cake I get is a little smaller than everyone's, I can keep myself from being upset and unhappy.

I can ignore this small loss. Everyone is willing to be a good person who can be recognized by everyone without paying too much. "

Hearing this, people all nodded. The elder looked around and said sincerely, "But did you notice that a lady and a little girl came to get my cake just before I took it?" .

The little girl chose a small cake among three cakes; The lady took the larger of the remaining two pieces. "

"Oh, yes, I noticed. I was still secretly cheering for that little girl. " A fat eldest sister-in-law said seriously that her loud voice made the lady blush.

The elder nodded, then walked up to the little girl and said kindly, "Son, why don't you eat that slightly bigger cake?"

The little girl stared at the smiling old man, swallowed the cake in her mouth and said softly, "Grandpa, I didn't see which one was bigger, so I just took one."

Everyone present, including the elders, stood there, speechless and expressionless. ......

Text | Maple Leaf Fengze District