A friend of mine, in response to a conversation we were having about the injustices of life, asked me
the question, "Who said life was going to be fair, or that it was even meant to be fair?" Her question was
a good one. It reminded me of something I was taught as a youngster:life isn't fair.It's a disappointment,
but it's absolutely true. One of the mistakes many of us make is that we feel sorry for ourselves, or for
others, thinking that life should be fair, or that someday it will be. It's not and it won't be.
One of the nice things about surrendering (屈从) to the fact that life isn't fair is that it keeps us from
feeling sorry for ourselves by encouraging us to do the very best we can with what we have.We know
it's not "life's job" to make everything perfect:it's our own challenge. Surrendering to this fact also keeps
us from feeling sorry for others because we are reminded that everyone is dealt a different hand;
everyone has unique strengths and problems in the process of growing up, facing the reality and making
decisions; and everyone has those times that they feel unfairly treated.
The fact that life isn't fair doesn't mean we shouldn't do everything in our power to improve our own
lives or the world as a whole. To the contrary, it suggests that we should. When we don't recognize or
admit that life isn't fair, we tend to feel pity for others and for ourselves. Pity, of course, is a selfdefeating
emotion that does nothing for anyone, except to make everyone feel worse than they already do. When
we do recognize that life isn't fair, however, we feel compassion (热情) for others and for ourselves.
And compassion is a heartfelt emotion that delivers lovingkindness to everyone it touches. The next time
you find yourself thinking about the injustices of the world, try reminding yourself of this very basic fact.
You may be surprised that it can make you out of selfpity and into helpful action.
1. The writer thought of his friend's question as a good one because ________.
A. he also wanted to know who held such an opinion
B. it made him recall something during his childhood
C. like his friend, he also thought life was unfair
D. he learned something from the question as a youngster
2. The second paragraph of the passage mainly tells us that ________.
A. it's nice to accept the injustice of life
B. it's nice to surrender to life
C. we should not feel sorry for everything
D. we should not surrender to life
3. From the passage, we can learn that the author's attitude to life is ________.
A. negative
B. positive
C. selfpity
D. indifferent
4. Which of the following could be the best title of the text?
A. A Helpful Action: Try to Feel Compassion
B. A Good Question: Why Life Isn't Fair
C. Do Our Best to Improve Ourselves
D. Surrender to the Fact That Life Isn't Fair
