People Are More Important Than Things 人比东西更重要

Most people recognise that people are more important than things and money. However, we may not really present ourselves as having such attitude in our daily life.

Only using one or two cases are able to show that are we really concerned over people than things. Supposedly you have lent your car to a friend, and later you are told he has come across an accident. What is the first thing crossing your mind? Is it your damaged car or your friend’s physical condition? If you think of your car, then your car takes priority over your friend.

A number of years ago, I was traveling with a few friends in China. Somebody fetched us with a van from the airport. The van was far too small to take all of us and our luggages. In the end, we had to squeeze into the van first. Then some of the luggages were placed on our laps. My friend had used such experience as an illustration to show that human beings are more important than things. The passengers had to get into the van only then the luggages. If we had done it the other way, we could not have got into the van. Indeed, that was a good illustration and reminder for us to know that human beings are more important than things.

大多数人会承认人比东西和金钱更重要。但是，我们却可能在日常生活中缺乏如此的态度。

我们可以透过一两个案例以表明人是否真的关心人过於东西。假设你已经把你的车借给了一个朋友，后来你被告知这朋友發生交通意外。獲悉这消息，什么是你即刻的反应呢？你最先想到的是车受损程度抑或你朋友的身体状况？如果你先想到你的车，这显示你的车比较你的朋友更加重要。

好几年前，我和几个朋友到了中国。有人安排了一辆面包车到机场迎接我们。这辆车对于我们太小了，面对困难把我们所有人和行李都载走。结果，我们人必须先挤进车里面，然后才把行李搬上车，一些行李是被放置在我们的膝部上面。後来其中的一位朋友引用此次的经验作为例证，表明人比东西更为重要。因为先要让乘客上车了，行李箱才能被放进车里。假如选择先放行李，我们就不能进入车里面了。的确，这是一个很恰当的例证以提醒我们必须视人类比东西更重要。

Buying things to meet people’s need and not the things per se.
採購是为了人的需求而不是为了东西本身。