「什麼是最重要的事情？」，這是一個沒有標準答案的問題。倒不是沒有答案，而是每個人的答案都不同，來自各自的觀點與價值排序。

依循生命的自然法則，我們或許能找到共同的方向。哲學與生命學正是接近這個課題的學問，因為生命有限，才讓「重要性」的排序顯得格外關鍵。

這個問題，並不是「如果你只剩一天能活，你會做什麼？」，也不是「若你只剩幾個月壽命，你最想交代什麼？」，這些問題聚焦於「結束」，而「最重要的事情」所討論的是「如何善用餘生」。

嚴格來說，取捨不是難事。我們每天都在取捨，同一時間有兩件事需要處理，就必須選擇。最重要的事情不著重時間衝突時的取捨，聚焦於時間安排之前就有取捨的智慧。

時間一旦衝突，我們內心會自然有個排序：哪件事該延後？哪個約會該取消？我們真正該學習的，是在行程確定之前釐清輕重緩急。

 

「價值」不是因為存在，而是因為有影響力，而「影響」的存在來自於他人，換句話說：「人因他人而有價值」，「人因幫助他人而讓生命有價值」。

閱讀是「影響力」的提升，閱讀看似是個人行為，卻是開啟與他人產生正向連結的奇妙旅程。

許多影響我們深遠的價值觀，往往來自人、事、物的組合，而書，就是這些元素的結晶。一本好書足以改變一生，我的潛意識裡就收藏了幾百本書的精華。

閱讀需要安靜與專注，對於忙碌的現代人來說或許是一種奢侈。但這種將他人生命經驗濃縮提存的學習方式，是人生最值得的投資。

閱讀或許不是「最重要的事情」，但它能給每一位願意思考的人一個清晰的方向。它就像為你找來無數顧問，幫助釐清生命真正的要項。

人生充滿缺陷，而這些缺陷往往源自於「慾求」。因為我們潛意識裡渴望完美，當現實與期待落差過大，就容易產生不滿與不安。人類最大的錯誤之一，是對「時間」的誤判，誤以為時間充裕，其實是對事情重要性的認知錯誤。

 

要釐清什麼是最重要的事，首先得對「時間」有真切的覺悟：時間只有此刻，沒有過去，也沒有未來。

因為，過去已逝，未來未至。沒有所謂「等我有時間就會做的事」，也不會有「等我有錢就會做的事」，一旦真正理解時間的本質，我們會省下許多空間、時間與金錢。

家中若雜亂，多半不是因為空間太小，而是物品太多。那些「多餘」，往往來自對時間的誤解，許多東西根本不再會用，像是不會再穿的衣服、不會再讀的書。

我從人體的自我更新機制中，領悟到取捨的重要性。身體每天會處理記憶，並在睡眠時進行篩選，重要的資訊被儲存，不重要的自然剔除。

人類學家羅賓·鄧巴提出「鄧巴數字150」，代表一個人能維繫穩定人際關係的上限。這不只在現實生活中成立，也反映了人類記憶體的容量極限。

 

真正對生命有感悟的人，會將這份理解投射到資產運用上。秉持「物盡其用、貨暢其流」的想法，人們會主動捐出資源，協助有需要者。

「服務」與「感恩」之所以成為人間最美的互動，不只是因為對慾望的放下，而是對時間的領悟。人生有限，「以服務他人為目的」顯現快樂與價值，感恩、孝順、寬恕等心性，便自然生成。

這些反思，不僅讓我們在人際中有所取捨，也讓生命不斷濃縮、純化，重要的人與事將漸趨清晰。

那些消耗我們生命的事物，也會一一現形，不再把時間浪費在無意義的人事物上的信念會很強烈。

生命可貴，香菸、酒精、藥物等損害健康的毒物，必須在生活中徹底隔離。當你越來越能分辨與你對話的人，是出自真誠關懷，還是另有目的，那是一種成長的體悟。

 

嘴上說的，與實際做的，是否一致？若不一致，生命就在無意義中流失。

腦中想的，與實際能力，是否匹配？若不匹配，那些無謂的事，就該斷捨離。

你正在做的事，是他人要求的？還是你內心真正想做的？若不是出於自願，那些「不得已」的念頭，就該徹底清除。

既然身體幫我們整理記憶，也處理毒素與廢物，我們真正配合身體的行動，又有哪些？

生命受限，真正重要的，必然回到「身體與靈性」的課題，而非任性又完美主義的腦袋。

人生中真正重要的事，最終會回到：此刻的你，在忙什麼？在煩惱什麼？

當「重要的事情」終能捨棄，真正重要的事情會逐一現形，熟悉那些重要事情的自己，赫然發現哪些才是「最最重要的事情」。

 

（最重要的事情是讓最重要的事情成為最重要的事情）

 

The Most Important Thing of All

“What is the most important thing?” — This is a question with no standard answer. It’s not that there isn’t an answer, but that everyone has a different one, shaped by their own perspective and value system.

By following the natural laws of life, we may begin to find a common direction. Philosophy and life studies both explore this question, because it is the very finiteness of life that makes the ordering of importance so critical.

This question is not “If you had one day left to live, what would you do?” Nor is it “If you had only a few months left, what would you need to settle?” Those questions focus on the end, while the question of “the most important thing” is about how to live the rest of one’s life well.

Strictly speaking, making choices isn’t difficult — we make them every day. When two things compete for our time, we are forced to choose. But the truly important choices aren’t made when schedules conflict — they’re made before time is allocated, and require a wisdom that precedes planning.

When time collides, our inner sense of priority immediately responds: Which task should be postponed? Which appointment should be canceled? What we truly need to learn is how to clarify our priorities before our calendars fill up.

“Value” doesn’t come from mere existence — it comes from impact. And impact arises in relation to others. In other words: “A person’s value exists through others,” and “One’s life gains meaning by helping others.”

Reading is a path to cultivating impact. Though it may seem like a solitary act, reading is actually the beginning of a wondrous journey that fosters meaningful connections with others. Many of our most deeply held values stem from a synthesis of people, events, and objects — and books are the crystallization of these elements. A single good book can change an entire life. Within my subconscious, I carry the essence of hundreds.

Reading requires quiet and focus — a luxury for many in this fast-paced world. Yet this way of learning, which distills the life experiences of others, is one of the most worthwhile investments in life. Reading may not be the most important thing, but it offers a clear direction to those willing to reflect. It’s like having countless mentors guiding you toward the essentials of life.

Life is full of imperfections, often rooted in desire. Subconsciously, we long for perfection, and when reality falls short of expectation, we feel dissatisfied and uneasy. One of humanity’s gravest errors is misjudging time — believing it to be abundant, when in fact, it is our recognition of what matters that is lacking.

To clarify what matters most, we must first awaken to the truth of time: there is only now. No past, no future. The past is gone. The future has not yet come. There’s no such thing as “I’ll do it when I have time,” or “I’ll do it when I have money.” Once we truly grasp the nature of time, we begin saving vast amounts of space, energy, and money.

If a home is cluttered, it’s often not due to lack of space, but an excess of possessions — things we keep due to a misunderstanding of time: clothes we’ll never wear again, books we’ll never reread.

Through studying the body’s self-renewal mechanisms, I’ve come to understand the importance of letting go. The body processes memories and detoxifies during sleep, keeping what matters, eliminating what does not.

Anthropologist Robin Dunbar proposed “Dunbar’s Number” — 150 — the upper limit of stable human relationships. This isn’t just a social observation; it also reflects the limits of human memory capacity.

Those who truly understand life naturally apply this insight to how they manage their resources. With the belief that “everything should be put to its best use,” they willingly donate what they don’t need to those who do.

Service and gratitude are two of the most beautiful forms of human interaction — not just because they help tame desire, but because they reflect a deep understanding of time. Life is limited, and joy and meaning are most vivid when we live in service to others. From this understanding, virtues like gratitude, filial piety, and forgiveness arise organically.

These reflections help us make better choices in our relationships and allow our lives to become more refined and concentrated. What matters most becomes clearer. The things that drain our lives also reveal themselves — and the resolve to stop wasting time on meaningless people and matters grows stronger.

Life is precious. Substances that damage health — tobacco, alcohol, drugs — must be consciously excluded. As we grow, we become better at discerning whether the people we engage with are genuinely caring or have hidden agendas. This, too, is a form of maturity.

Is what you say consistent with what you do? If not, life is being lost in futility.
Are your thoughts aligned with your actual ability? If not, it’s time to let go of the unnecessary.

Are you doing something because someone told you to? Or because you truly want to? If not out of your own will, those feelings of “I have no choice” must be eliminated.

Our bodies already help us sort through memories, toxins, and waste. What, then, are we doing to collaborate with our bodies?

Life is finite. What truly matters will always return to the body and the spirit — not the demands of a perfectionist mind.

So what is the most important thing? Ultimately, it comes back to this:
What are you busy with right now? What are you worrying about right now?

When we learn to let go of what is merely “important,” what is most important will slowly reveal itself. And when we become familiar with those truly important things, we’ll finally discover what is the most important thing of all.