What is Education? Treating the Noble and the Beggar Maid with the Same Smile

July 15, 2025, 10:07 p.m. Essays

To be educated is to treat the wealthy gentleman and the beggar maid with the same smile. To not be moved by others' fortunes nor one's own misfortune. To possess a compassionate heart for all things. To maintain a noble conduct yet humble as the earth beneath your feet.

Event One

Once, I visited a friend's house. She employed an elderly nanny who wasn't very mobile.

I was sitting in the living room drinking tea, and she, with her elegant and diligent figure, darted between the kitchen and the living room. It was my first time visiting her home, and it was my first time seeing her outside of social settings. As she chatted with me, she constantly commanded the old nanny to do this and that, and the nanny, eager and fearful, would diligently respond. This was my first time seeing her behavior, and it made me feel strange and a bit scared.

At the end of the visit, a battle suddenly broke out. I saw another kind of scene and another harsh sound. My friend sat at the dining table, sternly reprimanding the old nanny because the water on her glass table had been spilled, and the nanny hadn't wiped it up as she had instructed. I finally saw another side of her, an expression so unfamiliar and frightening. She didn't even glance at the nanny, her gaze fixed on the cowering figure before her, and she said in a cold tone, 'You still need to tell me to?' The table wasn't wiped clean, and if you wipe it three times, wipe it until you see your shadow! The nanny nervously took out a roll of toothpaste from the bathroom, but accidentally knocked over the water basin, and the water flooded the floor. The nanny slipped and fell, and it took her a long time to get up. She didn't even blink. She turned her head and immediately smiled at me.

My heart suddenly felt incredibly cold. Wow, she could change her expression so drastically! I never saw her like that, nor did she ever pick up the phone again. Inside my heart, I no longer considered her a friend. Perhaps she still didn't know why I suddenly distanced myself from her. I used to be unwilling to belittle others' personalities and ways of dealing with things, but I knew that the lowliness and nobility of human nature could be seen in such details. I didn't like people who 'changed their faces,' nor did I like people who lied habitually. This flaw in human nature was something I couldn't tolerate.

Event Two

The same thing. Can also tell a person's essence.

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One day, I passed through the most prosperous section of Zhongqiao Road, near the Guo area. There was a beggar lying on the ground and begging. He was an old man with no lower limbs, crawling inch by inch. People glanced at him without expression. As a person who habitually gave alms, I threw a dollar at him, and performed the action skillfully and naturally.

After walking a few steps, I saw a woman coming from the opposite side. The woman was dressed lavishly and her makeup was exquisite. She was just coming out of Guo after buying something, and she had a large bag of things. When she reached the beggar, she stopped, intending to give him some money, but her hands were too full to do so. The beggar 'understandingly' lay on the ground and waved his hands, gesturing for the woman to leave. The woman suddenly bent down, and I thought she was going to reprimand the beggar, but she used her empty hands and eyes to indicate that the beggar should take care of his own things! The beggar gave her ten dollars, and the woman quickly left.

I was stunned! At that time, my action of throwing money made me appear very noble, but the scene in front of me surprised me.

It wasn't the question of how much money was given or not, but I saw my own arrogance, bias, and humility in the face of the beggar. I thought my graceful throw was a generous alms, a gift, and a display of compassion towards the weak. In fact, my superficiality and narrow-mindedness were so vulnerable!

Event Three

The same thing. Can also reveal a person's essence.

Once, my housemaid left me after getting married, and I hired a part-time worker to clean the room every week. The price in the market was 7 yuan per hour, but I always paid 10 yuan, and if she cleaned the glass or did heavy work, I would give her more. I often sent her old clothes, shoes, hats, scarves, and made a big bag and just gave them away.

In order not to hurt others' dignity and face, I was very careful every time I gave things away, so as not to make her feel embarrassed.

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Once, it was a snowy day, and someone knocked on my door. The person standing outside the door was the part-time worker I hired. Her face was red from the wind, and she shivered because she was cold. She handed me a few dollars, and her action was skillful and natural.

She realized that after she returned home, I had some money hidden in my old clothes, and she was worried that it would cause misunderstandings, so she rode for three hours to return the money. I took her into the house to warm her up, and she refused, saying, 'Please be careful with the money, don't make a difference.' Then she turned and left, riding for three hours to return the journey.

Actually, she could have returned the money to me next time she came to my house, but she was afraid of causing misunderstandings. She was eager to come over just to prove herself. This small amount of money revealed a lot about her.

As Oscar Wilde said, 'There are many virtuous people, such as fishermen, shepherds, farmers, and workers, although they are ignorant of art, they are the essence of the earth.'

In my opinion, trees have tree dignity, people have people's qualities, and fish have fish's logic. The world is full of rules and scales for everything. Human nature is not just about whether you have a culturally rich appearance or a formal education.

Regardless of the industry you are in or the social class you belong to, you can discern a person's basic qualities through details. Details can always reflect the brilliance or darkness of human nature.