Of late, a video clip shot, showing a fight between the drivers of a Jaguar and a Mercedes-Benz on a street in Yunnan province and shot in 2012, has become popular on the Internet. The video has become popular even two years after being shot because it highlights a sensitive social issue: the difference between the rich and the poor, says an article in Qianjiang Evening News. Excerpts:
According to media reports, the Mercedes-Benz driver on the video tells the Jaguar driver: "You don't have any manners ... Didn't your parents teach you that poor people too are human beings?" The video has left the public wondering whether a man who owns a Mercedes-Benz can call himself poor. And if he can, then what kind of life do the really poor live?
Some people owning Mercedes-Benz may not be stinking rich, but they can never be called poor. The problem is that, in our fast-changing materialistic society the poor have become synonymous with losers.
No one wants to be a loser. But rich and poor, success and failure are all relative concepts. Ordinary and poor people consider those driving cars such as Mercedes-Benz very rich people. Nevertheless, compared with a person who owns a Jaguar or other luxurious cars, a man owning a Mercedes-Benz is seen as a "loser".
No wonder, the Mercedes-Benz owner in the video considers himself poor when confronted with a person who drives a Jaguar. Every person has the right to pursue his/her dream, but comparison with others is no way to lead a healthy life. If everyone gets involved in this game of comparison, our society will become a sick place. People need to focus on the real value of existence rather than blindly running after success and money.
The opinions expressed on this page do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.