Gavin Beneck is a partner of a Wall Street law firm. It is estimated that his status has gradually risen because of marrying the daughter of an old partner. White people are rich, successful, and socially superior, but believe in the law in their hearts and abide by the law in their actions.
Suddenly, he was in trouble.
He sat on the stone bench in front of the company to reflect: he escaped after a car crash during the day, lied to his boss, hired hackers to clean up the credit history of strangers and bankrupted them, created fake fire alarms, and found himself assisting the boss in defrauding a charity foundation Millions of dollars, he is seriously considering whether to forge legal documents... This kind of reflection comes from his inner belief in the law, so when he intentionally or unintentionally does the above-mentioned things that violate the law and inner beliefs, he must seek in his heart. The answer was that he refused to let go of his hands holding the law and slipped to a safe and comfortable place.
But at this time, her mature, calm, and accidental wife appeared. Her wife started a highly skilled thought work on him.
First of all, the wife throws a blow to her father, Gavin's father-in-law, who has had an extramarital affair for 20 years. His wife knew that Gavin had an extramarital affair, but Gavin didn't know whether his wife knew, so Gavin's emotions were immediately suppressed.
The wife went on to say that in fact, the mother knew it a long time ago, but decided to accept it. In addition to love, it is more based on the following logic: Since the husband’s job (lawyer) is to dig out the way of deception, and it is the money that this way of deception brings satisfaction. The luxurious life that one enjoys in it, then, is it not hypocritical to accuse her husband of deception at home?
From this we can at least see that this American mother speaks logic, and she can see the profound logical paradox in it. While speaking of logic is something that most Chinese people cannot do, we are still in the stage of speaking about the big and the game. We can often enjoy the fruits of deception with great peace of mind, while accusing others of deception, without knowing our own hypocrisy.
But this did not excuse the mother. She gave up hypocrisy, but could not give up deception.
There was a turning point in the conversation. Gavin seized the opportunity to ask: Do you think the law is deception?
The wife asked calmly: What do you think the law is? At the level of you and my father, the law is a vicious melee. The people who created this law firm can let the people who are invincible in this law firm understand how the world is played, that is, if you still want to live decently, you have to steal it! You are not a professor who teaches Middle English, you can fight against the world, and you can talk about morals. You are a Wall Street lawyer. If something happens, you have to stand it up! Listen to me, isn't it just that you lost a document, adjust the page number and reprint that document, and then combine it with the signature page of another document, it will become a new signed document.
To be honest, this matter is not an issue in China at all. No one thinks that this matter requires hesitation, thinking, and entanglement. Isn't it just forging a document? Still forged an existing document. Isn't it because the content in the file is a little wicked, and it was signed when the old man was unconscious, right? Is this a thing?
Finally, the wife collected her pockets and stabbed her first: Didn't you have an extramarital affair too! You cheated too! What can't you do? Then put on honey: You love me, I love you, I am willing to stand by your side in times of crisis, let me help you! (The implication: listen to me is right! Don’t want to listen to me!) The
wife’s ideological work of moving with affection and knowing to “profit” has a foreshadowing, an unveiling, and a punch. If you hit the nail on the head, you can figure it out. Pulling the foot again, it's still on the way. The original text of the dialogue is as follows:
(W=wife, G=Gavin)
W: Did you know that my father has had a mistress for 20 years?
G: No.
W: Don't lie!
G: I didn't know it was 20 years.
W: My mother knew about it.
G: Why didn't she leave him?
W: Because she loved him so much. And she decided it'd be hypocritical to leave a man for cheating at home when the expensive life she enjoys so much was paid for by a man whose job was based on finding ways to cheat.
G: Is that your opinion on the law?
W: What do you think the law is?… At this level of the game, at my father's level of the game, at your level of the game.
W: It's a big, vicious rumble. The people who founded this law firm, and the people who sustain it, understand the way the world works. If you want to continue to live the way we've been living...
G: You' d have to steal!
W: I could've married an honest man. I could've lived with a professor of Middle English, for example. He was a moral man, and had tenure at Princeton.
W: But I didn't . I married a Wall Street lawyer, which means I married someone who lives in a world where a man comes to the edge of things, he has to commit to staying there, and living there. Can you live there, Gavin? Can you live there with me?
W: You're not going to do anything stupid like leaving me. You had fantasies, I'm sure, so have I. But we're married. I knew about Michelle, I knew when it was happening, and I knew when it was finished. and I knew you love me. I love you, too. I'm your wife, and I want to stand beside you. Just let me help you, Gavin, let me help you with this.
later, Gavin decided Admit to the judge that he induced the other party to sign the property authorization document under Simon Dunn's insanity. Although he was fooled by the two partners without fully knowing it, he received a huge bonus after all. . And he would also persuade the partners of the two committees to surrender themselves. Their crime will be fraud and will definitely go to jail. Such stupid things are becoming more and more difficult to see in China.
His partner and father-in-law gave a strict education to his confession, and this conversation is also typical in China.
(G=Gavin, F=father-in-law)
F: Come on, where do you think Simon Dunne got his money? You think those factories in Malaysia have day-care centers in them? You want to check the pollution levels of his chemical plants in Mexico, or look at the tax benefits he got from his foundation? This is all a tight rope. You've got learn to balance.
G: How can you live like that?
F: I can live with myself, because at the end of the day, I'd think I do more good than harm. What other standard have I got to judge by?
The logic here is more familiar to us Chinese. Where do you think Simon Dunne's money comes from? He also opened sweatshops around the world to squeeze workers, pollute the environment, and evade taxes. Is it legal? Conscience? Isn't it cheating? Why can't I be comfortable with the money I lied to him? Why can't I be at ease? Yes, I did some bad things, but I know that I do more good things than bad things, that's enough! This is the standard! Do you still want to be a saint?
This world is just like the father-in-law and wife believe it is just an evil melee. Violence and deception are the kingly way, survival is the rule, unscrupulous means is the only means, as long as you think you do more good than bad things, you can feel at ease. (Such people will definitely find more good things for themselves. Why should they be embarrassed by themselves? They will definitely convince themselves that everything they have done is right. Don’t forget, repeat a lie a hundred times, and you will know how Believe that is the truth. If you insist on doing bad things, you will also think that it is a good thing.) Or, as Gavin believes, there is law and justice. Should we not fake, deceive, or frame?
Regarding the latter, Gavin believed, but the countless incidents that happened in one day made him confused.
For example, Gavin complained to the priest when he almost collapsed: the world is a shithole, a garbage dump. Because my father-in-law got me to screw a good man, a decent man, out of his money, and my wife cheers me on. God likes to put two guys in a paper bag and just let them rip! Not only is it dirty and ugly, but it is also full of endless struggles between people. Is this God’s intention?)
It was the boy who had no city, immature, ridiculous, and full of bookishness who suddenly reminded him. The boy who applied for the job could wait from day to night just for Gavin's saying "Stay here and don't go anywhere!" What a hard-to-find "death eye". In contrast, the girl in front, Ellen, was not only witty, but also related. Her father was the District Attorney in San Francisco. The boy said a lot of ideal things in one breath and expressed his belief in the law. Gavin's madness began to appear under the strong stimulation, but it was actually an inner pain.
(G: Gavin. B: the boy.)
G: So why do you want to be a lawyer?
B: Uh, I believe in the law. I believe in order and justice. I believe that people are by nature good. I, I believe that historical forces push us into conflict, and without the law as a buffer between people, we would have a world of vendetta, a world of violence, a world of chaos. (Gavin starts to giggle, laughing loud.) I don't think it's funny.
G: (try hard to hold up the laughter) That's why I'm going to give you this job. I give you the job because I want to hear what you've to say about the law after working here for 5 years, 1 year, a month , a day, a hour.
For the latter view of the world, in addition to Gavin and the candidate boy, Doyle is also trying to believe (only doing the right things one at a time), and his friends who quit drinking together believe that the school’s The female teacher is willing to believe, and those naive children who are funded by the foundation are willing to believe. In this society, there are still thousands of people with different status and different situations who are willing to believe in law and justice, and they are willing to take this as hope. This truly constitutes the upward force of this society and constitutes the power of this society to correct errors. This is what The real hope of the United States.
These people may not have the most wealth, the greatest power, and the highest status, but the power of this society tends to be balanced. Thousands of ordinary people can use beliefs and laws to balance bloodthirsty power and wealth. Laws and rules can never completely eliminate corruption and evil. If it is completely eliminated, there will be no need for laws and rules to exist. Laws and rules are the force of checks and balances. The more prosperous the law and the rules, the less damage the corruption and evil will bring to people. On the contrary, corruption and evil will gradually drive out goodness and justice.
Gavin's dialogue with female teachers is also very interesting:
(G=Gavin, T=the teacher)
G: Doyle Gipson is a man of no honor at all, a low man! But that's ok, because nobody else has any honor, either! That's what makes life so hard for people. So we're taught this fairy tale that good and well, and bad and poorly. Do you believe that? (Doyle Gipson is a shameless person, a despicable person. But it doesn't matter! Who has shame? Who is worthy of respect? So our life is so sad. What we think is good and bad, what is right and wrong, is nonsense! Do you believe it, huh?)
T: (seriously ) I'd like to. (Seriously) I am willing to believe.
After thinking about the opposition between good and evil for a long time, we discovered that the conflict in the movie is not just the conflict between good and evil whether to continue cheating, whether to admit fraud, or whether to return the stolen money. The deeper level is two. It is also a conflict between male protagonists who are committed to doing good, but equally constantly doing evil.
What Doyle hates most about Gavin is that Doyle’s car can’t be driven after a collision. When Gavin left in a hurry, Doyle asked, “Can you give me a ride?” As a result, Gavin answered without thinking, “Excuse me, hope. You will have better luck next time!” (Better luck next time!) Then suddenly it rained again, and Doyle ran to the court, 20 minutes late, but did not catch up with the trial. As a result, the child’s custody was directly awarded to the mother. .
This is a typical communication problem. Because time is urgent, we don't have time to communicate in depth, and we don't have the opportunity to accurately understand each other's needs.
From the moment when Gavin neglected Doyle's request for a ride, Doyle lost the lawsuit. Then, when Gavin repented and apologized, Doyle not only refused to return the document but also sent a fax to Gavin in anger and frustration. Then when Doyle began to repent based on the creed of the abstinence meeting he participated in, "persist in doing the right thing" and was about to send out the documents, he heard Gavin's threatening phone message and found himself bankrupt, and the house was in a dream. When Gavin was sincerely restoring Doyle's credit, hackers with limited ranks were unable to delete the bankruptcy record, but Doyle thought that he was being teased again, and almost killed him by doing tricks in Gavin's car. Gavin went to Doyle’s children’s school to black out Doyle, and then sent a false message to Doyle that his two sons were in danger. Doyle was extremely panicked and rushed to the school, but because of Gavin’s blackout, custody issues, and violent behavior, he was caught by the police. Arrest. Gavin felt guilty when he saw Doyle's wife and children panic and pain as if they had experienced a terrorist incident. From here, the two talents really started to mend each other.
How much of the evil in the world comes from misunderstanding, anger and hatred.
Gavin didn't give Doyle a ride, maybe he didn't hear clearly, maybe he thought there was no time, maybe there was a hint of arrogance here.
When Gavin saw Doyle in the rain, all he saw was his files. When he saw Doyle’s anger, he didn’t think of caring about the other person, thinking that money could be solved. There was also a hint of arrogance here. When he heard Doyle’s complaints, he clearly could Use the ability of a lawyer to provide advice and help, but he did not take the initiative to care about what happened to the other party, only thinking about the documents.
Gavin had some greed when deciding whether to hire a hacker. He has to solve his own troubles, avoid jail, and avoid property losses.
Two people who were originally full of good intentions used evil methods such as anger, intimidation, persecution, murder, slander, deception, and frame-up to constantly attack and fight each other.
Here I want to talk about an NGO that Doyle Gipson participated in—an alcoholism club. Every time they are active, they pour out each other and cheer each other up. The slogan is "Keep doing the right thing!" and treat this slogan as a contract. God grant me the strength to accept the things I cannot change. "Insist on doing the right thing" is a belief in rules and laws. This is why Gavin only wanted to sign a check without numbers after the crash, while Doyle insisted on following the procedure. This has also become a kind of conflict. As a lawyer, Gavin should abide by the law. (Don't laugh! This sentence sounds funny in China, but some people still listen to it in the United States.) Maybe this is a hint, rules and laws, even in subtleties, once violated, there may be unknown signs. . "Today you just frightened someone and almost didn't kill him. Tomorrow you might actually kill someone. Tell them not to have any hope. It's meaningless to live. No matter how you keep doing wrong things like this, you can create one. Religion, a religion that specializes in alcoholism for sober people... This world is supported by a contract, and this contract is that we will not do bad things. You are really addicted, not alcohol , It’s chaos.”
This may be the nature of the entire human race: Don’t think that only evil people will do evil. You are only one step away from evil, only one thought!
The world: by law or by plunder?
Even if the world relies on the law, it cannot be separated from the human level of care, because the only person who obeys and enforces the law is the person himself. Care for humanity can make people take a step back from the edge of doing evil when they are fragile and angry, and only then can imperfect humanity build confidence in the law and goodness. Such confidence must come from every ordinary person as much as possible. Just like the alcoholism club in the film, at first glance, a group of losers! But such a view itself is spurned. This spurning brings further estrangement and misunderstanding, and then as to jealousy and anger, there is another fuse to stimulate, just like the idea of murder in the film Doyle, which is the abstinence club "doing the right thing every day." "'S voice strengthened his confidence to change his mind. There will always be right and wrong in the world, and there will always be injustice and injustice in society. The law cannot prevent these, but the law is our belief. To build such a belief, in addition to the efforts of the rule of law, it also requires care for human nature. In the face of child killings and suicides in China, in addition to accusing society of injustice, what we can do is to invest in humanity.
View more about Changing Lanes reviews
