My enlightenment in life came very late, when I was 23 or 24. I was doing my PhD in the US, but the enlightenment had nothing to do with the PhD program. Rather, it stemmed from what a professor said to me. One day, I casually told the professor, who was my supervisor, that I somehow felt like I was fighting for some lost causes. The supervisor then said: “Lost causes are the only causes worth fighting for. It is only the hopeless goals that are worth working towards.” Some time later, someone asked me if I were optimistic or pessimistic about the future of Hong Kong, I said it did not matter if I was optimistic or pessimistic, as Hong Kong was my responsibility.

Recently, I read a philosophical article on the website “Corrupt the Youth”. It discusses whether a sense of hope is necessary in political movements. Although it is somewhat of a cliché to say “politicians need to bring people a sense of hope”, the author of the said article takes a different view. The argument is that if a political movement can only survive on hope, it can easily become a target on which pressure is exerted and it will eventually meet its demise, as the enemy tries to obliterate your sense of hope by giving you pressure. The author suggests a different way of thinking, which is to base the power of a political movement on the concept of “righteousness.” When one strives for justice, acts in a righteous way, seeks social justice and does what one should do simply because that is the righteous thing to do, the power of the movement will not be destroyed because of some external factors. I appreciate the article as it echoes my principles. That is also why I like that website.

One should do righteous things. In modern language, that simply means having a sense of responsibility. Taking one’s responsibility and doing one’s best, one will have no fear and can live life regardless of how tough times are. But life will be painful if one does things purely out of responsibility, whereas it is exciting to fight for hope and to create hope through struggling. Therefore, acting out of responsibility is like taking poison and an antidote is needed.

Friends can be an antidote. Friends are always friends. You don’t have to share the same ideals or belong to the same “front”. As long as you get on with each other, spend happy time together and do things you both find delightful, it is fine. Some people attach great importance to the idea of sharing with friends one’s feelings and experiences. That is not important for me. Many things need not be said, and sometimes if certain things are discussed, a friendship may change. It is better to leave certain things unspoken if it is not a must to express them. When one feels terribly upset, the best thing to do is to have a cup of tea, watch a movie, go for a walk or hike with friends who have the time to meet up. This way, you can find some comfort, and you don’t have to tell them the cause of your frustrations. But what if you don’t manage to find comfort from that? No matter. At least you get to enjoy a cup of tea, a movie or a stroll. I think “sharing” (except for food) is an overrated activity. In the end, you are the only one who can solve your own problems. But your ability to solve the problems will double if you spend some good and peaceful time with friends.

My supervisor’s words might make no sense - when we work towards a goal, don’t we all want to reach it? When a goal cannot be attained, shouldn’t one just give up to avoid frustrations and despair? But we only need to ponder a bit to grasp the wisdom of his words. I feel as if I could hear him say that (although he didn’t actually say it) many people with a high fighting spirit have managed to reach promising goals, and it won’t make any difference to the world if I don’t do likewise, whereas those goals that no one has worked towards must be the most precious ones. Examples of these are plentiful throughout history.

(Margaret Ng Ngoi-yee is a barrister, writer and columnist in Hong Kong. She was a member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong from 1995-1997; 1998-2012.)

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