Chapter 911: gift

Joanne has to admit that the two problems that the mentor just revealed are that people are born involuntarily and destined to die, which is indeed a cruel reality.
Professor Moriarty was not the first person to discover this cruel reality. In fact, the reason why people worship idols and various deities and are inspired by religion is to fight these inescapable survival anxieties.
For Professor Moriarty and Joan, the saddest thing is that they are both outstanding arcane spellcasters, and their reason is far more than sensibility.
According to rational logic, it is easy to deduce a proposition to be true:
If a so-called "god" is not the only omnipotent being, then it cannot be regarded as a real god, and it is not worth worshipping unconditionally.
Based on this assertion, most mages, including Joan and his mentor, would rather worship knowledge than deities with bounded abilities.
They can't find spiritual comfort from their religious beliefs, so they can only find a way out by themselves, trying to give their lives and anchor a gratifying meaning.
Joan does not completely agree with the mentor's vain and pessimistic arguments, but he is happy to draw nutrients from the mentor's thoughts, and tries to open up a new path based on this, seeking his spiritual end.
...
The next afternoon, as agreed, Mrs. Josephine visited Joan's laboratory again.
As soon as she entered the door, she took out two beautifully packed gift boxes from her handbag and placed them on Joan's desk. She casually told him that they were just small gifts, and she didn't know whether he liked them or not.
Joan didn't really want to receive any gifts, but the kindness was difficult, so he had to thank him again and again and unpacked the box, which shocked him!
He thought that the gift brought by Mrs. Josephine, like yesterday's "apple pie", was just a small heart, and it would be okay to accept it by yourself.
However, this gift is unexpectedly expensive!
The first gift box contained a heather root pipe and top-quality shredded tobacco. Even if Joan didn't smoke, it would be worthwhile.
Another gift box is even more terrible. It is filled with a gold-plated pocket watch. The exquisite workmanship must be from the hands of famous craftsmen.
"Mrs. Josephine, these gifts are too expensive. I dare not accept them!"
Joan was holding a gift box and his face was embarrassed.
Mrs. Josephine smiled lightly, opened the platinum cigarette case, took out a thin cigar, and shook him.
"Do you mind if I smoke here?"
"Of course not, you just want to."
Joan raised his hand to make a "magic trick", and a small flame rose from his fingertips, lighting the cigarette for the countess.
Mrs. Josephine nodded her thanks and took a breath, with a slight fragrance of 氤氲, slowly spitting out from the two lips, her gorgeous face covered by smoke, which added a bit of mystery to her.
"Joan, I gave you a small gift, not to buy you away or to please you."
"That is not what i mean--"
"Listen to me."
The countess raised her hand to signal him not to interrupt.
Joan had to keep silent and make a gesture of ear-washing.
She exhaled another cloud of smoke, her expression and tone of voice were somewhat sad.
"I am giving you gifts, of course, based on having a good opinion of you. There is no doubt that I hope these small gifts will make you feel happy, feel your happiness, and make me satisfied."
"In this sense, I am giving you a gift not to please you, but to please myself, which can be said to be a selfish act."
"Let me think about it."
Joan felt a little dizzy and had to spend some time combing through the logical chain.
The countess smiled softly, pulled over an armchair, and then pulled off her small leather shoes, pulled her slender feet to the seat, bent her knees, and in a freehand posture, she sat halfway in a wide seat .
Paper cigarettes were sandwiched between the right hand food and the middle two fingers. The elbow of the left hand supported the armrest of the seat. The palm rested on the cheek. Sometimes he smoked a cigarette and seemed very relaxed.
"Ma'am, are you expressing such a concept, altruistic behavior, and at the same time, you will gain intangible benefits."
"It's like people doing charity not only come back in vain, but also because of the gratitude of the recipient, or just because of the fact that they can get rid of the difficulties, they realize that they are in a higher position than the beneficiary, and they are satisfied. ."
"This relatively higher status can be wealth, power, morality, emotion, or just an illusion."
"Every act of generosity and benevolence is a confirmation of one's own superior position. At that moment, I feel like a savior."
Joan combined his own experience and tried to describe Mrs. Josephine's mentality.
"That's very good, Joanne, the more you look at this time, the more your tutor looked when he was younger."
The countess took the ashtray from the young mage and flicked the ashes.
"Pure metaphysical speculation is too boring, let me add a fresh example for you."
"It's probably not hard to imagine that little girls usually like dolls, especially those who can change clothes."
"A little girl, when she meticulously sews a beautiful set of clothes for her favorite doll, and puts on the doll herself, if the doll has consciousness and emotion, of course, it will be considered a very good gift. , It’s worth thanking the host for his generosity.

"However, the owner of the doll, the little girl, did this to please the doll?"
"Obviously, she is just pleasing herself, and the doll in the new dress is just the carrier she used to please herself. There is no need to be too grateful."
"Your example is very vivid and convincing, but I think... this way of thinking is too cold and too impersonal."
Joan whispered in protest.
Mrs. Josephine gave him a cute white look.
"You, a lonely and shy little boy, dare to criticize Meadgard's most popular social flower for being inhuman, and tell me aloud, who gave you the courage?"
Joan blushed and dared not to speak.
Mrs. Josephine pointed the cigarette at him and smiled, "This is a lesson for you."
"Stupid boy, arguing with others is enough."
"The truth may not be more controversial and clearer, but the feelings must be more controversial and colder. Promise me not to do such silly things in the future?"
"This... let me look back and think about it."
Mrs. Josephine is a very wise man, but Joan vaguely feels that her wisdom is not the same as the wisdom she has always believed in. It seems to be more based on irrationality than reason.
This puzzled him a bit. Isn't reason not a necessary condition for wisdom?
"Okay, we don't talk about these boring things. The gifts you give are of course disposed of by you. If you don't like them, throw them in the trash."
Mrs. Josephine smoked a cigarette and said nonchalantly.
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