虎嗅

Let's get straight about it

原文:把话说透一点

Summary in Plain Language

This article doesn’t just dwell on the emotional response of people condemning the woman who falsely accused a 4-year-old boy of wrongdoing. Instead, it uses this absurd trending incident to highlight several familiar scenarios: homeowners in Changsha being disturbed by their neighbors so much that they call the police; kind-hearted businesses in Hengyang that shelter elderly people, only to have the families of those elderly people sue for 100,000 yuan and end up paying out 19,000 yuan. This exposes a very hidden and widespread problem: many public service institutions, in order to avoid being troubled by troublesome individuals or to avoid affecting their performance evaluations, willingly allocate public resources (such as police forces, mediation personnel, and the authority of the government) to those who engage in unreasonable demands. This has created a twisted unwritten rule that goes “a little trouble gets a little reward, a lot of trouble gets a lot of reward, and no trouble gets nothing.” This rule gradually erodes the trust between people and strips away the sense of security that ordinary people rely on in their daily lives. The solution proposed is practical: there’s no need to wait for some distant “turning point in society.” Every ordinary person who doesn’t agree with or cooperate with these unfair rules is, in itself, contributing to upholding justice.

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Detailed Analysis by Dimension

1. Don’t Just Call the Woman Who Accused the 4-Year-Old Boy a Madwoman: She’s a “Professional Troublemaker” Who Understands the Rules

Many people’s first reaction is that this woman is mentally ill—why would she bother with a 4-year-old child? But if you think about it, she’s not targeting the child; the child is just a tool she uses. People like her have a thorough understanding of the system: as long as she dares to act aggressively, make a big fuss, and frame the situation as herself being a victim, the people in charge’s first concern is not to determine who is at fault, but to calm her down so she doesn’t disrupt their work. She’s likely already benefited from this approach before and knows that the cost of her actions is almost zero. Even if she falsely accuses a 4-year-old of sexual harassment, she won’t face any consequences; at most, she might have to apologize. If the situation doesn’t escalate, she might even gain some attention or some compensation. It’s similar to the women who used to act violently in rural areas; it’s not that they inherently love to cause trouble, but they’ve learned that, in an environment where “the one who causes trouble is considered in the right,” violence is the least costly way to gain an advantage, and over time, they become skilled “professionals” at it.

2. Why Do Authorities Always Side with the People Who Extort Money? The Root Cause is the Misuse of Public Resources

People often complain about tight local finances and overworked grassroots staff, yet we see police spending afternoons mediating trivial issues like “my lamp is too bright and disturbs your child’s homework,” or mediators spending days trying to persuade kind businesses to pay compensation to people who are trying to scam them. The problem isn’t that there’s an abundance of public resources; the distribution logic is completely flawed. The people in charge no longer focus on upholding justice but on quickly resolving conflicts to avoid trouble. Troublemakers will stop at nothing, including blocking doors, recording videos, or appealing to higher-ups, while honest people, who fear trouble and are more cooperative, become the targets of exploitation. By using public resources meant to protect everyone, they ensure their own job stability. In essence, the government’s manpower, police forces, and credibility are being used to benefit scammers, and the cost of these actions is borne by all taxpayers.

3. The Unwritten Rule of “The One Who Causes Trouble Gets the Advantage” Ultimately Harms Everyone Who Wants to Live a Peaceful Life

Many think such things don’t affect them because they don’t cause trouble or offend anyone. But that’s not true. In the past, there was a “buffer of trust” between people: if you stayed in a restaurant for too long without spending, the owner wouldn’t kick you out; if you accidentally bumped into someone in the neighborhood, people would just say “it doesn’t matter.” But now that trust is disappearing, everyone becomes cautious, always on the lookout for opportunities to take advantage of others. The cost of living becomes unbearable: parents have to record everything when taking their children out for fear of being sued; business owners have to install cameras to prevent scams; even lending a umbrella to someone in the rain requires careful consideration. This erodes the trust that makes society function, and as a result, no one dares to do good deeds, spend money freely, or go out safely. These are real losses.

4. There’s No Need to Wait for a Savior; Not Condoning Unfair Rules Is the Key to Change

Some people feel hopeless after reading such news, thinking that since those in charge don’t want to address the problem, the rules can never change. But there’s no need for top-down reforms; ordinary people can be the change agents. It doesn’t mean you have to fight against scammers; it means refusing to accept the idea that causing trouble should result in benefits. When you see someone acting violently or trying to extort money from an honest person, don’t just shrug and say “just suffer a small loss” or assume “if they’ve gone that far, what can you do about it.” Don’t let yourself be influenced by the mentality that trouble leads to gains. The problem persists because everyone tacitly accepts it as legitimate. As more people refuse to cooperate and stop playing this unfair game, the flaws in the system will gradually be corrected, and justice will be restored.