多年前我與幾個朋友在雪梨的一家越南小吃店聚聚。當店員將我們點的牛肉粉與其慣常配料的香料金不換，萊姆切片，及豆芽菜送上桌時⋯
Many years ago I was at a Vietnamese eatery in Sydney with a few friends. When our beef pho’s were brought to our table with the usual side plate of Thai basil, lime wedge and bean sprout..
朋友A（手指著金不換）：「這些看起來不太對，通常應該是用其他香料的⋯對了，應該是薄荷！不是這個！」
我：「⋯我不這麼認為。我印象中牛肉粉的確是配金不換的。我蠻確定的。」
我與A接著進入了一個 圍繞著牛肉粉之金不換或薄荷的 頗為熱烈的爭執，與此同時旁觀的朋友B與C默默的吃著他們的牛肉粉。
A (pointing at the basil) : “These look different. Normally the pho’s come with something else... that’s right, they should come with mint! Not this!”
Me: “... I don’t think so, pho’s come with basil from memory. I’m pretty sure.”
Me and A got into a slightly heated argument over mint and basil for pho, while B and C continued eating their pho’s in silence.
我（開始產生自我懷疑）：「那麼不如我們在這裡問問店長吧（他是越南人）。」
A：「不！為什麼你不能接受我所說的是真的？你只是為了反對而反對。你難道不知道你用這個爭執破壞了我享用牛肉粉的興致嗎？」語畢A憤然離開了小吃店。
Me (started to doubt myself) : “Fine, let’s ask the shop owner (who is Vietnamese) right here.”
A : “No! Why can’t you accept what I say is true? You are just disagreeing for the sake of it. Don’t you know you’re ruining my pho over this argument?” and stormed out of the eatery.
B（看著我舉起手招喚店長）：「你為什麼不就讓他算了呢？如果你們接下來繼續為了這事吵下去，我可不站在任何人那邊哦？」
我：「我只是為了不要一直記住錯的事情才要問的。」
C從頭到尾保持著沈默。
B (seeing I was raising my hand trying to catch the shop owner’s attention) : “why don’t you just let him be? I’m not taking anyone’s side when you guys continue to argue afterwards about this ok?”
Me : “ I’m finding out so I don’t remember the wrong thing in the future.”
C remained silent the entire time.
結果我是對的。
Ended up I was correct.
雖然我承認 所謂的「真實」其實大多都一種基於個人記憶與經歷所形成的 主觀存在，但是同時我也承認另一種「客觀真實」的存在，那是一種被多人共有而基於文化/歷史的存在；一種不被個人信仰扭曲，並超越我們任何一個人的存在。
Whilst I acknowledge that the so-called “truth” largely is a subjective matter based upon individual memory and experience, I also acknowledge that there is an “objective truth”, the one that is shared by many and based upon culture/ history; one that does not alter because of an individual’s belief, one that is larger than each of us.
對A而言：
主觀真實=Olivia在找架吵
客觀真實=A所相信的
For A:
Subject truth = Olivia is picking a fight
Objective truth = what A believes
對我而言：
主觀真實=Olivia在解釋/確認一個客觀真實
客觀真實=就是客觀真實
For me:
Subjective truth = Olivia is explaining/ confirming an objective truth
Objective truth = simply what it is
我們生命中都有像A，B，C這樣的人們：太過自信的，政治正確的，不關己事的。在之後的幾年，在不同的情況下我常常想起他們。你會讓這些人改變你與客觀真實的關係嗎（相信或質疑或不再相信）？我才不會。A可以一輩子都用薄荷來配他的牛肉粉，那完全是他的自由選擇；我則選擇以牛肉粉該有的方式來享用它。
There are people like A, B and C in our lives; the overly-confident, the politically-correct, the none-of-my-business. I think about them often in the years to follow, under different circumstances. Would you let them change your relationship with an objective truth? I would not. A can have pho with mint for the rest of his life , it is entirely his choice;; I’ll enjoy mine the way it should be.
後話：今天我與A又去吃了越南牛肉粉。我親眼看到他安靜的把金不換放到他的湯裡。
ps. Today me and A had pho again. I saw that he quietly put the Thai basil into his soup.
