你会辞掉高薪工作去追求理想吗

Answer by James Liu, founder at BoxCat
詹姆斯•刘的回答，游戏公司BoxCat创始人

I left a six-figure, ex-pat, management position with daily per-diem, paid for apartment, an entire office, and several employees I was in charge of. I would rather be close to family. While growing up, life gave me the impression that I had to be sky-high successful. As if it were the ultimate attainment for life and the universe. So I went for it, worked hard for it, and did whatever it took to succeed.
我放弃了工资达六位数的外派管理工作。当时我不仅有每天的日常生活补助、公费公寓、一间大办公室，还有几名下属可供差遣。但我宁愿陪在家人身边。在成长过程中，生活告诉我，我必须有耀眼的成就，似乎这就是人生和宇宙存在的终极目标。于是，为了成功，我曾经一直坚持不懈，努力工作，愿意付出任何代价。

At 27, I was sitting alone on the 22nd floor of a residential complex right above the Hong Kong convention center. My housing was paid for by the company. I had international per-diem, which could cover any food I might desire.
27岁那年，我独坐在一栋商住综合楼的22层，下面便是香港会展中心。我的住宿费用由公司支付。我有按国际标准发放的日常生活补贴，足够我享受任何我想要的美食。

I had an office in the Samsung building on the 21st floor that had a view of Victoria Harbor. I had three other people I could boss around, ask them to fetch me coffee (if I wanted too), or completely delegate all my tasks to them. We had an interesting company culture and structure. I had several titles at that time: branch manager, project manager, technical lead, principle engineer and systems architect.
我的办公室在三星（Samsung）大厦的21层，可以一览维多利亚港的美景。我手下还有三个人可供差遣，我可以让他们帮我去冲咖啡（如果我想的话），或者把我的所有任务全部分配给他们完成。我们的公司文化与结构非常有趣。我当时有多个头衔：分公司经理、项目经理、技术总监、首席工程师和系统架构师等。

But what’s the point of making a ton of money if you have no one to share it with? I had salary and bonus. I had no need to spend my own money on shelter, food or travel. Any equipment or technology needed was just a few emails away from acquiring them.
但如果没有人分享，赚再多钱又有什么意义？我有工资和奖金。吃穿住行都不需要自己掏钱。如果我想要任何设备或技术，几封电子邮件就可以搞定。

During my “long road to success,” I had neglected my friends, my family, and even lost girlfriends. I had very few people I could talk to.
在“漫长的成功之路上”，我忽视了友情、亲情，甚至失去了爱情。没有人能够听我吐露心声。

Talking to a team member was strange because of the power hierarchy.
因为权力等级的存在，与团队成员说心事会非常奇怪。

“You won’t listen to my personal problems?! You’re fired!”
“你不想听我个人的问题？！你被炒了。”

Just kidding of course, but it highlights the awkwardness. I imagine I would just get the “yes-man” approach of what I wanted to hear, not what I needed to hear. Hitting up a bar or nightclub also felt superficial and gave an even greater sense of loneliness.
当然，这只是开玩笑，但也凸显出我当时那种尴尬的处境。我能想象，我只会得到一些“惟命是从”的回答，只会听到我想要听的话，而不是我需要听的话。去酒吧或夜店，同样让我感觉肤浅，甚至让我感到更加孤独。

“What? You won’t listen either? You’re fired too!”
“什么？你也不愿意听？你也被炒了！”

But it highlights how being in power can mess with your head. It’s a dangerous trip and some become drunk with power. I am no exception. Everywhere I turned, I’d find only a superficial replacement. So, money, power, success, respect, and even prestige, why am I not happy?
而这种情况也显示出，掌握权力会让你的大脑陷入混乱。这是一次危险的旅程，有人会被权力冲昏头脑。我也不例外。不论我向谁求助，得到的只是一些肤浅的回应。那么，既然拥有了金钱、权力、成功、尊敬和声望，为什么我就是不幸福呢？

This is when I realized that money, success and power isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. But it was also a perspective I would not have understood unless I had sat there. Alone. Mute. Lonely. With a pile of money I could cry in, but never get a response.
此时我才意识到，金钱、成功和权力并没有人们宣扬的那么美好。但除非我拥有了这一切，否则我永远也不会理解这种观点。孤单。沉默。孤独。纵有财富千千万，无人听我诉衷肠。

Later on, a few months after these deep unnerving feelings, I got a phone call from my little brother. It was 4 AM in Hong Kong.
这种身心疲惫的感觉持续了几个月后，我接到了弟弟的电话。当时是香港时间凌晨4点。

“Hey, it’s about dad. We’re taking him to the hospital.”
“嘿，爸爸生病了。我们正送他去医院。”

Here I sat. Over 5,000 miles away from my home in Los Angeles. My family is having a crisis, I am nowhere near them. My loneliness stretched itself across the pacific.
我呆坐在那里。与洛杉矶的家远隔5,000英里。我的家人正在遭遇一场危机，但我却不在他们身边。我的孤独跨越了太平洋。

The earliest I could get there was a 16-hour flight.
我最快也要坐16个小时飞机才能回到那里。