天地不仁，以萬物為芻狗

老 子 在 道 德 經 裏 說 ： 「 天 地 不 仁 ， 以 萬 物 為 芻 狗 。 」 意 思 是 說 ， 天 地 自 然 界 根 本 有 他 自 己 的 規 律 ， 沒 有 仁 與 不 仁 的 分 別 ， 仁 只 是 人 自 己 創 造 出 來 的 概 念 。 一 場 洪 水 ， 好 人 壞 人 齊 齊 淹 死 ， 上 天 一 概 視 之 為 芻 狗 ， 無 分 輕 重 。 我 在 市 場 上 幾 十 年 的 經 驗 ， 給 我 的 印 象 ： 是 市 場 跟 天 地 一 樣 不 仁 ， 視 參 與 者 ， 包 括 消 費 者 與 經 紀 ， 一 如 芻 狗 。 誰 不 尊 重 市 場 規 律 ， 誰 就 招 致 沉 重 損 失 ， 市 場 上 從 沒 有 仁 義 可 言 。 
以 樓 宇 買 賣 而 言 ， 買 賣 雙 方 利 益 對 立 ， 各 自 千 方 設 計 ， 為 求 謀 取 己 方 最 佳 利 益 。 地 產 代 理 監 管 局 以 為 管 住 了 地 產 經 紀 ， 以 後 就 會 天 下 太 平 ， 現 實 卻 沒 有 這 麼 簡 單 。 監 管 局 可 以 管 經 紀 ， 卻 不 可 以 管 業 主 、 管 買 家 。 市 場 上 的 買 賣 兩 方 勾 心 鬥 角 時 想 出 來 的 妙 計 永 遠 千 奇 百 怪 層 出 不 窮 ， 經 紀 的 手 法 與 之 相 比 有 如 小 巫 見 大 巫 。 我 初 入 行 時 ， 就 曾 給 一 些 老 奸 巨 滑 的 大 業 主 百 般 玩 弄 。 
有 次 ， 我 接 到 一 個 金 額 不 少 的 投 資 物 業 的 賣 盤 ， 於 是 四 出 推 介 予 客 人 ， 終 於 找 到 一 個 較 有 誠 意 的 與 業 主 議 價 ， 在 雙 方 爭 持 不 下 的 時 候 ， 突 然 接 到 某 律 師 樓 來 訊 ， 說 他 們 代 表 的 客 人 對 該 物 業 也 有 興 趣 ， 而 且 出 的 價 錢 比 我 原 來 的 客 人 更 高 。 我 當 時 非 常 雀 躍 ， 有 兩 個 客 在 手 總 比 一 個 客 好 ， 於 是 盡 量 幫 他 向 業 主 爭 取 ， 並 向 原 來 那 個 客 人 施 壓 ， 希 望 他 能 加 多 一 點 。 結 果 原 來 那 個 客 人 加 多 一 口 價 之 後 就 不 肯 加 了 。 至 於 由 律 師 樓 代 表 的 客 人 亦 加 至 一 個 與 業 主 要 價 很 近 的 價 錢 就 停 下 來 了 。 我 出 盡 九 牛 二 虎 之 力 亦 沒 法 把 這 少 許 的 差 距 拉 近 ， 感 到 非 常 失 望 。 幾 天 後 ， 我 見 報 紙 上 一 大 段 業 主 的 自 讓 稿 ， 登 的 價 錢 比 那 個 由 律 師 代 表 的 客 人 的 出 價 還 要 低 。 我 立 即 致 電 業 主 ， 問 他 為 什 麼 不 接 受 我 上 次 那 個 客 人 ， 他 回 應 說 ， 沒 有 所 謂 ， 我 的 客 肯 落 定 他 一 樣 受 。 於 是 我 立 即 找 律 師 樓 聯 絡 ， 但 所 得 的 答 覆 是 他 們 所 代 表 的 客 人 已 買 了 別 的 物 業 ， 不 再 考 慮 這 個 了 。 我 立 即 再 回 頭 找 我 原 來 的 客 人 ， 看 看 他 是 否 還 有 興 趣 。 誰 知 他 已 看 到 業 主 的 自 讓 稿 ， 並 與 業 主 取 得 初 步 協 議 ， 價 錢 就 是 他 上 次 出 過 的 價 錢 。 他 說 我 不 能 怪 他 自 己 與 業 主 成 交 ， 因 為 是 我 拒 絕 他 ， 說 他 出 價 太 低 ， 現 在 他 自 己 做 到 了 ， 我 還 有 什 麼 好 說 。 
我 感 到 又 失 望 又 不 理 解 ， 為 什 麼 業 主 初 時 不 肯 接 受 由 律 師 樓 代 表 的 客 人 的 出 價 ， 到 業 主 肯 接 受 時 ， 那 個 客 不 要 了 。 後 來 有 個 經 驗 較 豐 的 經 紀 告 訴 我 ， 那 個 律 師 樓 根 本 沒 有 真 客 想 買 ， 律 師 只 是 受 業 主 所 託 ， 刻 意 營 造 一 個 競 爭 氣 氛 ， 去 逼 我 原 來 的 客 人 出 價 ， 到 客 人 出 盡 價 時 ， 業 主 就 用 自 讓 廣 告 把 我 的 客 人 也 搶 去 ， 連 佣 金 也 省 回 。 
這 個 故 事 反 映 人 為 了 利 益 真 是 什 麼 手 法 也 做 得 出 。 讀 者 不 要 以 為 這 樣 的 人 是 少 數 ， 想 飛 起 經 紀 的 想 法 ， 很 多 人 都 有 過 ， 只 手 法 上 去 至 多 盡 的 問 題 。 我 見 過 放 盤 時 重 油 天 花 以 蓋 過 水 跡 的 業 主 ， 亦 看 過 有 平 時 不 捨 得 開 冷 氣 ， 有 客 睇 樓 時 必 開 冷 氣 的 業 主 ， 大 家 都 在 弄 虛 作 假 ， 只 是 程 度 不 同 吧 了 。 我 也 見 過 平 時 滿 口 仁 義 道 德 ， 樓 價 下 跌 後 一 樣 千 方 百 計 踢 契 ， 不 顧 承 諾 的 教 書 先 生 。 這 一 切 都 反 映 市 場 不 仁 ， 消 費 者 切 勿 以 為 有 了 地 產 代 理 監 管 局 ， 以 後 就 不 會 變 芻 狗 。