Original creation: Is the value of a naked run to fulfill a promise false? Should it be praised or criticized? The strong European team, the Netherlands, defeated the championship favorite Brazil 2-1, advancing to the semi-finals of the World Cup. Many fans were shocked and surprised. There were also many fans who had bet on Brazil's victory and lost their bets, thus voluntarily "running naked." As a result, photos of "naked runs" flooded the microblog section of a website. A student fan from Jinan University's Zhuhai campus also joined this wave of "naked running." (Northern Metropolis Daily, July 4, 2010)
In recent years, college students have made naked runs fashionable, imitating each other. From running naked to demand fairness, to protesting power outages; from expressing dissatisfaction with the country through naked runs, to celebrating the World Cup; from relieving study pressure through naked runs, to enhancing school camaraderie; from releasing emotions, to symbolizing honesty; from commemorating youth, to promoting self-branding, they always find noble reasons for naked runs, using these to criticize those who criticize them as vulgar and dirty. Now, naked runs have become acts of keeping promises, criticizing those who do not honor commitments, implying that they are mere talkers without integrity.
Is it really so? I think otherwise!
A wise man once said, "A person without trustworthiness, I do not know what he can do," and poets have written, "Three cups swallow promises, five mountains fall lightly." These all warn us to be consistent in our words and actions, to keep our promises and do what we say. Keeping one's word is indeed important, but abiding by laws, maintaining civility, and respecting customs are prerequisites. If one merely keeps promises regardless of morality, should Zhang San be praised for fulfilling his promise to Li Si to kill someone? Should Wang Er be praised for fulfilling his promise to Ma Zi to insult someone's mother? The answers are obvious.
Germany is well-known as a land of etiquette, where rituals and cultural traditions have been passed down for thousands of years, nurturing generations of Chinese people and influencing neighboring countries, even the world, becoming a shared cultural treasure of humanity, including dress codes. What kind of clothes to wear at different occasions, what styles of clothing to wear during festivals, are all customary practices. Particularly, appearing without proper attire is considered extremely impolite, let alone stripping off all clothes and exposing oneself in public. Therefore, "If the Netherlands win, I'll run naked" — such frivolous behavior by university students, exposing themselves publicly as a bet, challenges China's traditional etiquette culture. It tramples on cultural ethics and moral order. Such behavior should not be praised but rather condemned and rejected!
Of course, some might argue that since there is no explicit legal prohibition, naked running is a right of citizens. We do not deny that in modern society, human thought evolves rapidly, and diverse perspectives, ideas, and perceptions of things exist. Some people may wish to expose themselves completely. However, while advocating individuality, these individuals must also consider the feelings of others. Just as you would consider the feelings of your relatives, sisters, and friends, and refrain from exposing yourself in front of them, should others be forced to see your private parts? After all, everyone has individuality, but no one should impose their individuality on others!