In 'Journey to the West', there is a metaphor that runs throughout the entire story: morality is just a tool, its function is to restrain the weak and serve the strong. For example, before learning any skills, Wukong was originally a polite monkey who spoke courteously to everyone. On his way to learn from a master, he saw a woodcutter and proactively greeted him, respectfully calling him 'old immortal'. When he met Bodhi Patriarch, without saying a word, he fell to the ground and bowed, repeatedly knocking his head on the ground. The Patriarch asked him for his surname, and he replied, 'I have no surname. If someone scolds me, I won't be angry; if someone hits me, I won't resent it. I will just apologize.' But this polite monkey, after mastering his skills and transforming into a strong being, completely changed his demeanor. The first thing Wukong did when he returned after learning was to unceremoniously chop the Chaos Demon King in half, and then he went on to exterminate his entire clan.
Since then, when Wukong sees an old man, he no longer calls him 'old immortal', but instead calls him 'old man'. When he sees a real immortal, he also weighs their power level; if the person is weaker than him, he calls them 'old official', and if the person is stronger, he bows and calls them 'disciple'.
In fact, it is not only Wukong; Tang Seng is the same. He pretends to be compassionate to outsiders while being truly malicious to those close to him because he only knows one trick. The Tightening Spell is ineffective against monsters and can only be used to bully his own people. Isn't this the reality? A smiling face is given to outsiders, while harsh words are reserved for family. Outside, he is a weakling, subservient, but at home, he acts like a tyrant.
The Jade Emperor can forgive a monkey that causes havoc in Heaven because he is strong, but he cannot show tolerance to tens of thousands of innocent commoners because they are weak. Setting aside the novel and reflecting on reality, in real life, the kindness of sheep is seen as weakness, while the kindness of lions is called virtue. Morality is certainly important, but you must first become strong; only then will your morality hold more value.
Source / Internet