The Handsome Man
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Zou Ji, prime minister of Qi, was a handsome man. One day as he was straightening his clothes in front of a mirror before going to the court, he asked his wife, "Who do you think is more handsome, me or Lord Xu?"
"Of course, it's you, my lord," said his wife.
But Zou Ji was not sure because Lord Xu was well-known for his handsome look. So he put the question to his maid.
"Who is better-looking, me or Lord Xu?"
"Lord Xu can't compare with Your Lordship," came the maid's reply.
The following day Zou Ji asked a guest, "Between Lord Xu and I, who do you think is better looking?"
"Lord Xu is nowhere near so handsome as Your Excellency," said the guest.
A few days later Lord Xu himself called upon him. Looking at his visitor up close, Zou Ji decided that Lord Xu was definitely more handsome. There was no doubt about it.
He thought to himself, "My wife says I am better looking because she loves me; my maid says I am better looking because she is afraid of me; my guest says the same thing because he is asking a favor of me."
Then he had an audience with the king.
"I am not as handsome as Lord Xu," he said to the king, "yet my wife, my maid, and my guest all told me that I am better looking than him. Your Majesty is a powerful man. No court lady is not partial to you; no official is not afraid of you; everybody hopes to get something from you. Think of the consequences if you were deluded by flattery."
The king took his point. He issued a decree to the effect that any official or ordinary citizen who pointed out his faults to his face would be awarded first prize; anyone who did so by writing to him would be awarded second prize, and anyone who criticized him in public would be given third prize.
Within days so many people responded to his call that the gate of the palace became as crowded as a marketplace. A few months later, people still came forward with suggestions to improve on the government. After a year, no one could find anything to criticize, though people were still eager to win a prize.
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Self-Restraint
Wise Proverbs
- A good medicine tastes bitter.
- 良药苦口。
- Those who do evil and violate the codes, as well as those who are loyal and good, must receive their due from the proper authorities.
- 亲贤臣，远小人。
- It's better to have one competent arguer than to have one thousand echoing.
- 千夫诺诺，不如一士之谔谔。
Editor Says:
The more powerful you are, the less likely that people around you will tell you the truth, and the more likely you will make mistakes.