It is good to be self-disciplined, ethical, and principled as a human being.
But don't let yourself become a "fairy", you have to be down-to-earth. Otherwise, you will be kept at a distance by the people around you, and even if your boss recognizes your character, he will not dare to entrust you with important tasks.
Why is this?
During the Warring States Period, Su Qin was the Prime Minister of Yan State. It can be said that one person is inferior to ten thousand people.
Once, he was chatting with King Yan about the wise men in the world.
Su Qin asked King Yan : "In your heart, who are considered wise people - who can become your ideal ministers?"
King Yan thought about it and mentioned three people: the filial son Zeng Shen ; People Boyi ; the first born who values his word.
After finishing speaking, he asked Su Qin with a smile: "What do the Qing family think of these people?"
Su Qin shook his head and said: "Although their deeds of these people are shocking, they are not suitable for officialdom. "
King Yan asked in confusion: "Why is this? "
Su Qin commented on these three people one by one for King Yan.
Zeng Shen was a filial son.
The only thing he thinks about every day is his parents' health - he doesn't care about other things. How can such a person concentrate on state affairs?
He only obeys the orders of his parents in everything, and he only believes in one truth - parents are responsible for everything in the world. Even if you are the king, if what you say conflicts with his parents, even if what you say is right, Zeng Shen will do what his parents say. What will you do then?
He adheres to the principle of "don't travel far when your parents are around". He can't even stay away from home for one night - he must accompany his parents. If the king sent him as an envoy to other countries, or had a night banquet (where he stayed out all night), Zeng Shen would never do it.
Boyi, a man of righteousness.
This person has severe moral obsessiveness .
His father passed the throne to his younger brother Shuqi before his death. After his father's death, Shuqi wanted to give the throne to his brother Boyi. Boyi thought it would be a great shame to disobey his father's orders, so he ran away from home.
- A normal person should refuse first, and then whether he is the king or assists his younger brother, the two brothers should work together to govern the country. This is the right way. And he chose to walk away - is so irresponsible , as a minister, can he be wronged, can he endure the humiliation and bear the burden?
Boyi believed: King Wu of Zhou did not keep filial piety for King Wen and was busy fighting, which was unfilial; King Wu used his status as a minister to attack the emperor of Yin and Shang , which was disloyal - even if King Zhou was unrighteous, he would not The following should be committed. Therefore, he despised King Wu of Zhou and vowed not to be a minister of Zhou Dynasty - even if King Wu made him a prince, he would not do it.
- accepts death, but is foolishly loyal to . How can such a person be able to adapt to both sides and be flexible in today's struggle for hegemony among the princes?
What's even more outrageous is that after the Zhou Dynasty had replaced the Shang Dynasty , he insisted on being the remnant of the Shang Dynasty - he refused to eat the food produced on the land of the Zhou Dynasty and starved himself to death.
——This is no longer a matter of accepting death, nor is it a matter of moral mysophobia. This is an advanced stage of moral cancer. How can such a "spotless" person face worldly affairs? To become an official, every day is a matter of daily necessities.
is the first product of , and we keep our promises.
He and a woman planned to have a date after dusk.
As a result, it rained heavily and the roads were destroyed, so the woman could not get to the agreed place to meet him on time.
And he kept waiting and refused to leave, even if the water submerged his knees and waist. ——Finally, his head was submerged in water and he drowned alive.
——Is this a good talk? More like a joke. If you are dead, your lover will only be sad; if you are alive, if you make an appointment next time, just explain it clearly. Allowing such people to participate in running the country will only lead to adherence to rules without any flexibility.
After listening to Su Qin’s comments, King Yan nodded in agreement.
After that, King Yan became more pragmatic in employing people. He no longer pursued hermits with high reputations, but focused on people with both political integrity and talent.
[Brief Comment]
Going too far is not enough. It is necessary to be a moral person, but while pursuing nobility, do not go overboard.
People eat whole grains and face various situations in the world. You must be able to put down your body at any time and "integrate" into the crowd at any time.
"Standing out from the crowd" is limited to excellence in ability, rather than uniqueness in morality.
Of course, "integrating" with others does not mean following the crowd, but rather being a good person who "moistens things without making a sound".
Companion Reading of Chinese History Volume 1 Historical Records Biographies Chapter 149: The boss likes people with good character, but does not like "sages". The content involves the original volume: "The Ninth Biography of Su Qin" 
