is an ancient architectural term, which means that if the upper beam is not placed well enough, the lower beam will be skewed and twisted. Later, some literati borrowed it to describe the people above beinghaved improperly, and the people below also did bad things. Shangliang generally refers to superior leaders or elders. The source of borrowing such as
has to start with a folk story.
Once upon a time, a county magistrate took a bribe of brocade, and he took one of the fabrics to the tailor shop to customize clothes. But after he handed the fabric to the tailor, he was worried that the fabric would be stolen, so he hid in the dark and peeked. As a result, he really found that the tailor was stealing the fabric. He immediately appeared in front of the tailor and scolded him, and asked to punish the tailor. The tailor was not panicked at all. He casually said that the fabric of the county magistrate was his relative and gave it to the county magistrate from him. He would not steal it or steal it. This surprised the county magistrate and had to defend himself. He said that it was normal for officials to accept gifts and there was nothing to make a fuss about. But the tailor sneered and said, "The upper beam is not straight and the lower beam is crooked!"
Therefore, this folk proverb has spread throughout the world.
Confucian Scholars once used this proverb to connect the governance of the country, requiring the rulers to implement "benevolent government" and set an example. Confucius said: "Politics are righteous. If you are righteous, who dares not be righteous?" This sentence emphasizes "upper beam". Only when the "upper beam" is straight, can the "lower beam" not be crooked.
Looking at the past and present in China, this idea has penetrated into all areas of social life, from a country, the entire society, from a unit, a department, or even a family. The role of "shangliang" is obvious, and you all understand the truth.
