The meaning of this sentence is: the way to stand up is to be straight inside and supple outside; The norm of running a family is to be humble to the elders and be gentle with the younger generation. If you are not harmonious, you can't associate with others, and if you are not strict, you can't control people who are lower than yourself.

Source: Collected Works of Zeng Guofan?

Zeng Guofan once said: "The way to build a body is to be firm inside and soft outside; The way to be a fat family is to be obedient. You can't pick things up if you don't agree, and you can't control them if you are not strict. " He himself once explained: "If you are too soft, you will be discouraged; if you are too rigid, you will be folded. It' s just that it' s not tyrannical, and it' s just strong correction; Softness is not inferiority, but modesty. The rigidity is rigid, and the softness is soft. "

Extended information

Source background

In the tenth year of Xianfeng, during the Second Opium War, Emperor Xianfeng fled to Jehol because the British and French allied forces approached the capital, and Zeng Guofan was quickly sent to Bao Chao, the general of Xiang Army, to help him.

Zeng Guofan and Taiping Army were at war at this time, and everyone thought that they should send troops to the north to be diligent. Only Li Hongzhang believes that the British and French allied forces have reached the capital, and sending troops at this moment is empty talk, and it is impossible to defeat the powers and recover the capital.

dealing with the invading army is nothing more than "making peace". It is the Taiping rebels who rebel, so they have to resist orders and disobey them to save the Xiang army. They also considered that Bao Chao was a general of the Xiang army, and the imperial court sent him to the north, thus stepping into the pipeline of Shengbao.

Sheng Bao is incompetent in fighting, but he is very jealous of the exploits of Xiang Army. He will definitely hold down Bao Chao. Therefore, once Zeng Guofan was "just" and disobeyed the order, the Xiang army was preserved.

Bao Chao didn't understand the situation, and thought that Zeng Guofan and others wouldn't let him make contributions to the country, so he was upset. Zeng Guofan used Jiu Jitsu and skillfully asked Hu Linyi to persuade Bao Chao, which greatly moved him and made him more loyal to Xiang.

Where the core interests of the organization are involved, they are real, and they must be "firm", never vague and never give in; However, places involving interpersonal, etiquette or personal "face" and "majesty" of managers are retreat places, so it is better to be more "soft" to construct a harmonious atmosphere.

Baidu Encyclopedia-Zeng Guofan Management Log