Seeing what he wants, he must consider the hateful people before and after him; If you see that it can be beneficial, you must think twice; And if you have the right, you can plan carefully and then decide whether to do evil or not. If so, you often won't fall.
-Xunzi? scrupulous about every detail
Desire and hate, benefit and harm are the unity of opposites, and only one side is "partial". Therefore, it is necessary to "balance everything in the middle" in order to "be harmonious but not chaotic." The so-called "reflection on everything" is to see all aspects of the problem, and then "balance the power, make a correct judgment, and not be confused by various contradictions. Xun Kuang's demand to see the pros and cons of things clearly and then compare and identify them is in line with dialectics.
If a person can't look at the problem in an all-round way and only see the beneficial side of himself regardless of the hidden danger, he will fall into a "partial injury" and not fail. Shang Yang's political reform contributed to the strength of Qin, but his methods were too cruel. He only saw the benefits brought by the political reform, but he did not see the hidden disasters, and eventually even his own life was buried under his own laws.
Yu Qian of the Ming Dynasty was framed as being too harsh and extreme, which violated the golden mean. Yu Qian didn't understand until he died. Most people in China agreed on what was an official. What Yu Qian did was just and noble in the eyes of future generations, but in the interpersonal environment at that time, he was not only difficult to understand, but became the main factor causing resentment.
Yu Qian's fate is closely related to two major events in the Ming Dynasty-the change of civil engineering and the change of seizing the door. After the civil incident, he became a hero and was supported by the people all over the country. The burglary ruined his reputation and killed him. Yu Qian is honest, but why did his colleagues finally turn against each other?
The change of civil engineering made Ming Yingzong a prisoner of the Walla Army, and the whole capital was in jeopardy. At the critical moment, Yu Qian, who was in charge of the Ministry of War, stepped forward, ruled out all kinds of interference, led various troops, fought tenaciously, and repelled the invading Walla army. At the same time, together with Wu, he became emperor and re-established the political core of the Ming Dynasty. The leader of the Wala tribe who wanted to blackmail the Ming Dynasty saw this and was forced to return to Yingzong.
Didn't Yu Qian contribute? How can you say that he is hard on people? Then look down and you will understand. When the Vara army marched on the capital, Xu Youzhen, a civil servant, was the first to put forward the idea of "moving south", which was severely refuted by Yu Qian. Therefore, Xu Youzhen was often laughed at by his colleagues and never got promoted. He asked Yu Qian to recommend him many times, hoping to get the position of offering wine in imperial academy. Yu Qian also mentioned this matter in front of Jingdi, but Jingdi thought that Xu Youzhen sang the tune of "moving south" at a critical moment, which had a very bad influence and refused to promote him. Xu Youzhen was very depressed because he didn't get what he wanted. He hates his guts because he blames modesty for getting in the way and affecting his future.
The military commander Shi Heng is in charge of the military power of the garrison in the capital. Although he was demoted at first because he was defeated in the war with the Walla army, he was quickly reinstated under the sponsorship of Yu Qian, and under the leadership of Yu Qian, he turned defeat into victory, made great contributions and was named the world's Hou. Shi Heng was flattered by such a generous gift. In order to express his gratitude for money, he asked the emperor to present Yu Mian, the son of Yu Qian. Unexpectedly, Yu Qian refused in court and accused him of favoritism. As a result, Shi Heng Yu Qian, the relationship between them broke down, and the bitterness became deeper and deeper.
Because he is not good at handling things tactfully, speaks straight and loses face, Yu Qian offended people who could not be offended. In this way, the civil servants and military officers will be combined with the inner palace and outer court, forming a force of "reducing modesty". After a plot, it was quickly put into action. Xu Youzhen and others are the planners, while Shi Heng and Cao Jixiang are the executors. When Jingdi was seriously ill, they suddenly launched a palace coup, successfully seized the door and put the old Emperor Yingzong back on the throne. But Yu Qian's life is in the hands of these guys.
The golden mean, weighing the pros and cons, doing things impartially and making the most correct choice according to the situation are good for people and themselves.