Once people have no fear, they will often become unscrupulous, do whatever they want, say whatever they want, drink whatever they want, and even be lawless, and eventually swallow the bitter fruit they have brewed.

Zeng Guofan was a famous strategist, politician and neo-Confucian in China's modern history, and the first minister in the late Qing Dynasty. Being awed and clear-headed is the core of Zeng Guofan's life as an official and politician. The reason why he can achieve such great success is closely related to his extraordinary strategy and indomitable spirit, and all his life after success is due to his "awe" view.

"Caigen Tan" said: "From the son of heaven to Shu Ren, there are no immortal fearless people. I am afraid of the sky above, the people below, the officials of the moment, and the officials of future generations. " Respect is respect, and fear is fear. Inside, there is no evil thought, but outside, there is dignity and dignity. Zeng Guofan believes that in officialdom, one must know how to fear. In a letter to Ceng Jize, he wrote, "Respect does not mean arrogance or laziness." . With awe, we can have a cautious attitude of walking on thin ice; In order to have a heart of fear; In the unpredictable political sea and complicated society, we can never be impetuous, disturbed by selfish distractions, burdened by personal fame and fortune, always remain humble and peaceful, maintain inner persistence and tranquility, and abide by inner calmness and calmness. ?

I saw a story when I read Zeng Guofan's letter recently:

There was an aide named Li Hongzi, and Zeng Guofan loved him very much and treated him like a son. Zeng Guofan's chamber of secrets can only be accessed by Li Hongzhi.

At that time, there were so-called "three sages and seven sages" among Zeng Guofan's aides, all of whom were famous Neo-Confucianism masters. Zeng Guofan admired their reputation and called them all in. But they are only provided with food, clothing, housing and transportation, but they are not allowed to hold specific positions. One day, Zeng Guofan was talking to Li Hongyi in his room. It happened that a guest came. Zeng Guofan went out to receive guests, leaving Li Hongyi alone in the room. He looked through the manuscript on the desk and saw an article written by an old Confucian, Don't be tempted.

This old Confucian is one of the ten sages. There is a passage in the article that is said in the current vernacular: "If you put me in front of a beautiful girl, will I be horny?" I won't. If you put me in front of the red hat again, will I move the heart of high officials and generous people? I won't. "Seeing this, Li Hongyi felt very ridiculous. He picked up a pen and wrote on it: "In front of the beautiful girl, beside the red hat, your heart is still, and you just want to see the nave. "Leave after writing.

Zeng Guofan sent the guests away and returned to his study. He saw the words on the title, sighed and said, "This boy must have done it." He immediately called Li Hongzhi and said, "These people are bound to cheat the world and steal their fame, and their words and deeds are inconsistent. I know this. However, it is this false name that has brought them to their present position. Now you must expose it and deprive them of their food and clothing, so their hatred for you can't be compared with the hatred between ordinary languages. The catastrophe of killing and genocide is hidden inside! " Li Hongyi suddenly broke out in a cold sweat and accepted the instructions in awe. Since then, he has deeply restrained himself and moved forward cautiously.

Awe is the great wisdom of life, not only an attitude towards life, but also a code of conduct. Zeng Guofan said that he had "three fears" in his life: fear of destiny, fear of others' words and fear of your father. Throughout his life, with awe, he always adhered to the basic principles of being an official, kept a clear head, adhered to principles, and adhered to the bottom line. He spent every day in a state of trembling and treading on thin ice, and finally made great progress, made great achievements and achieved himself. He once wrote in Zeng Guofan's letter: "Don't think that someone in the family is a big official and dare to bully others; Don't think that you dare to be arrogant with a little knowledge. Don't get carried away when things are going well. Many people are ruined, just don't know their own scruples. "