Zhang Shuo "The Analects"·Serial No. 267

12.6, Zi Zhang asked Ming. Confucius said: "The penetration of the dirt, the skin's stimulation, can't go far. It can be said that it is clear. The penetration of the dirt, the skin's stimulation, can't be done, it can be said that it is far away."

(Note - Ming: see things wisely. Infiltration of slander (zèn): slander that soaks in slowly like water. Slander, slander, and bad things about people: like skin. It is the same as feeling the pain of slander. It is the same as "slander". (Vernacular) Zi Zhang asked how to "see things wisely". Confucius said: "The slanderous words that are corroding you day by day are like the dust in the air, surrounding you every day, but these slanderous words have no effect on you. This can be regarded as wise. They are noisy in your ears every day. "Slanders and false accusations will not work with you, which shows that you can see very far and clearly." (Zhang said) "Ming" here means that you are very clear in your heart, have clear knowledge, and are not confused. Zizhang asked how to be clear. Confucius used "slander" as an excuse. Slander is indeed an important test question to judge whether a person's knowledge is wise or not. As the saying goes: No one talks behind anyone's back, and no one talks behind anyone's back. The bad things said behind your back are slander! In other words, slander is overwhelming in life. For example, when two people are talking, if they talk about a third person who is not present, then 90% of the time it is slander. Many of them are slander without malicious intent. Why do people like to slander? This is determined by human nature. One of human nature is to stick to one's own values ??and consciously promote them. As long as the words and deeds of others are contrary to his or her values, it is a potential source of slander. When you talk about Person A with others, the first thing you think of is Person Personnel's words and deeds that are contrary to your values, and then the "slanderous words" will flow out automatically.

If you hear too much slander, you will gradually be affected. This is human nature. Nazi Gobert once said a famous saying: Repeat a lie a thousand times and it becomes the truth! He knew very well the power of slander. Where does this power come from? From constant repetition. Repeat a lie a thousand times, and the listener's brain will slowly be affected. It is said that you have been telling a lie. You originally knew it was a lie, but over time, you began to believe it to be true. This is the power of what Confucius said: "The lie of infiltration, the sultration of skin feeling" (lie that affects you every day like moisture and dust in the air).

The truth that Gobert understood was already understood by Confucius more than 2,000 years ago. Confucius used this common sense that "lie told a thousand times will become true" to test whether a person is "intelligent". If lies told a thousand times don't work for you, you are wise. Otherwise, they are mediocre people who cannot see through the truth. Confucius added: The so-called clarity refers to seeing far. That is to say, the reason why a person can see things wisely and not be affected by slander is because he sees things very accurately. He can see through the chaos in front of him and see the direction of the inner mechanism. Slanderous words can only be a cloud covering his eyes. He just needs to blink and the slanderous words disappear.

On December 7, Zigong asked about politics. Confucius said: "If you have enough food and soldiers, the people will trust you." Zigong said: "We must go as a last resort. Which of the three should come first?" He said: "Go away as a last resort." Zigong said: "We must go as a last resort. Which of the two comes first?" He said, "Go and eat. Since ancient times, people have had no faith and will not stand up." (Vernacular) Zi Gong asked Confucius how to manage political affairs. Confucius said: "There is sufficient food, sufficient armaments, and the people trust the government." Zigong said: "Sufficient food, sufficient soldiers, and the trust of the people are three things. If you have to remove one of them, which one should you go first?" Confucius said: Said: "Get rid of enough soldiers." Zigong said: "We have to get rid of one more item. Which of the two should be removed first?" Confucius said: "Get rid of enough food. Since ancient times, people will die, but if the people do not trust, the group cannot exist."

(Zhang said) This section well expresses Confucius' political philosophy. We cannot understand the literal meaning mechanically. What Confucius said is true. If he is about to starve to death, how can he talk about integrity? This choice mainly explains where the focus of governance lies: first, establishing trust, secondly, sufficient food, and thirdly, sufficient soldiers. Don't understand it as a mechanical opposition: "On the left is a bowl of rice, on the right is integrity. Choose one of the two. If you want integrity, you will starve to death. If you give up integrity, you can live."

Confucius’s strategy for governing the country is threefold: improving the economy, strengthening national defense, and trusting the people. One is material, and the other is human heart. This is nothing unusual. Those in power who are smart will pay attention to these three points. Zigong asked a very tricky question, asking Confucius to make a choice among these three necessary factors. Confucius went to the army first and then to the food. In other words, in the eyes of Confucius, the integrity of the ruler comes first!

This is the focus of this section.

Many people don’t understand this: you have to choose between survival and integrity. As long as you are a living thing, you will choose survival. How can you choose integrity and would rather die. "You will know that everything is empty when you die" - there is nothing left after death, and naturally there is no such thing as integrity. Yes, this is the survival principle of living things.

But humans are different from ordinary creatures, because among all creatures, only humans are social. Society is a collection of biological individuals united through various relationships. Sociality is an indispensable element of this kind of gathering. Simply put, this element is to give away profits! A collection of individuals who are unwilling to give up benefits cannot exist. Integrity is the check for profit! In life, we are not willing to make agreements with people who often do not keep their promises, because the agreements do not work. Over time, fewer and fewer people interact with those who do not keep their promises, and their social functions are greatly reduced. Just like US President Trump, breaking contracts has become a common occurrence and he has become a notorious untrustworthy politician. Other countries must have no interest in making a contract with him, because it would be in vain if they made a contract with him. Regardless of the rights and wrongs of the Sino-US trade war, Trump made a deal today and tore it up tomorrow, and made a deal tomorrow and tore it up the day after tomorrow, leaving the world stunned. A country led by such a person has obviously violated Confucius' taboo of "no trust, no establishment." If what Confucius said is correct, let the outcome of the United States under Trump prove it.