At the end of the Qin Dynasty, there was a man named Ji Bu. He kept his word and had a very high reputation. Many people have established a strong friendship with him. At that time, there was even a proverb: "It is better to get a hundred pounds of gold than to keep a promise." (This is the origin of the idiom "a promise is as good as a gold") Later, he offended Liu Bang, the Emperor Gaozu, and was offered a reward for his capture. As a result, his old friends not only were not confused by the heavy money, but also risked the extinction of Jiuzu to protect him from disaster. A person who is honest and trustworthy will naturally get a lot of help and gain everyone's respect and friendship. On the other hand, if you covet temporary comfort or petty advantages and lose trust in your friends, you will get "benefits" on the surface. But for this benefit, he ruined his reputation, which is much more important than material things. Therefore, breaking a promise to a friend is tantamount to losing a watermelon and picking up sesame seeds, which is not worth the loss.
2. "Yu Ion" recorded a story of losing trust:
A businessman in Jiyang sank while crossing the river. He grabbed a hemp pole and shouted for help. A fisherman heard the sound. The businessman quickly shouted: "I am the richest man in Jiyang. If you can save me, I will give you 100 two gold. " . After being rescued ashore, the businessman turned his face and refused to admit it. He only gave the fisherman 10 two gold. The fisherman accused him of breaking his word and going back on his word. The rich man said, "You are a fisherman. I can't make much money in my life. Is it not enough to suddenly get twelve taels of gold? " The fisherman had to leave disgruntled. Unexpectedly, the rich man capsized in the same place again. Someone tried to save him, and the fisherman he cheated said, "He is the man who broke his word!" " "So the merchant drowned. It is purely accidental that the businessman capsized twice and met the same fisherman, but it is expected that the businessman will not be rewarded. Because if a person does not keep his word, he will lose the trust of others. So, once he is in trouble, no one wants to rescue him. Those who break their promises to others, once in trouble, have to sit still.