Human nature is an inexhaustible topic for philosophers, thinkers, writers, and artists at home and abroad. In China's pre-Qin period, there was a brilliant thinker, Han Feizi, who gave an in-depth analysis of human nature with his profound insight. Here are ten quotes selected from "Han Feizi", which reveal the complexity and multifaceted nature of human nature from different angles and levels.
1. There are two troubles for the master: those who can attack want to attack, and those who cannot attack want to say it
This sentence is from "Han Feizi Unspeakable". Han Feizi pointed out that they have two common psychological disorders: they will want to attack those who can attack;And for the unattackable, they will want to be close. This psychological phenomenon is actually very common in our daily life, people tend to have a sense of aggression towards those who are weaker than themselves or who seem to be weak, and a sense of closeness to those who are strong or seem to be strong. To a certain extent, this psychological tendency reflects the self-protection mechanism of human beings and the pursuit of a sense of security.
2. People should not stop the water in view of the flowing water, but only the people can stop it
This sentence is from "Han Feizi Unspeakable". When Han Feizi expounded his thoughts on the rule of law, he emphasized the concept of "rule of law". He believes that social order can only be maintained through clear legal provisions and strict law enforcement. And the meaning of this sentence is that people tend to see their image as a mirror of flowing water and stopping water, and only stopping water can stop flowing and become the best mirror. This illustrates the importance of the authority and binding force of the law in maintaining social order.
3. The lower monarch does his best, the middle monarch does his best, and the superior monarch does his best
This sentence is from "Han Feizi Unspeakable". Han Feizi believes that a monarch should give full play to the wisdom and strength of himself, his subordinates and the people. The king does his best, which means that he does it himself;Zhongjun's ability to do his best refers to being able to use the abilities of his subordinates;The wisdom of the emperor refers to the wisdom and creativity of the people. This sentence reveals the different levels and realms of leadership, and a good leader should be able to give full play to the wisdom and creativity of his subordinates, so as to create better performance and results.
4. Whoever rules the world will do so because of human affection. People have likes and dislikes, likes and dislikes, and joys and angers
This sentence is from "Han Feizi: Eight Rapes". Han Feizi emphasized the importance of understanding human nature when discussing how rulers should govern the country. He believed that rulers must understand people's likes and dislikes, likes and angers, because these emotions are the most basic human instincts and reactions. By understanding people's likes, dislikes, likes and angers, rulers can better formulate policies and measures that meet people's needs, and thus govern the country better.
Fifth, everyone is self-conscious: everyone wants to be noble in the country and far away in the world
This sentence is from "Han Feizi: Rape and Murder". Han Feizi pointed out that everyone has their own selfishness and desires when expounding on the motives of human behavior. People all want to be noble, and they are not always able to achieve these wishes. This psychological tendency reflects the pursuit of self-worth and status of human beings, but it also reveals a limitation of human beings.
Sixth, there are three ways for the ruler of human affairs: those who have no moral merits cannot respect the king;Those who have moral merit but no noble reputation are not enough to be a king;Those who have a noble reputation and have no place to be favored by great officials are not enough to do their best
This sentence is from "Han Feizi: Difficult to Say". When Han Feizi expounded the principle of courtiers serving the monarch, he pointed out that courtiers should have three ways to deal with it: without moral merit, they cannot win the respect of the monarch;If you have moral merit but lack a noble reputation, you can't be a king;If you have a noble reputation, but without the favor of a great official, you will not be able to serve the monarch to the best of your ability. This sentence reveals a psychological law and behavior pattern of human beings in the pursuit of personal interests: people often prove their worth and ability by obtaining some kind of honor or status, and in this way obtain more benefits.
7. Mortal ministers, who have more than the ministers and have the beauty of the people, are said to be disloyal;Those who take advantage of the ministers and are privately valued by the monarch are called unjust;Those who fear the sin of death and whose power to death are well known!However, the unfaithful and unrighteous are born in troubled times, and the kings of troubled times do not notice much, so that the disloyal and unrighteous ministers can enter into their slanderous words and confuse their kings
Han Feizi clearly put forward the moral requirements and behavioral norms for his courtiers here. He pointed out that it would be disloyal for a courtier to attribute the praise of the crowd to the monarch in order to please him;It is unjust to use one's position for one's own personal gain. And those courtiers who fought to the death because they were afraid of the death penalty could be considered wise. However, Han Feizi also pointed out that such disloyal and unrighteous people often appear in troubled times, and the monarchs in troubled times often fail to discern the details, which gives these disloyal and unrighteous ministers the opportunity to slander and confuse the monarch. This is a profound revelation of human nature, and at the same time a warning to the monarch.
8. When people are in trouble, they are afraid, and if they are afraid, they are upright, and if they are upright, they are thoughtful, and if they are thoughtful, they will be reasonable
This sentence is from "Han Feizi Xie Lao". When Han Feizi explained that "there is no greater misfortune than discontentment", he put forward an important point about human nature: when people are in trouble, they are afraid. This state of mind leads to good behavior, mature thinking, and sensibility. This is Han Feizi's deep insight into human nature, and he pointed out that people will be more cautious and sober when faced with danger or difficulties, so as to better cope with challenges.
9. Human nature is so evil that it must be discernedThe good one leads to it, and thus it becomes it;The evil is thus corrected, and thus cured
This sentence is from "Han Feizi: Sexual Evil". Han Feizi believes that human nature is inherently evil and needs to be guided and corrected through education and law. He advocated judging people's nature by observing and analyzing their behavior, and that good people should be guided to success, and evil people should be corrected through education and law. This sentence reveals the evil side of human nature, and at the same time points out the importance of education and social institutions in the transformation of human nature.
10. Everyone thinks he is wise, but he can't do itEveryone thinks they are talented, but they can't achieve it
This sentence is from "Han Feizi: The Lord's Way". Han Feizi pointed out that people often think they are smart and violate morality, and they think they are talented but cannot succeed. This psychological tendency reflects the limitations of human self-perception and the blindness of the desire for success and the pursuit of success. This quote reminds people to be humble and reverent, and to follow morality and laws in the pursuit of success, in order to achieve real results.
With its profound and unique insights, Han Feizi reveals the complexity of human nature. These famous sayings not only reflect Han Feizi's unique views on human nature, but also have a profound impact on later generations. The wisdom of these sayings not only enables us to understand human nature, but also has an important enlightening effect on our own growth.