We will delve into how to acquire and control power, in order to have a deeper understanding of the "Zizhi Tongjian", starting with the classic events at its beginning"Three families are divided"Talk about.
To understand rights, we need to understand that power is not a source of water. In other words, power comes from the approval and obedience of others.
So, how do you win the approval of others? The key is fame, i.e. social status and identity. In ancient times, this was our official position and title. It is only with these that we can legitimately exercise our rights.
In the "General Guide to Governance", Mr. Sima Guang chose the division of the three kings as the beginning of his masterpiece. This happened in 403 B.C., shortly after the cessation of writing of the Chunqiu Zuo Biography.
There are many complex political ideas behind this allusion, including the origin of power from social order, the necessity of name to maintain order, and the great influence of the "three divisions" in promoting the development of history.
The reason for this is that Mr. Sima Guang chose "Three Families Dividing Jin" as the beginning, mainly out of two considerations: continuing the historical narration of "The Biography of the Zuo Family in the Spring and Autumn Period"; Emphasizing the importance of fame in governing the country.
Prior to this, despite the constant strife among the nations, the princes everywhere still respected Zhou Tianzi. However, since the beginning of the "three families", Zhou Tianzi lost his dignity, and the princes went their own way, and no one took him seriously. Mr. Sima Guang used this incident to warn us and call on us to attach importance to our reputation.
In fact, when it comes to the subtle connection between fame and real power, there are indeed many topics worth exploring. For example, sometimes you may have real power, but nominally only as a younger brother; Sometimes, you have the honor but the power is hollowed out. A similar phenomenon exists in many companies today, where some employees, regardless of their position, may not be able to command others; On the other hand, there are employees who, despite their humble status, are valued by their superiors for their talents and are entrusted with a wide range of tasks. These phenomena were also common in the workplace in ancient times.
Taking the historical event of "three families divided into Jin" as an example, although these three ministers divided the Jin kingdom and established themselves as kings, they were still vassals in name. Although they are actually in power in the Jin Kingdom, the so-called quota still makes them feel uneasy in their hearts. Therefore, they have to find ways to gain recognition for their reputation. How to solve this tricky problem? The answer is actually very simple - seek the support of Zhou Tianzi. They offered tribute, loyalty, or threats to Zhou in the hope of earning the title of prince given by Zhou. However, Zhou Tianzi was not satisfied with this. After all, this is a great shock to the social order. Zhou Tianzi had no real power, and he could not speak out against it, so he could only stand by and let the three ministers regard themselves as masters.
Therefore, it is not difficult for us to find that in the ancient workplace environment, the relationship between fame and real power constituted a complex one. The reality is that sometimes you have to have a name before you can exercise your power;Sometimes you have real power, but you are still nominally weak;There are even times when you have a prestigious position, but your power is hollowed out. In the face of such inconsistencies, we need to use wisdom to gain and maintain power.