SuaveG – The Gentle Path

Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature

  • The Ten Faults: Han Fei’s Manual for Not Destroying Yourself

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    Rob

    This article unpacks Han Fei’s “Ten Faults”, ten ruin‑invoking behavioural patterns for rulers. Translated to modern‑day survival wisdom, it warns against short‑term emotional impulses eroding long‑term structural safeguards.

  • Look at the Position, Not the Person: Why Character Is a Poor Predictor of Behavior

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    Rob

    This article explains Han Fei’s positional‑analysis idea: people’s conduct stems more from their roles and incentives than personal character. It advises judging structural positions rather than relying on perceived personality or sincere declarations.

  • Zhou Yi (The Book of Changes)

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    Ana

    Zhou Yi, also called Yi Jing or simply Yi, is a Confucian classic. According to Zheng Xuan‘s Yi Zan, the character Yi carries three meanings: change, simplicity, and constancy. It is traditionally said to have been produced by the people of Zhou; another interpretation holds that “Zhou” means thorough, all-encompassing, and circulating, hence the…

  • Strategies of the Warring States

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    Ana

    Strategies of the Warring States is a historical work compiled by Liu Xiang of the Western Han Dynasty. It was not produced at a single time, nor was it written by a single author. During the Warring States period, there were specialists in diplomatic strategy who studied how to discern the psychology of rulers…

  • Three Hundred Musicians and One Silent Flute

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    Rob

    This essay re‑examines Han Fei’s Nanguo fable *làn yú chōng shù*. It attributes the imposter’s emergence to defective collective‑assessment systems, stressing individual verification and distinguishing real competence from group‑provided cover.

  • Wukong’s Golden Rod and the Marshal’s Baton

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    Rob

    This article draws on Han Feizi, contrasting Sun Wukong’s self‑obtained golden rod with Han Xin’s delegated military authority. It warns against confusing borrowed positional power with genuine, self‑rooted capability.