The state of Lu intended to appoint Yuezheng Zi (Yuezheng Ke) to manage its government. Upon hearing this, Mencius said, “I heard the news and was so delighted that I could not sleep.”
Gongsun Chou asked, “Is Yuezheng Zi resolute and strong?”
Mencius replied, “No.”
Gongsun Chou asked, “Is he wise and farsighted?”
Mencius replied, “No.”
Gongsun Chou asked, “Is he widely learned and knowledgeable?”
Mencius replied, “No.”
Gongsun Chou asked in confusion, “Then why are you so delighted that you cannot sleep?”
Mencius replied, “Because he loves to listen to good advice.”
Gongsun Chou asked, “Is merely loving good advice sufficient to govern a state?”
Mencius replied, “Loving good advice is more than sufficient to govern the entire world, let alone the state of Lu! If a ruler truly loves good advice, people from all over the world will travel thousands of miles to offer him their counsel. If a ruler does not love good advice, people will mimic his tone and say, ‘Hmph, I already know all about that!’ Such arrogant tones and expressions will push men of virtue thousands of miles away. When men of virtue stop thousands of miles away, slanderers and sycophants will arrive. If a ruler surrounds himself with slanderers and sycophants, how could the state possibly be well-governed?”
Note
This passage from the Gaozi II chapter of the Mencius, through a dialogue between Mencius and his disciple Gongsun Chou, vividly portrays the ideal ruler in Confucianism and profoundly reveals the decisive role of the virtue of “loving good advice” in state governance. Drawing on historical context and traditional commentaries, we can understand its philosophy through the following dimensions:
- Breaking the “Cult of Competence”: The Core Quality of a Ruler is “Open-mindedness”
In the eyes of Gongsun Chou (representing secular views), an excellent politician must possess hard skills such as “resoluteness,” “wisdom,” and “extensive knowledge.” Mencius, however, denied all of these, pointing out that the most core quality of a ruler is “loving good advice.” In Mencius’ view, an individual’s wisdom and abilities are always limited. As long as a ruler possesses the virtue of loving good advice, they can gather the wisdom of the world to compensate for their own shortcomings. This represents a highly politically astute philosophy of “governing by doing less” and “pooling collective wisdom.” - “Loving Good Advice is More Than Sufficient to Govern the World”: An Open Political Ecology and the Talent Siphon Effect
Mencius proposed a highly forward-looking political thesis: “Loving good advice is more than sufficient to govern the world.” A ruler who is open to advice creates a powerful “talent siphon effect,” drawing virtuous men from across the land who will “travel thousands of miles lightly.” Conversely, if a ruler is arrogant and self-opinionated (“arrogant tones and expressions”), it creates a “reverse selection” political ecology, driving away true talent and attracting sycophants. Mencius accurately grasped the source of the political ecology: the personality and attitude of the ruler determine the overall quality of the bureaucratic system. - A Profound Warning Against the “Information Cocoon”: Rejecting Advice is an Omen of National Ruin
Mencius’ depiction of “arrogance” is essentially a profound warning to rulers about falling into an “information cocoon.” Once those in power believe they “already know all about that,” they will refuse to receive new, or even disagreeable, truthful information. At this point, the only people surrounding the ruler will be “slanderers and sycophants.” Mencius incisively pointed out that if a ruler mingles with villains, there is absolutely no possibility of the state being well-governed. This is not only an admonition to the politics of Lu but also an eternal warning to all those in power throughout history.
鲁欲使乐正子为政。孟子曰：“吾闻之，喜而不寐。”
公孙丑曰：“乐正子强乎？”曰：“否。”
“有知虑乎？”曰：“否。”
“多闻识乎？”曰：“否。”
“然则奚为喜而不寐？”曰：“其为人也好善。”
“好善足乎？”曰：“好善优于天下，而况鲁国乎？夫苟好善，则四海之内，皆将轻千里而来告之以善。夫苟不好善，则人将曰：‘訑訑，予既已知之矣。’訑訑之声音颜色，距人于千里之外。士止于千里之外，则谗谄面谀之人至矣。与谗谄面谀之人居，国欲治，可得乎？”
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