When Yang Zhu passed an inn in eastern Song, he noticed the innkeeper had two concubines. The plain-looking one was favored, while the beautiful one was treated coldly.
Yang Zhu asked the reason. The innkeeper replied: “The beautiful woman prides herself on her looks, so I no longer see her beauty. The plain woman accepts her appearance humbly, so I pay no heed to her plainness.”
Yang Zhu said to his disciples: “If you possess virtue yet cast away conceit, you will be respected everywhere you go.”
Note
This text is excerpted from Han Feizi, Chapter: The Forest of Persuasions (Part I). It tells us that external advantages cannot make up for arrogance. True excellence lies in having virtue while remaining humble.
Late Warring States Legalist philosopher, using this story to teach moral conduct.
Yang Zhu
Yang Zhu, whose surname was Yang and courtesy name was Ziju, was a great thinker and philosopher of the early Warring States period.
Yang Zhu advocated the ideas of “valuing the self,” “cherishing life,” and “no one should harm a single hair of another.” He was the founder of the Yang Zhu school of Daoism. His insights are found scattered throughout works such as the Liezi, Zhuangzi, Mencius, Hanfeizi, and Master Lü’s Spring and Autumn Annals. During the Warring States period, there was a saying that “all the doctrines under heaven either return to Yang or to Mo” – a testament to the immense influence of his teachings.
Innkeeper
A common man who judged people by their temperament rather than appearance.
Two concubines
One beautiful but arrogant, the other plain but modest.
Appearance vs. Demeanor
Ancient Chinese valued inner temperament and attitude over mere physical beauty. Arrogance spoils charm, while modesty wins favor.
Conceit and humility
Being proud of one’s strengths is regarded as a flaw; keeping modest while possessing virtue is advocated as proper conduct.
Moral teaching
The story serves as a lesson for scholars: cultivate virtue and abandon self-righteous pride to gain universal respect.
楊子過於宋東之逆旅，有妾二人，其惡者貴，美者賤。楊子問其故，逆旅之父答曰：「美者自美，吾不知其美也，惡者自惡，吾不知其惡也。」楊子謂弟子曰：「行賢而去自賢之心，焉往而不美。」
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