Hui Zi remarked: “When Yi wore wrist guards and finger rings, drew his bow and cocked the trigger, men from Yue vied to hold up the target for him. Yet if a small child grips a drawn bow, even his loving mother shuts herself indoors and keeps away. Hence: When the outcome is certain and safe, men of Yue trust Yi without doubt; when safety cannot be guaranteed, a devoted mother flees her own young son.”
Note
Credibility roots in reliable and controllable results. Uncertainty and potential danger will drive even close kin to avoid you.
Late Warring States Legalist, quotes Hui Zi’s analogy to illustrate the logic of trust and certainty in governance.
Hui Zi (Hui Shi)
Famous pre-Qin dialectician and statesman.
Hou Yi
Legendary master archer in ancient Chinese mythology, famed for superb, accurate archery skills.
Archery accessories
“Yang”(finger guard) and “han”(arm bracers) were professional archer’s gear showing skilled control of the bow.
Trust based on predictability
A core political philosophy: stable, predictable policies win public trust; erratic risky measures alienate people even relatives.
Governance metaphor
Rulers with sound institutional rules make subjects attach to them; arbitrary unpredictable governance makes common people escape and distrust authority.
惠子曰：「羿執鞅持扞，操弓關機，越人爭為持的。弱子扞弓，慈母入室閉戶。故曰：可必，則越人不疑羿；不可必，則慈母逃弱子。」
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