Be grateful

Post 109 Do not “remove bridges”

To be grateful is a virtue. In the Chinese language, to be ungrateful is to “remove bridges after crossing the river”. The metaphor tells of a person who makes use of the help and kindness of others to achieve his goal, and thereafter abandon them. It is “biting the hand that feeds you”, an expression for betraying someone who helps you.

As the love of money is the root of all evil, one may find one’s good friend acting treacherously for personal gains. The breach of faith on one party would cause the friendship to falter. Hence, a person of integrity will not allow himself to be dragged into the fight for wealth, status, power and fame, all of which are physical stuff.

The Chinese saying of “People die for money while birds die for food” is reflected on those who “remove bridges after crossing the river”. They are willing to forsake trust and integrity just for personal gains. In a utilitarian society, the search for materials things such as wealth and properties becomes the priority of many people. In the process of chasing after them, more “bridges will be removed.”

“Every time I appoint someone to a vacant position, I make a hundred unhappy and one ungrateful.” (King Louis XIV of France, 1643-1715)

This statement still holds water in the twenty-first century.

13 September 2011