Mr Fine

Post 47 One who tries not to offend anybody

During the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25-220) in China, there was a man by the name of Sima Hui who was known to have never spoken ill of others. He would agree with whatever the others had said. Everything was fine to him.

Once Sima Hui encountered an acquaintance who asked him, “How have you been, sir?” He said, “Fine.” On another occasion, an old friend who was grief-stricken visited him in his home. This old friend said that his son had died. However, much to his surprise Sima Hui unexpectedly told him, “That’s fine.”

His wife was so angry that she chastised her husband after the old friend had left. She said,” Your friend told you what was on his mind thinking that you were a man of integrity and virtue. Why then must you say “That’s fine” when he told you that his son had died?” On hearing the words of his wife, Sima Hui nonchalantly said, “Fine. What you have just said is also fine!” Sima Hui then became known as Mr Fine because he was one who did not want to offend anybody.

Mr Fine is definitely not fine as a leader. If he chairs a meeting, there will be no decision made.

25 May 2010

When the hare dies, the fox is grieved

Post 46 To have sympathy with people of the same fate

Long time ago, an old man saw a fox weeping in a jungle and asked why he cried. The fox answered by saying that his friend, the hare, was killed by a hunter. In between sobs, the fox said that the next to be hunted down would be him. How could he not feel sad? The old man then sighed and said that fellow sufferers would surely commiserate with each other.

Hares are not carnivores or flesh-eating animals; foxes are. When hares die, foxes will have meat to eat. Why then should foxes grieve when hares die? The fact is that both hares and foxes are hunting targets of human beings. So when hares die, foxes will become the next target for hunters. There is every reason for foxes to feel anxious. However, no matter whether hares and foxes are enemies or friends, they cannot escape the fate of being chased and hunted.

This Chinese idiom is therefore used to show that when a person of the same fate dies, the others will worry about the imminent danger or misfortune befalling them.

Self-pity came so naturally for the fox.

18 May 2010

A comical scholar

Post 45 Fall behind Sun Shan

Sun Shan was a gifted scholar during the Song dynasty in China more than 1,000 years ago. He was humorous and good at cracking jokes. His friends called him the ‘comical scholar’.

Once he went to sit for a competitive examination in Beijing. Together with him sitting for the same examination was the son of a man from the same village. When the results were out, Sun Shan was successful. However, his name was last on the list of successful candidates. The son of the villager did not get through.

When Sun Shan reached home, the man from the same village asked him whether his son had passed the examination. Sun Shan found it difficult to break the bad news to him. Casually Sun Shan then blurted out a short poem:

‘The last on the passing list is me, Sun Shan
However, the name of your son falls behind Sun Shan.”

Since then the idiom ‘fall behind Sun Shan’ is used to refer to candidates who have failed in their examinations.

11 May 2010

A hanger-on

Post 44 ‘Parasitic guests’

In ancient China there was a group of so-called ‘advisers’ employed to serve and entertain their masters as ‘parasitic guests’ or Shike. They were different from persuasive ‘lobbyists’ or Shuike, another group of people who were employed for their gift of the gab.

These ‘parasitic guests’ were considered by some people to be opportunists. They sponged on or acted as a hanger-on of an aristocrat. A hanger-on is someone who associates with an important person for gain. Sometimes it is difficult to tell the difference between a real friend and a hanger-on. An aristocrat, on the other hand, is a nobleman or a member of a hereditary ruling class. Hence, when these two classes of people worked together, they acted out a display of hypocrisy and flattery.

When their services were required, these ‘parasitic guests’ would also represent their masters in entertaining VIPs. Whenever there were feasts being held, they could expect to be counted to sit among close friends and relatives of their masters. ‘Parasitic guests’ existed more than 2,500 years ago. Do you think they exist today in our society, albeit in a different name?

4 May 2010