Truly effective medicines usually taste
bitter.(苦口良藥)
The period from 770 BC to 476 BC was the
Spring and Autumn Period in China, and the period from 476 BC to 221 BC was the
Warring States Period in China.
There is a famous philosopher and thinker
in China named (Mo Zhai) who lived during the transition between these two
periods.
Mo Zhai was tired of the frequent wars
between kingdoms at that time. He believed that as long as each of us holds the
ideal of universal love, it is possible for us to create a peaceful society.
He had a group of followers who travelled
to different kingdoms to spread Mo Di's ideas.
One day, a follower of Mo Zhai called Tian
Jiu came to the Chu Kingdom. The king of the Chu Kingdom said to Tian Jiu Your
teacher is a very famous scholar. Many of his ideas are unique. He also
practises his theories personally. I admire him for that.
I had read his books and found them boring
to read, so I found his ideas very unappealing to me.
Tian Jiu replied to the King of Chu
Kingdom.
Nowadays, many famous scholars like to use
beautiful words and sensational views in their books to attract readers'
attention. These books are interesting and exciting to read, but many of the
ideas in these books do not correspond to reality. The theories in these books
cannot be applied in our lives.
My teacher's ideas incorporated the views
of many famous ancient kings and sages, and he developed his own discourse
based on these views.
The truth is often simple and feels
mundane, which I think is why his books are less engaging to read. .
During the Warring States period there was
another famous scholar called Han Fei.
After hearing this, Han Fei made his own
comments.
Han Fei said
Truly effective medicines usually taste
bitter.
When a truly wise person falls ill, he will
force himself to take these very bitter medicines because he knows that if he
drinks these very bitter medicines he will be cured of his illness.
Some suggestions that are beneficial to a kingdom often sound unpleasant. Only wise kings will force themselves to accept these unpleasant suggestions.
These kings knew that it was only by accepting suggestions that made them uncomfortable that the kingdoms they ruled would be made better.
The literal translation of this idiom is
that truly effective medicine usually tastes bitter.
This idiom is used to describe some honest
and valuable words that make the person who hears them feel uncomfortable.
Dear friend, what inspirations or thoughts
do you have after listening to this story?
Have you ever taken medicine that made you
feel uncomfortable? Have you ever heard honest and wise words that made you
feel uncomfortable?
I hope this story can give you some new
insights.
苦口良藥(Truly effective medicines usually
taste bitter)
西元前770年到西元前476年這段時間是中國的春秋時代，西元前476年到西元前221年這段時間是中國的戰國時代
中國有一個著名的哲學家與思想家的名字叫做(墨翟)，他就生活在這兩個年代交接的這段時間內。
墨翟厭倦當時的王國之間頻繁的戰爭，他認為只要我們每個人都抱持著全民有愛的理想，我們就有可能創造出一個和平的社會。
他有一批追隨者，這些追隨者會到各個王國之間宣傳墨翟的理念。
有一天，墨翟有一個名字叫做田鳩的追隨者到了楚王國，楚王國的國王對田鳩說。你的老師是一個很知名的學者，他的很多想法都很特別，他也親身實踐他的理論，關於這一點我很敬佩他。
我曾經看過他寫的書，我認為他寫的書讀起來讓人覺得很無聊，所以我認為他的思想對我而言很沒有吸引力。
田鳩回答楚王國的國王。
現在有很多知名的學者的書中都很喜歡用很華麗的言詞與聳動的觀點去吸引讀者的眼球，這些的書讀起來很有趣而且很精采但是這些書中的很多想法並不符合現實的狀態，這些書中的理論無法讓我們運用在生活上。
我的老師的思想融合了很多古代的著名國王與智者的觀點，他在這些觀點的基礎上發展出自己的論述。
真理往往是簡單而且令人感覺很平常無趣的，我認為這就是他的書為何閱讀起比較沒有吸引力的原因。。
戰國時代有另外一個著名的學者叫做韓非。
韓非聽到這個事情之後，他發表了自已的評論。
韓非說。
那些真正有效的藥的味道通常都很苦。
當一個真正聰明的人在生病後，這個聰明人會強迫自己吃下這些很苦的藥，因為這個聰明人知道喝下這些很苦的藥後自己的病會痊癒。
一些對一個王國有益處的建議往往事聽起來令人覺得不舒服的，只有那些有智慧的君王會強迫自己接受這些令自已覺得不舒服的建議。
這些君王知道只有接受這些令自己覺得不舒服的建議，才會讓自己所統治的王國變得更好。
這句成語直接翻譯的意思是真正有效的藥的味道通常都很苦。
這句成語與被用來形容一些正直且有價值但是令聽到的人覺得不舒服的話話。
親愛的朋友，你聽完這個故事有怎樣的啟發或有怎樣的想法呢。
你曾經吃過會讓你覺得很不舒服的藥嗎?你曾經聽過那些正直有智慧但令你覺得不舒服的話呢?
我期待這故事能讓你產生一些新的收穫。
出處為韓非子-外儲說左上