In the past few days of online classes, we have gotten to know three figures: Sun Tzu, Sun Bin, and Wu Qi. So what can we learn from their successes and failures?
So first let’s talk about Sun Tzu. Sun Tzu’s name is Sun Wu. He is a native of Qi State and is proficient in the art of war. Because of his outstanding ability, he was received by the King of Wu. The King of Wu asked him to demonstrate military training and use The maid came to practice. Sun Wu agreed. At first, the women laughed and made a mess. After Sun Wu failed to teach him a lesson several times, Sun Wu decided to kill the two captains, the concubines of King Wu, as punishment. Faced with King Wu's persuasion, Sun Wu said that he could not agree with some monarch's requirements in managing the army, so he killed the two palace ladies. As a result, this "women's army" was uniform, and the king of Wu also understood Sun Tzu's abilities, and soon made him a general with outstanding military exploits.
Why was Sun Tzu able to achieve a happy ending of self-realization in the end? I think it has something to do with Sun Wu's character. He is a man who enforces the law like a mountain and is selfless, and this is exactly what the King of Wu, and indeed any king, needs, someone who can be his solid backing. The second is Sun Tzu's ability, which is nothing to say.
The second character is Sun Bin, a descendant of Sun Tzu more than a hundred years after his death. I don't know if this is genetic or atavism, but his military ability is also very strong. He once studied calligraphy with Pang Juan. Later, Pang Juan became a general of the Wei State. Knowing that he was not as talented as his grandson, he shamelessly poured dirty water on Sun Bin and tortured him. His feet were chopped off and his face was tattooed. The grandson hid himself and did not dare to come forward. But where is Sun Bin such a person? He went to the State of Qi, met General Tian Ji, and helped him win a thousand gold bet, so Tian Ji recommended Sun Bin to the King of Qi and became the King of Qi's teacher. Later, he became a military advisor and defeated the Wei State, avenging himself. Leg feud.
Good guy, it turns out that Sun Bin not only inherited Sun Wu’s abilities, but also ended up exactly the same, except that Sun Bin was more pitifully plotted at first. So what is the reason for Sun Bin's success? First of all, needless to say, ability. Second, his character. His foresight, calmness and wit also paved the way for his success. The third point, I think this is also related to his origin. Having been assassinated, has this also become a motivation for Sun Bin? This is for revenge.
The last one is Wu Qi, who is from Weiguo and is good at using troops. He wanted to become famous. Because his wife was from Qi, he was afraid that his superiors would have doubts, so he killed his wife and showed that he was no longer close to Qi. So Lu Jun made him a general. Later Lu Jun learned that After Wu Qi punished his neighbors and formed an alliance, he alienated Wu Qi. Later, Wu Qi came to Weiguo again and was appointed as the chief general. Later, Wu Qi went to Chu State to implement reforms because he was afraid that Wu Hou's suspicion would bring disaster. In the end, because of his harshness, violence, and lack of kindness, he made the royal family unhappy, so he negotiated a rebellion and killed Wu Qi.
Wu Qi’s ending was tragic, but why? I think it was because he didn’t realize the consequences of his actions, or he didn’t have a comprehensive prediction. The second is his character. It is also said in the article that he loves fame, which is his motivation and also his shortcoming. Haste will also arouse the suspicion of others.
Although the above three characters have different results, they all have one thing in common, that is, they are extremely capable and have the desire for self-realization. However, the two Mr. Suns were far-sighted and developed steadily, but Wuqi wanted to become famous and was eager to become famous, which led to his own tragic results. But I think the most important reason is that when Wu Qi became the prime minister and the country's top chief executive, he had to pay much more than Sun Tzu and the two generals.
To sum up, from the success and failure of the three of them, I realized that we need to think about things from multiple aspects and not just pay for the results. The impact on others is also very important. There are great benefits to having a few good minds. The higher the status, the greater the responsibility. Steadily rising and being down-to-earth is the correct way to achieve self-realization.