In a general sense, "sincerity" means honesty and sincerity, which mainly refers to the inner moral quality of the subject's sincerity; "faith" means credit and trust, which mainly refers to the externalization of the subject's "inner sincerity". "Sincerity" refers more to "internal sincerity in the heart", while "faith" focuses on "external trust in others". The combination of "sincerity" and "trust" forms a word that is both internal and external and has rich connotations. Its basic meaning is to be honest and trustworthy. For thousands of years, integrity has been regarded by the Chinese nation as its own code of conduct and moral cultivation. Based on the basic meaning of the word, a unique and rich concept of integrity has been formed.
"Sincerity" and "trust" as ethical norms and moral standards were originally used separately. Mencius said, "Sincerity is the way of heaven and the way of man." "The Doctrine of the Mean" also said: "Sincerity is the way of heaven, and sincerity is the way of man." The basic meaning of faith is to abide by promises and be consistent in words and deeds. , authentic and credible. The first use of "sincerity" and "xin" together is in "Yi Zhou Shu": "If you don't taste it when you are an adult, trust and sincerity will help you to build wealth." "Father and son observe their filial piety and kindness, and brothers' Look at the harmony between friends, look at the loyalty and foolishness between the monarch and the ministers, and look at the trustworthiness between the villagers and party members. "The word "faithfulness" here actually means "honesty". That is to say, in a general sense, integrity refers to being honest and not deceiving, stressing credibility, and emphasizing that people should treat each other sincerely.
"Sincerity" is the central idea of ??Confucianism as a human being. We should base our conduct on honesty and integrity. Zhu Xi, an acting scholar in the Song Dynasty, believes: "Sincerity means truthfulness. It is a virtue to be truthful and not deceived. People are required to practice morality and do things, and they must imitate the way of heaven and be truthful and trustworthy. Tell the truth and do things." Be truthful and oppose fraud and hypocrisy.
"Shuowen Jiezi" believes that "people's words are trustworthy", Cheng Yi believes: "Trust is called trustworthiness." "It can be seen that "faith" not only requires people to be honest and reliable when speaking, and avoid big words, empty words, and lies, but also requires people to be honest and reliable in doing things. The basic connotation of "faith" is also to keep promises, be consistent in words and deeds, and be honest.
"Sincerity" mainly refers to the way of heaven, and "faith" mainly refers to the way of humanity. Therefore, Mencius said: "Sincerity is the way of heaven; sincerity is the way of man." "
"Sincerity" is inherent in nature. Following the way of heaven and pursuing integrity are the principles and laws of life. Although there are philosophical differences between the two, from a moral perspective, "sincerity" and "Faith" is a synonymous concept, so Xu Shen said in "Shuowen Jiezi": "Sincerity means trust. "Trust, sincerity." "The basic meaning is to be honest and non-deceitful, keep your promises, be consistent in words and deeds, and be consistent in appearance and appearance. This is the basic requirement of being a human being.
There are many discussions on the principle of integrity in the Chinese Confucian classics. Here are some important excerpts
"People who don't believe in their words really don't believe it." ("The Book of Songs·Zheng Feng·Yang Zhishui")·
The words of people who have no integrity and moral character, People should not believe it. Therefore, if you want others to believe in you, you must be an honest person.
"The words of a gentleman are trustworthy and well-regulated, so the blame is far away from him; the words of a villain are arrogant but have no substantiation, so the blame reaches him." (Zuo Qiuming's "Zuo Zhuan·Zhao Gong") "Eight years")
"When making friends, you must be true to your words." (Confucius's "The Analects of Confucius·Xueer")
·A gentleman's words are honest and have evidence, so he resents Far beyond his body; the villain's words are more and more false and have no basis, so he will suffer from resentment. People are required to speak honestly and well-founded, and avoid nonsense without any basis in fact. "Four teachings: literature, conduct, loyalty, and trustworthiness." (Confucius's "The Analects of Confucius·Shuer") ·
When Confucius taught students, he advocated "literary" (that is, "Poems" and "Books") , "Li", "Yue" and other classics), "Xing", "loyalty" and "faithfulness" are equally valued. We hope that students can be knowledgeable (literary), be honest and diligent (Xing), and be loyal to their duties (loyalty). Only by being honest and not deceiving (faithful) and combining intellectual and moral education can one become a person with both ability and political integrity.
"Confucianism does not value gold and stones, but loyalty and trust are treasures." ("Book of Rites·Confucianism" compiled by Dai Sheng) , and take "loyalty" as the treasure. It can be seen that Confucian scholars regard "loyalty and trustworthiness" as a magic weapon for cultivating one's moral character and managing one's family and country.
"In ancient times, Yu and Tang believed in their obligations and the world was in great order. Jie and Zhou abandoned righteousness and betrayed their trust, and the world was in chaos. Therefore, as a man, you must be careful about etiquette and righteousness, and be loyal and trustworthy. This is the foundation of a monarch. .
"(Xunzi "Xunzi·Strengthening the Country") ·
The ancient sage kings Yu and Tang followed righteousness and faith and the world was in great order; the tyrants Jie and Zhou abandoned righteousness and betrayed faith and the world was in chaos. Therefore, as a king, you must be careful about etiquette and loyalty, and then you can govern the country. This is "the foundation of a ruler." This proves that integrity is the foundation of governing the country. "Someone asked for a letter and said: 'Don't break your promise.'" (Yang Xiong's "Fayan·Chongli") ·
The so-called faithfulness means not to break or forget one's promises, and one must keep them Commit to what you say and do what you say.
"Believers are sincere and unwavering." (Ban Gu's "White Tiger Tongyi·Xingqing·On Five Nature and Six Emotions")·
In a certain sense, trust is It is sincerity, and sincerity is trust. The two are interlinked, and their basic connotations are truth and no deception. Be honest and trustworthy in everything you say and do.
"Sincerity is the foundation of the Wuchang and the source of hundreds of behaviors." (Zhou Dunyi's "The Complete Book of Zhou Zi·Tongshu·Cheng Xia") The basis of etiquette, wisdom, and faith) is also the source of all kinds of good deeds by people. It can be seen how important "sincerity" is in the Confucian moral system.
"Those who believe, there is nothing false." (Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi's "Henan Cheng Family's Suicide Notes·Volume 1")
·The so-called "faith" means that there is no "false" mean. He neither tells lies nor does false things; he neither deceives himself nor others. All words and deeds are based on honesty and exclude all hypocrisy and falsehood. "He who trusts is the greatest treasure of man. The country is protected by the people, and the people are protected by trust. Without faith, the people cannot be protected, and without the people, the country cannot be defended. This is why the ancient king will not bully the world, and the tyrant will not bully his neighbors. Do good to the country. Those who are good at home will not deceive their relatives." (Sima Guang's "Zizhi Tongjian·Volume 2") "Integrity" is a magic weapon for people, because "the country is protected by. The people, the people are protected by trust." If the ruler has no trust, he cannot lead the people; if he loses the people's support, he cannot protect the country. Therefore, the ancient sage kings did not bully the world, and the five hegemons did not bully their neighbors. A person who governs a country well will not deceive his people; a person who manages his family well will not deceive his relatives. It can be seen how important faith is in governing a country and a family.
"Honesty is a human being, hypocrisy is an animal." (Huang Zongxi's "Mencius's Teachings·Volume 7")
·Honesty is one of the fundamental differences between humans and animals. Only Humans have the virtue of integrity, while animals are dishonest. If a person only pursues material desires without integrity, it is a kind of animal behavior that loses humanity.
Laozi: "Words of faith are not beautiful, and beautiful words are not true." ("Laozi·Chapter 81") ·
Words of integrity are not beautiful, and words of beauty are not true. , because words of integrity are simple and unpretentious.
Confucius: "Trust is close to righteousness, and words can be restored." ("The Analects of Confucius·Xueer") "Righteousness" can be put into practice.
Mencius: "Sincerity is the way of heaven. Being sincere is the way of man." ("Mencius Li Lou Shang") ·
I am sure that "sincerity" is the way. According to the laws of heaven, the pursuit of integrity is the principle of life.
Xunzi: "If you are ashamed, you will not have faith. If you are not ashamed, you will not have faith." ("Xunzi Fei Twelve Sons") Be trusted by others.
Liu An: "People believe first and then ask for ability." ("Huainanzi: Lin Xun") ·
You should first see whether he is trustworthy, and then talk about him How capable it is, indicating that "faith" is more important than "ability".
Zhuge Liang: "Don't break trust just because you have merit." ("Chu Shi Biao")
·Don't break trust just because you have merit or talent.
Wang Tong: "If you tell someone sincerely, you will believe it without saying anything." ("Zhongshuo·Zhou Gong") They will also trust each other.
Cheng Yi: "Sincerity means trust, and trust means sincerity." (Volume 25 of "The Posthumous Letters of the Cheng Family in Henan")
·Honesty will bring credibility, and trustworthiness will lead to credibility. It means honesty. It can be seen that "sincerity" and "trust" are interlinked.
Zhu Xi: "Sincerity means truth without falsehood." ("Commentary on the Four Books Chapters and Verses· Doctrine of the Mean") ·
Integrity means truthfulness without falsehood.
Cao Duan: "One sincerity is enough to eliminate thousands of falsehoods." ("Quotations", Volume 44, "Confucianism Cases of the Ming Dynasty")
·One honest act is enough to eliminate thousands of hypocrisies. hypocritical.
Yang Zhen "is not subject to the Four Knowledges" Yang Zhen, a famous official of the Eastern Han Dynasty, passed through Changyi County on his way to be appointed as the prefect of Donglai County. Wang Mi, the magistrate of Changyi County, was a scholar he recommended in the past. Wang Mi brought ten pounds of gold as a private gift to Yang Zhen late at night. Yang Zhen said: "Old friend knows you, but you don't know me. Why?" Wang Mi said: "It is late at night, no one knows." Yang Zhen replied: "God knows, God knows, you I know, how can I say that no one knows?" After hearing this, Wang Mi left in shame. The story of Yang Zhen "not being subject to the Four Knowledges" shows that his moral cultivation has reached the state of "prudence and independence" where he does not deceive himself. Only when you can avoid self-deception without anyone's supervision can you be considered true "integrity."
Hu Xueyan and the plaque "Abstain from bullying" Hu Xueyan, a famous Huizhou businessman, hung a plaque "Abstain from bullying" inside the Hu Qingyutang Pharmacy in Hangzhou. He wrote in the postscript: "Every trade is marked with the word deceit." "I am determined to help the world, and I vow not to use inferior products to make huge profits." "The secret why Hu Qingyutang Pharmacy is famous at home and abroad and its business is booming lies in the word "abstain from bullying". This story illustrates that the word "abstain from bullying" is the secret to corporate success and a priceless treasure for entrepreneurs.
Having made mistakes and being able to correct them. "Zuo Zhuan·Xuan Gong 2nd Year" said: "Who has never made mistakes? Being able to correct mistakes is a great virtue." Confucius said: "To make mistakes without correcting them is to call them mistakes." "Han Yu said: "Those who accuse me of my faults are my teachers." Lu Jiuyuan said: "I am happy when I hear about my faults. I know my faults without taboo (taboo), and if I correct them I am not afraid (fear)." The ancient Shen Juyun said: "Little man It’s all just a pretense, and a gentleman can only correct it.” It can be seen that ancient Chinese philosophers believed that how to deal with mistakes is one of the important differences between a gentleman and a villain. Ancient Chinese philosophers emphasized that mistakes should be corrected immediately, which is a manifestation of honesty. "Mencius: Teng Wengong II" contains a fable: There was a man who stole his neighbor's chickens every day. Someone advised him: "This is not the behavior of a moral person." The man replied: "Then, I plan to reduce the number of chickens. Steal only one chicken a month, wait until next year, and then stop stealing chickens.” This fable illustrates that if you already know that doing so is immoral, you should correct it immediately, why wait until next year! Therefore, people should "change their faults as quickly as the wind, and correct their mistakes as fiercely as thunder." We must make a clean break with our mistakes and make complete corrections.
Dongpo regrets and continues his chrysanthemum poem Su Dongpo and Wang Anshi had a close personal relationship and often discussed poetry together. Once, Su Dongpo went to Wang Anshi's home to visit, but Wang Anshi was not at home. Su Dongpo saw an unfinished poem on his desk, with only two lines: "The west wind passed through the garden last night, blowing down the yellow flowers and covering the ground with gold." After reading it, Su Dongpo felt in his heart. It’s funny, how can chrysanthemums fall all over the ground overnight like flowers in spring? So he continued, "Autumn flowers fall no better than spring flowers. Let the poet recite it carefully", mocking Wang Anshi. When Wang Anshi returned home and saw the continuation of the poem, he thought: "It's so rare and strange!" Later, Su Dongpo was demoted to Huangzhou, Hubei Province as the deputy envoy of the regiment. One night, after a gust of autumn wind, the chrysanthemums in the courtyard were blown golden all over the next day. At this time, Su Dongpo felt deeply ashamed of his own premature continuation of poetry and short-sightedness. After returning to the capital, he immediately admitted his mistake to Wang Anshi. Wang Anshi praised: "It is very valuable to know your mistakes and be able to correct them!" From then on, Su Dongpo was very modest and cautious, and wrote many well-known and famous works.
Keep your promise "Zuo Zhuan: The Fourteenth Year of Duke Xi" says: "If you break your trust and turn your back on your neighbors, who will pity you? If you do not trust, you will die if you lose help." This means that if you lose your trust, you will die. Trust, turn your back on your neighbors, who will sympathize with you when encountering disaster? If you lose your credibility and have no one to support you once disaster occurs, you will surely perish. It can be seen that it is very important to keep promises and keep promises. If we make a promise to others, we must take it seriously and be responsible for our promise. We must not take it lightly or break trust with others. When dealing with others in daily life, we can start by being punctual, then keep our promises to our family and friends, and treat others with integrity.
Liu Tingshi insisted on marrying a blind girl. Liu Tingshi was originally from a peasant family and had a marriage contract with a neighbor girl. After a few years of separation, Liu Tingshi entered Taixue to study and passed the Jinshi examination. When Liu Tingshi returned to his hometown, he planned to marry his neighbor's daughter. Only then did she learn that her neighbor's father-in-law was dead, her daughter was blind, and her family was in dire straits. However, Liu Tingshi did not break the engagement because of this, and even chose a good date to get married.
The neighbor's daughter planned to break off the engagement. She said, "I am now blind and a disabled person. I am not from the right family. How can I marry you?" Liu Tingshi replied, "Since I have an appointment with my neighbor, how can I do that?" Breaking the engagement because the father died and the son became ill?" As a result, the two finally got married, had a harmonious family, and had several children.
Ji Zha presented a sword to the Wu clan clan Jizha. On his way to the great northern country, he paid a visit to the king of Xu. Xu Jun liked Jizha's sword very much, but he knew it was a national treasure of the State of Wu, so he was embarrassed to ask for it. Jizha knew that Xu Jun liked the sword very much and wanted to give it to Xu Jun immediately. However, since he still had to go to other countries, he needed to take the sword with him as an envoy on behalf of Wu. So, Ji Zha secretly made a promise to Xu Jun in his heart: "When I finish this trip, I will return to Xu State, and I will give this sword to you." Later, when Ji Zha returned to Xu State, Xu Jun had already die. Jizha came to Xu Jun's tomb and hung the sword on the tree next to Xu Jun's tomb. The attendant quickly asked: "Why would you give him a sword when he is dead?" Jizha said: "I promised in my heart to give this sword to Jun Xu. Now that Jun Xu has passed away, I can't change my promise. , I still want to fulfill my promise.