18 Thought-Provoking Stories
1. Anyone who has been to a temple knows that as soon as you enter, the first thing you see is Amitabha Buddha, welcoming visitors with a smile, while to his north stands the black-faced Weituo. But it is said that a long time ago, they were not in the same temple, and each was in charge of a different one.
Maitreya Buddha was warm and cheerful, so many people came, but he did not care about details, was careless and forgetful, and did not manage the accounts properly, so income still could not cover expenses. Weituo, on the other hand, was very good at managing money, but he kept a dark face all day and was too stern, so fewer and fewer people came, until in the end no incense offerings were left.
When the Buddha was checking the incense offerings, he discovered this problem, so he put the two of them in the same temple. Maitreya Buddha was put in charge of public relations, smiling as he welcomed guests from all directions, and the temple soon flourished. Weituo, being impartial and strict to the last detail, was put in charge of finances, keeping a tight watch. With the two of them dividing the work and cooperating, the temple thrived.
In fact, in the eyes of a master at employing people, there are no useless people. Just like a martial arts master does not need a precious sword—plucked flowers and flying leaves can wound people as well. The key is how to use them.
2. A man went to buy a parrot and saw a sign in front of one: this parrot can speak two languages, price 200 yuan.
In front of another parrot was a sign saying: this parrot can speak four languages, price 400 yuan.
Which one should he buy? Both had glossy feathers and were lively and adorable. He walked around and around, unable to make up his mind.
Then he suddenly noticed an old parrot with almost all its teeth gone, its feathers dull and messy, priced at 800 yuan.
He quickly called the shopkeeper over: does this parrot speak eight languages?
The shopkeeper said: no.
The man was puzzled: then why is it worth so much when it's old, ugly, and has no abilities?
The shopkeeper replied: because the other two parrots call this one boss.
This story tells us that a true leader does not necessarily have to be personally very capable. As long as he knows how to trust, how to delegate, and how to value people, he can unite forces stronger than himself and thus raise his own worth.
On the contrary, many very capable people, because they are too perfectionist, do everything themselves, and think no one is as good as they are, can only end up being the best troubleshooting specialists or sales representatives, and never become outstanding leaders.
3. A worked as a white-collar employee at a joint venture and felt his ambitions had not been appreciated by his superiors. He often thought: if one day I could meet the general manager and have a chance to show my talent, that would be great!!
A's colleague B had the same thought, but he went a step further. He found out the general manager's commuting schedule, figured out roughly when he would take the elevator, and went to ride it at that same time, hoping to run into him and get a chance to say hello.
Their colleague C went even further. He carefully learned about the general manager's career history, found out what school he graduated from, his interpersonal style, and the issues he cared about, and thoughtfully designed a few simple but weighty opening lines. He took the elevator at the calculated time, greeted the general manager several times, and finally one day had a long talk with him. Not long afterward, he secured a better position.
Fools miss opportunities, the wise seize opportunities, and successful people create opportunities. Opportunity is given only to those who are prepared. Those two words, “prepared,” are not just for saying.
4. A psychology professor went to visit a mental hospital to learn about the living conditions of the insane. After a whole day, he felt these people were crazy and unpredictable in their behavior. It had truly opened his eyes.
Unexpectedly, when he was about to leave, he found that someone had removed one of his tires. “It must have been one of those lunatics!” the professor thought angrily, and he started taking out the spare tire to install it.
Then things got worse. The person who removed the tire had also taken all the lug nuts off. Without the lug nuts, the spare tire could not be installed either!
The professor was at his wit's end. Just as he was in a terrible panic, a madman came bouncing over, singing some unknown cheerful song. He noticed the professor in trouble and stopped to ask what had happened.
The professor could not be bothered with him, but out of politeness he told him anyway.
The madman burst out laughing and said, “I have a way!” He removed one lug nut from each of the other three tires, and with those three lug nuts mounted the spare tire.
The professor was amazed and grateful, and at the same time very curious: “May I ask how you thought of that?”
The madman giggled and said, “I'm crazy, but I'm not stupid!”
In fact, there are many people in this world who, because they have discovered joy in their work, often show a kind of passion different from ordinary people, making them hard to understand. While many people laugh at them as madmen, for all you know they may be laughing at those people as fools.
Acting a little foolish while handling matters wisely is, especially in China, an excellent way to conduct oneself.
5. A PhD was assigned to a research institute and became the person with the highest academic credentials there.
One day he went to the small pond behind the institute to fish. By chance, the director and deputy director were there too, one on each side of him, also fishing.
He merely nodded slightly. These two undergraduates—what was there to talk about with them?
Before long, the director put down his fishing rod, stretched lazily, and then pattered across the water to the other side to use the toilet.
The PhD's eyes nearly popped out. Walking on water? No way. This was a pond!
When the director came back from the toilet, he likewise pattered back across the water.
What was going on? The PhD did not feel he could ask—he was a PhD, after all!
After a while, the deputy director also stood up, took a few steps, and pattered across the surface to the toilet. Now the PhD almost fainted: could it be he had arrived at a place full of martial arts masters?
The PhD also needed to go urgently. There were walls on both sides of the pond, so to get to the toilet on the other side he would have to take a ten-minute detour, while going back to the institute was too far. What should he do?
The PhD did not want to ask the two directors either, so after holding it in for a long time, he got up and stepped into the water: I don't believe that if undergraduates can cross this water, I, a PhD, can't.
With a splash, he fell straight into the pond.
The two directors pulled him out and asked why he had gone into the water. He asked, “Why can you walk across it?”
The two directors exchanged a smile. “There are two rows of wooden stakes in this pond. Because of the rain these past two days, the water has risen to just above them. We both know where the stakes are, so we can step on them to get across. Why didn't you ask?”
Academic credentials represent the past; only the ability to learn can represent the future. Those who respect experience can avoid many detours. A good team should also be a learning team.
6. A said to B, “I'm going to leave this company. I hate this company!”
B advised, “I fully support you getting revenge!! A rotten company definitely needs to be taught a lesson. But if you leave now, it's not the best time yet.”
A asked: ???
B said, “If you leave now, the company's loss won't be great. You should take advantage of your time at the company, work desperately to win some clients for yourself, become someone who can hold up one side of the company by yourself, and then suddenly leave with those clients. Only then will the company suffer a major loss and be put in a very passive position.”
A felt what B said made a lot of sense. So he worked hard, and things turned out just as he hoped. After more than half a year of hard work, he had many loyal clients.
When they met again, B asked A: now is the time, if you're going to jump ship, act quickly!
A smiled calmly and said: the boss had a long talk with me and is preparing to promote me to assistant general manager. I have no plans to leave for the time being.
In fact, that was exactly B's original intention. A person's work is always only for his own resume. Only when what you give is greater than what you receive, and the boss truly sees that your ability exceeds your position, will he give you more opportunities to create more profit for him.
7. Once, a small country came to China and presented tribute of three identical golden figures, splendid and dazzling, making the emperor extremely happy. But that little country was rather nasty, and at the same time posed a question: which of these three golden figures is the most valuable?
The emperor tried many methods. He had jewelers inspect them, weigh them, and examine the workmanship. They were all exactly the same. What to do? The envoy was still waiting to go back and report. Surely such a great country would not fail to understand even such a small matter?
At last, a retired senior minister said he had a way.
The emperor invited the envoy into the hall. The old minister confidently took three pieces of straw. He inserted one into the ear of the first golden figure, and the straw came out the other ear. The straw in the second figure went straight out of its mouth. But in the third figure, after the straw went in, it dropped into the belly and nothing happened. The old minister said: the third golden figure is the most valuable! The envoy said nothing. The answer was correct.
This story tells us that the most valuable person is not necessarily the one who talks the most. Heaven gave us two ears and one mouth in the first place so that we would listen more and speak less. Being good at listening is the most basic quality of a mature person.
8. Before a great performance master went on stage, his disciple told him that his shoelace was loose. The master nodded in thanks and crouched down to tie it carefully. After the disciple turned away, he crouched down again and loosened the shoelace.
A bystander saw all this and asked in confusion, “Master, why did you loosen your shoelace again?” The master replied, “Because I am playing a weary traveler. After a long journey, it would be natural for his shoe to come loose, and I can use this detail to show his exhaustion and haggardness.”
“Then why didn't you tell your disciple directly?”
“He carefully noticed that my shoelace was loose and warmly told me. I must protect the enthusiasm and initiative behind that kindness and encourage him promptly. As for why I loosened the lace, there will be many more opportunities in the future to teach him acting. I can tell him next time.”
A person can do only one thing at a time. Knowing how to grasp what is most important is what makes someone truly capable.
9. Chen Atu was a farmer from Taiwan and had never traveled far. After saving money for half his life, he finally joined a tour group and went abroad.
Everything abroad was very new to him. More importantly, Chen Atu had joined a luxury tour group, and he got a standard room all to himself. That made him feel especially amazed.
In the morning, when the waiter came knocking to deliver breakfast, he loudly said, “GOODMORNING SIR!”
Chen Atu was stunned. What did that mean? In his hometown, when strangers meet, they usually ask, “What is your honorable surname?”
So Chen Atu shouted back, “My name is Chen Atu!”
And so it went. For three straight days, it was that same waiter knocking every morning, loudly saying, “GOODMORNING SIR!” and Chen Atu would also loudly reply, “My name is Chen Atu!”
But he was very angry. That waiter was too stupid—asking his name every day and still unable to remember it after being told. How annoying. At last he could not help asking the tour guide what “GOODMORNING SIR!” meant. The guide told him, and heaven! It was so embarrassing.
Chen Atu repeatedly practiced the phrase “GOODMORNING SIR!” so that he could answer the waiter properly.
On yet another morning, the waiter came knocking as usual. The moment the door opened, Chen Atu shouted loudly, “GOODMORNING SIR!”
At the same time, the waiter was saying: “I am Chen Atu!”
This story tells us that when people deal with one another, it is often a contest of will against will. Either you influence him, or he influences you. If we want to succeed, we must cultivate our own influence. Only those with great influence can become the strongest.
10. There was a rich young man who especially loved eating dumplings and had to eat them every day. But he was extremely picky—he would eat only the filling, and throw the two pointed ends of the wrapper into the small river behind the house.
Good times did not last long. In his sixteenth year, a great fire burned down his whole household, and his parents died one after the other from shock and grief. He was left penniless and too embarrassed to beg. The wife next door was very kind and gave him a bowl of thin porridge paste every meal. He then studied hard, and three years later he earned an official post and returned, determined to thank the neighbor's wife.
She said to him: don't thank me. I didn't give you anything. What you ate was all made from the dumpling wrapper ends you threw away back then. I collected them, dried them, and filled several sacks with them, originally in case of future need. It just so happened that you needed them, so I returned them to you.
The official thought for a long, long time...
There is a famous 8-8-8 theory: eight hours of sleep and eight hours of work—these are the same for everyone. What differs from person to person is how they spend their spare time. Time is the most affectionate and the most heartless thing; everyone has the same amount of it, which is very fair. But people who possess resources do not necessarily succeed; only those who make good use of resources do. In the daytime, seek survival; at night, seek development. That is what the twenty-first century demands of talent.
11. Three men were going to be locked up in prison for three years, and the warden granted each of them one request.
The American loved cigars, so he asked for three boxes of cigars.
The Frenchman was most romantic, so he asked for a beautiful woman to accompany him.
The Jew said he wanted a telephone to communicate with the outside world.
Three years later, the first to rush out was the American, with cigars stuffed in his mouth and nostrils, shouting, “Give me fire, give me fire!” He had forgotten to ask for a light.
Next came the Frenchman. He came out holding one child in his arms, while the beautiful woman was holding one child by the hand and carrying a third in her belly.
Last came the Jew. He tightly shook the warden's hand and said, “For these three years I kept in touch with the outside world every day. Not only has my business not stopped, it has grown by 200%. To show my thanks, I am giving you a Rolls-Royce!”
This story tells us that the kind of choices you make determine the kind of life you live. Today's life is determined by the choices we made three years ago, and the choices we make today will determine our life three years from now. We must choose to access the newest information and understand the newest trends, so that we can better create our own future.
12. Two people were in the forest when they encountered a big tiger. A quickly took a pair of lighter running shoes from behind his back and changed into them. B was frantic and cursed, “What are you doing? Even if you change shoes, you still can't outrun the tiger!”
A said, “I only need to run faster than you.”
In the twenty-first century, having no sense of crisis is the greatest crisis. Especially with WTO entry approaching, telecommunications, banks, insurance, and even civil servants—enterprises and jobs we think are very stable and secure—will also face many changes. When more tigers arrive, have we prepared our running shoes?
13. A father and son lived in the mountains and every day drove an ox cart downhill to sell firewood. The father was more experienced and handled the driving. The mountain road was rough and had many bends, and the son had better eyesight, so whenever they were about to turn he would remind him, “Dad, turn ahead!”
One time the father was sick and did not go down the mountain, so the son drove the cart alone. When he reached a bend, the ox refused to turn no matter what. The son tried every possible method, got down and pushed and pulled, tempted it with fresh grass, but the ox would not move.
What on earth was going on? The son thought and thought but could not understand. In the end there was only one method left. He looked around, saw no one nearby, leaned close to the ox's ear, and shouted, “Dad, turn ahead!”
The ox moved at once.
Oxen live by conditioned reflexes, while people live by habits. A successful person knows how to cultivate good habits to replace bad ones. When enough good habits accumulate, a good life naturally follows.
14. Five-year-old Hank went into the forest with his father, mother, and older brother to work. Suddenly it started to rain, but they had brought only one rain cape.
Father gave the rain cape to Mother, Mother gave it to the older brother, and the older brother gave it to Hank.
Hank asked, “Why did Dad give it to Mom, Mom give it to Brother, and Brother give it to me?”
Father answered, “Because Dad is stronger than Mom, Mom is stronger than Brother, and Brother is stronger than you. We all protect the weaker ones.”
Hank looked around, ran over, and opened the rain cape over a delicate little flower swaying in the wind and rain.
This story tells us that a true strong person is not necessarily someone with great strength or much money, but someone who is very helpful to others.
Responsibility can help us finish things completely; love can help us do them well.
15. A scholar was going to the capital for the imperial examination for the third time, staying at an inn he often used. Two days before the exam, he had three dreams. In the first, he planted Chinese cabbage on a wall. In the second, on a rainy day, he wore a bamboo rain hat and also held an umbrella. In the third, he dreamed he was lying naked with his beloved cousin on the same bed, but back to back.
These three dreams seemed to carry deep meaning, so the next day the scholar hurried to a fortune-teller to have them interpreted. As soon as the fortune-teller heard them, he slapped his thigh and said, “You'd better go home. Think about it: planting vegetables on a high wall—isn't that wasted effort? Wearing a rain hat and holding an umbrella—isn't that unnecessary? Lying naked on the same bed with your cousin, yet back to back—isn't that hopeless?”
Hearing this, the scholar was completely disheartened, so he returned to the inn to pack up and prepare to go home. The innkeeper was very surprised and asked, “Isn't the exam tomorrow? Why are you going back home today?”
The scholar told him the whole story, and the innkeeper laughed. “Oh, I can interpret dreams too. I think you must stay this time. Think about it: planting vegetables on a wall—doesn't that mean planting high? Wearing a rain hat and carrying an umbrella—doesn't that mean you're fully prepared this time? And lying naked back to back with your cousin on the bed—doesn't that mean the time for you to turn over is coming?”
Hearing this, the scholar thought it made even more sense, so he was inspired and took the exam, and unexpectedly placed third overall.
Positive people are like the sun—wherever they shine, it becomes bright. Negative people are like the moon—not the same on the first and the fifteenth. Our way of thinking determines our life; whatever kind of thinking we have, that is the kind of future we will have.
16. In the zoo, a baby camel asked his mother, “Mom, Mom, why are our eyelashes so long?”
Mother camel said, “When sandstorms come, long eyelashes let us still see the direction in the storm.”
The baby camel asked again, “Mom, Mom, why are our backs so humped? They're so ugly!”
Mother camel said, “That is called a hump. It helps us store a large amount of water and nutrients, allowing us to endure ten-odd days in the desert without water or food.”
The baby camel asked again, “Mom, Mom, why are our soles so thick?”
Mother camel said, “That keeps our heavy bodies from sinking into the soft sand and makes long journeys easier.”
The baby camel was overjoyed: “Wow, so we're that useful!! But Mom, why are we still in the zoo instead of trekking in the desert?”
Heaven gave me talents for a reason, but sadly no one is using them now. A good attitude + a successful textbook + an unlimited stage = success. Everyone's potential is unlimited; the key is to find a stage where that potential can be fully brought into play.
17. There were once seven people living together, sharing one big bucket of porridge every day. The awful thing was that there was never enough porridge.
At first, they drew lots to decide who would divide the porridge, taking turns day by day. As a result, over a week, each of them had only one full day—the day he himself divided the porridge.
Later they began to elect a morally noble person to divide the porridge. But power produces corruption, so everyone began trying every possible way to curry favor with him, bribe him, and make the whole little group full of foul atmosphere.
Then they formed a three-person porridge-distribution committee and a four-person selection committee. After all the mutual attacks and wrangling, by the time the porridge reached their mouths it was cold.
Finally they came up with a method: take turns dividing the porridge, but the person who divides it must wait until everyone else has chosen before taking the last remaining bowl. To avoid getting the least for himself, each person would divide it as evenly as possible. Even if it was not perfectly even, he could only accept it. Everyone became happy and harmonious, and life got better and better.
The same seven people, but under different systems of distribution, produced different atmospheres. So if a work unit has bad work habits, it must be a problem with the mechanism. It must mean there is not complete fairness, justice, and openness, and no strict rewarding of diligence and punishing of laziness. How to formulate such a system is a question every leader needs to consider.
18. What kind of people do I want to cooperate with?
Someone once interviewed Bill Gates about the secret of his success. Bill Gates said: because more and more successful people are working for me.
Chen Anzhi's super success studies also mention this: first work for successful people, then cooperate with successful people, and finally let successful people work for you.
There are many successful people, but in my own life I do not know them, and there is no way for me to work for them. As for making successful people work for me, at my current stage I have even less of that kind of strength.
So cooperation is the thing I like and appreciate most. I also strive, with the help of a relaxed environment and a positive team, to cooperate fairly with more people, so that in the future I can build for myself a business able to resist risk. The people I most like to cooperate with should have the following traits:
First, unwillingness to settle. In the twenty-first century, the greatest crisis is having no sense of crisis, and the biggest trap is satisfaction. People should learn to look at the world through a telescope, not through nearsighted eyes. In good times, think about finding yourself a way out; in hard times, know how to find a road forward.
Second, strong learning ability. Academic credentials represent the past; learning ability controls the future. One must know how to learn and draw insight from any detail and from every person, and also know how to infer many things from one example. Most important of all, “learning” is actually two words: learn and practice. Learn once, do it a hundred times—only then can you truly master it. Learn, do, teach: that is a complete process. Only when you reach the stage of teaching can it be counted as truly understanding it thoroughly. And in many more cases, learning is an attitude. Only humble people really learn things. The sea is the sea because it is lower than all the rivers.
Third, strong power of action. Only action brings results. When the action is different, the result will be different. To know and not do is the same as not knowing. To do and get no result is the same as not having done it. If you never make mistakes, you are certain to make one, because people who make no mistakes have certainly never tried. If you make a mistake, it does not matter. You must be good at summing up the lesson, then do it again, until the correct result appears.
Fourth, one must understand giving. If you want to be outstanding, you must first give. People who haggle over every ounce in their whole life end up with only two jin. Without a bit of a spirit of dedication, it is impossible to start a business. You must first use action to let others know that your value exceeds what you receive; only then will others offer a higher price.
Fifth, a strong awareness of communication. Communication has no limit. This is even more an attitude than a skill. A good team of course needs a shared vision, and that cannot be achieved in a single day. It requires constant communication, from goals to details, even to family matters and so on—all of these belong within the scope of communication.
Sixth, sincerity and generosity. Everyone has different positions; it is impossible to demand that interests be completely the same. The key is that everyone should speak openly and clearly about things, and not simply swallow grievances for the sake of peace. I believe honesty and trustworthiness are the best foundation for cooperation.
Seventh, the most basic moral values. Once, a reporter was writing at home when his four-year-old son kept making noise and asking him to play. The reporter was annoyed, so he tore up the back cover of a magazine and said to his son, “First put together the world map on this page, and then Dad will play with you.” Less than five minutes later, the son came back tugging his hand and said, “Dad, I finished it. Play with me!”
The reporter was angry. “It's understandable for a child to want to play, but it's not good to lie. How could you possibly have finished a world map that quickly!”
The son felt very wronged. “But I really did finish it!”
The reporter looked, and indeed it was true. Could it be? A child prodigy had appeared in the house? He asked curiously, “How did you do it?”
The son said: on the back of the world map was a person's portrait. I put it together from the other side. As long as the person was put together right, the world became complete.
So before doing things, first learn to be a good person. If a person is good, then his world will also be good.
As you can see, the seven traits I hope for in cooperation have little to do with age, sex, appearance, weight, academic credentials, family origin, background, or ability. The greatest difference between people lies not in the factors above, but in their attitudes toward others, toward things, and toward themselves. I also hope to make friends who feel the same way, and together open up our future.
1. Anyone who has been to a temple knows that as soon as you enter, the first thing you see is Amitabha Buddha, welcoming visitors with a smile, while to his north stands the black-faced Weituo. But it is said that a long time ago, they were not in the same temple, and each was in charge of a different one.
Maitreya Buddha was warm and cheerful, so many people came, but he did not care about details, was careless and forgetful, and did not manage the accounts properly, so income still could not cover expenses. Weituo, on the other hand, was very good at managing money, but he kept a dark face all day and was too stern, so fewer and fewer people came, until in the end no incense offerings were left.
When the Buddha was checking the incense offerings, he discovered this problem, so he put the two of them in the same temple. Maitreya Buddha was put in charge of public relations, smiling as he welcomed guests from all directions, and the temple soon flourished. Weituo, being impartial and strict to the last detail, was put in charge of finances, keeping a tight watch. With the two of them dividing the work and cooperating, the temple thrived.
In fact, in the eyes of a master at employing people, there are no useless people. Just like a martial arts master does not need a precious sword—plucked flowers and flying leaves can wound people as well. The key is how to use them.
2. A man went to buy a parrot and saw a sign in front of one: this parrot can speak two languages, price 200 yuan.
In front of another parrot was a sign saying: this parrot can speak four languages, price 400 yuan.
Which one should he buy? Both had glossy feathers and were lively and adorable. He walked around and around, unable to make up his mind.
Then he suddenly noticed an old parrot with almost all its teeth gone, its feathers dull and messy, priced at 800 yuan.
He quickly called the shopkeeper over: does this parrot speak eight languages?
The shopkeeper said: no.
The man was puzzled: then why is it worth so much when it's old, ugly, and has no abilities?
The shopkeeper replied: because the other two parrots call this one boss.
This story tells us that a true leader does not necessarily have to be personally very capable. As long as he knows how to trust, how to delegate, and how to value people, he can unite forces stronger than himself and thus raise his own worth.
On the contrary, many very capable people, because they are too perfectionist, do everything themselves, and think no one is as good as they are, can only end up being the best troubleshooting specialists or sales representatives, and never become outstanding leaders.
3. A worked as a white-collar employee at a joint venture and felt his ambitions had not been appreciated by his superiors. He often thought: if one day I could meet the general manager and have a chance to show my talent, that would be great!!
A's colleague B had the same thought, but he went a step further. He found out the general manager's commuting schedule, figured out roughly when he would take the elevator, and went to ride it at that same time, hoping to run into him and get a chance to say hello.
Their colleague C went even further. He carefully learned about the general manager's career history, found out what school he graduated from, his interpersonal style, and the issues he cared about, and thoughtfully designed a few simple but weighty opening lines. He took the elevator at the calculated time, greeted the general manager several times, and finally one day had a long talk with him. Not long afterward, he secured a better position.
Fools miss opportunities, the wise seize opportunities, and successful people create opportunities. Opportunity is given only to those who are prepared. Those two words, “prepared,” are not just for saying.
4. A psychology professor went to visit a mental hospital to learn about the living conditions of the insane. After a whole day, he felt these people were crazy and unpredictable in their behavior. It had truly opened his eyes.
Unexpectedly, when he was about to leave, he found that someone had removed one of his tires. “It must have been one of those lunatics!” the professor thought angrily, and he started taking out the spare tire to install it.
Then things got worse. The person who removed the tire had also taken all the lug nuts off. Without the lug nuts, the spare tire could not be installed either!
The professor was at his wit's end. Just as he was in a terrible panic, a madman came bouncing over, singing some unknown cheerful song. He noticed the professor in trouble and stopped to ask what had happened.
The professor could not be bothered with him, but out of politeness he told him anyway.
The madman burst out laughing and said, “I have a way!” He removed one lug nut from each of the other three tires, and with those three lug nuts mounted the spare tire.
The professor was amazed and grateful, and at the same time very curious: “May I ask how you thought of that?”
The madman giggled and said, “I'm crazy, but I'm not stupid!”
In fact, there are many people in this world who, because they have discovered joy in their work, often show a kind of passion different from ordinary people, making them hard to understand. While many people laugh at them as madmen, for all you know they may be laughing at those people as fools.
Acting a little foolish while handling matters wisely is, especially in China, an excellent way to conduct oneself.
5. A PhD was assigned to a research institute and became the person with the highest academic credentials there.
One day he went to the small pond behind the institute to fish. By chance, the director and deputy director were there too, one on each side of him, also fishing.
He merely nodded slightly. These two undergraduates—what was there to talk about with them?
Before long, the director put down his fishing rod, stretched lazily, and then pattered across the water to the other side to use the toilet.
The PhD's eyes nearly popped out. Walking on water? No way. This was a pond!
When the director came back from the toilet, he likewise pattered back across the water.
What was going on? The PhD did not feel he could ask—he was a PhD, after all!
After a while, the deputy director also stood up, took a few steps, and pattered across the surface to the toilet. Now the PhD almost fainted: could it be he had arrived at a place full of martial arts masters?
The PhD also needed to go urgently. There were walls on both sides of the pond, so to get to the toilet on the other side he would have to take a ten-minute detour, while going back to the institute was too far. What should he do?
The PhD did not want to ask the two directors either, so after holding it in for a long time, he got up and stepped into the water: I don't believe that if undergraduates can cross this water, I, a PhD, can't.
With a splash, he fell straight into the pond.
The two directors pulled him out and asked why he had gone into the water. He asked, “Why can you walk across it?”
The two directors exchanged a smile. “There are two rows of wooden stakes in this pond. Because of the rain these past two days, the water has risen to just above them. We both know where the stakes are, so we can step on them to get across. Why didn't you ask?”
Academic credentials represent the past; only the ability to learn can represent the future. Those who respect experience can avoid many detours. A good team should also be a learning team.
6. A said to B, “I'm going to leave this company. I hate this company!”
B advised, “I fully support you getting revenge!! A rotten company definitely needs to be taught a lesson. But if you leave now, it's not the best time yet.”
A asked: ???
B said, “If you leave now, the company's loss won't be great. You should take advantage of your time at the company, work desperately to win some clients for yourself, become someone who can hold up one side of the company by yourself, and then suddenly leave with those clients. Only then will the company suffer a major loss and be put in a very passive position.”
A felt what B said made a lot of sense. So he worked hard, and things turned out just as he hoped. After more than half a year of hard work, he had many loyal clients.
When they met again, B asked A: now is the time, if you're going to jump ship, act quickly!
A smiled calmly and said: the boss had a long talk with me and is preparing to promote me to assistant general manager. I have no plans to leave for the time being.
In fact, that was exactly B's original intention. A person's work is always only for his own resume. Only when what you give is greater than what you receive, and the boss truly sees that your ability exceeds your position, will he give you more opportunities to create more profit for him.
7. Once, a small country came to China and presented tribute of three identical golden figures, splendid and dazzling, making the emperor extremely happy. But that little country was rather nasty, and at the same time posed a question: which of these three golden figures is the most valuable?
The emperor tried many methods. He had jewelers inspect them, weigh them, and examine the workmanship. They were all exactly the same. What to do? The envoy was still waiting to go back and report. Surely such a great country would not fail to understand even such a small matter?
At last, a retired senior minister said he had a way.
The emperor invited the envoy into the hall. The old minister confidently took three pieces of straw. He inserted one into the ear of the first golden figure, and the straw came out the other ear. The straw in the second figure went straight out of its mouth. But in the third figure, after the straw went in, it dropped into the belly and nothing happened. The old minister said: the third golden figure is the most valuable! The envoy said nothing. The answer was correct.
This story tells us that the most valuable person is not necessarily the one who talks the most. Heaven gave us two ears and one mouth in the first place so that we would listen more and speak less. Being good at listening is the most basic quality of a mature person.
8. Before a great performance master went on stage, his disciple told him that his shoelace was loose. The master nodded in thanks and crouched down to tie it carefully. After the disciple turned away, he crouched down again and loosened the shoelace.
A bystander saw all this and asked in confusion, “Master, why did you loosen your shoelace again?” The master replied, “Because I am playing a weary traveler. After a long journey, it would be natural for his shoe to come loose, and I can use this detail to show his exhaustion and haggardness.”
“Then why didn't you tell your disciple directly?”
“He carefully noticed that my shoelace was loose and warmly told me. I must protect the enthusiasm and initiative behind that kindness and encourage him promptly. As for why I loosened the lace, there will be many more opportunities in the future to teach him acting. I can tell him next time.”
A person can do only one thing at a time. Knowing how to grasp what is most important is what makes someone truly capable.
9. Chen Atu was a farmer from Taiwan and had never traveled far. After saving money for half his life, he finally joined a tour group and went abroad.
Everything abroad was very new to him. More importantly, Chen Atu had joined a luxury tour group, and he got a standard room all to himself. That made him feel especially amazed.
In the morning, when the waiter came knocking to deliver breakfast, he loudly said, “GOODMORNING SIR!”
Chen Atu was stunned. What did that mean? In his hometown, when strangers meet, they usually ask, “What is your honorable surname?”
So Chen Atu shouted back, “My name is Chen Atu!”
And so it went. For three straight days, it was that same waiter knocking every morning, loudly saying, “GOODMORNING SIR!” and Chen Atu would also loudly reply, “My name is Chen Atu!”
But he was very angry. That waiter was too stupid—asking his name every day and still unable to remember it after being told. How annoying. At last he could not help asking the tour guide what “GOODMORNING SIR!” meant. The guide told him, and heaven! It was so embarrassing.
Chen Atu repeatedly practiced the phrase “GOODMORNING SIR!” so that he could answer the waiter properly.
On yet another morning, the waiter came knocking as usual. The moment the door opened, Chen Atu shouted loudly, “GOODMORNING SIR!”
At the same time, the waiter was saying: “I am Chen Atu!”
This story tells us that when people deal with one another, it is often a contest of will against will. Either you influence him, or he influences you. If we want to succeed, we must cultivate our own influence. Only those with great influence can become the strongest.
10. There was a rich young man who especially loved eating dumplings and had to eat them every day. But he was extremely picky—he would eat only the filling, and throw the two pointed ends of the wrapper into the small river behind the house.
Good times did not last long. In his sixteenth year, a great fire burned down his whole household, and his parents died one after the other from shock and grief. He was left penniless and too embarrassed to beg. The wife next door was very kind and gave him a bowl of thin porridge paste every meal. He then studied hard, and three years later he earned an official post and returned, determined to thank the neighbor's wife.
She said to him: don't thank me. I didn't give you anything. What you ate was all made from the dumpling wrapper ends you threw away back then. I collected them, dried them, and filled several sacks with them, originally in case of future need. It just so happened that you needed them, so I returned them to you.
The official thought for a long, long time...
There is a famous 8-8-8 theory: eight hours of sleep and eight hours of work—these are the same for everyone. What differs from person to person is how they spend their spare time. Time is the most affectionate and the most heartless thing; everyone has the same amount of it, which is very fair. But people who possess resources do not necessarily succeed; only those who make good use of resources do. In the daytime, seek survival; at night, seek development. That is what the twenty-first century demands of talent.
11. Three men were going to be locked up in prison for three years, and the warden granted each of them one request.
The American loved cigars, so he asked for three boxes of cigars.
The Frenchman was most romantic, so he asked for a beautiful woman to accompany him.
The Jew said he wanted a telephone to communicate with the outside world.
Three years later, the first to rush out was the American, with cigars stuffed in his mouth and nostrils, shouting, “Give me fire, give me fire!” He had forgotten to ask for a light.
Next came the Frenchman. He came out holding one child in his arms, while the beautiful woman was holding one child by the hand and carrying a third in her belly.
Last came the Jew. He tightly shook the warden's hand and said, “For these three years I kept in touch with the outside world every day. Not only has my business not stopped, it has grown by 200%. To show my thanks, I am giving you a Rolls-Royce!”
This story tells us that the kind of choices you make determine the kind of life you live. Today's life is determined by the choices we made three years ago, and the choices we make today will determine our life three years from now. We must choose to access the newest information and understand the newest trends, so that we can better create our own future.
12. Two people were in the forest when they encountered a big tiger. A quickly took a pair of lighter running shoes from behind his back and changed into them. B was frantic and cursed, “What are you doing? Even if you change shoes, you still can't outrun the tiger!”
A said, “I only need to run faster than you.”
In the twenty-first century, having no sense of crisis is the greatest crisis. Especially with WTO entry approaching, telecommunications, banks, insurance, and even civil servants—enterprises and jobs we think are very stable and secure—will also face many changes. When more tigers arrive, have we prepared our running shoes?
13. A father and son lived in the mountains and every day drove an ox cart downhill to sell firewood. The father was more experienced and handled the driving. The mountain road was rough and had many bends, and the son had better eyesight, so whenever they were about to turn he would remind him, “Dad, turn ahead!”
One time the father was sick and did not go down the mountain, so the son drove the cart alone. When he reached a bend, the ox refused to turn no matter what. The son tried every possible method, got down and pushed and pulled, tempted it with fresh grass, but the ox would not move.
What on earth was going on? The son thought and thought but could not understand. In the end there was only one method left. He looked around, saw no one nearby, leaned close to the ox's ear, and shouted, “Dad, turn ahead!”
The ox moved at once.
Oxen live by conditioned reflexes, while people live by habits. A successful person knows how to cultivate good habits to replace bad ones. When enough good habits accumulate, a good life naturally follows.
14. Five-year-old Hank went into the forest with his father, mother, and older brother to work. Suddenly it started to rain, but they had brought only one rain cape.
Father gave the rain cape to Mother, Mother gave it to the older brother, and the older brother gave it to Hank.
Hank asked, “Why did Dad give it to Mom, Mom give it to Brother, and Brother give it to me?”
Father answered, “Because Dad is stronger than Mom, Mom is stronger than Brother, and Brother is stronger than you. We all protect the weaker ones.”
Hank looked around, ran over, and opened the rain cape over a delicate little flower swaying in the wind and rain.
This story tells us that a true strong person is not necessarily someone with great strength or much money, but someone who is very helpful to others.
Responsibility can help us finish things completely; love can help us do them well.
15. A scholar was going to the capital for the imperial examination for the third time, staying at an inn he often used. Two days before the exam, he had three dreams. In the first, he planted Chinese cabbage on a wall. In the second, on a rainy day, he wore a bamboo rain hat and also held an umbrella. In the third, he dreamed he was lying naked with his beloved cousin on the same bed, but back to back.
These three dreams seemed to carry deep meaning, so the next day the scholar hurried to a fortune-teller to have them interpreted. As soon as the fortune-teller heard them, he slapped his thigh and said, “You'd better go home. Think about it: planting vegetables on a high wall—isn't that wasted effort? Wearing a rain hat and holding an umbrella—isn't that unnecessary? Lying naked on the same bed with your cousin, yet back to back—isn't that hopeless?”
Hearing this, the scholar was completely disheartened, so he returned to the inn to pack up and prepare to go home. The innkeeper was very surprised and asked, “Isn't the exam tomorrow? Why are you going back home today?”
The scholar told him the whole story, and the innkeeper laughed. “Oh, I can interpret dreams too. I think you must stay this time. Think about it: planting vegetables on a wall—doesn't that mean planting high? Wearing a rain hat and carrying an umbrella—doesn't that mean you're fully prepared this time? And lying naked back to back with your cousin on the bed—doesn't that mean the time for you to turn over is coming?”
Hearing this, the scholar thought it made even more sense, so he was inspired and took the exam, and unexpectedly placed third overall.
Positive people are like the sun—wherever they shine, it becomes bright. Negative people are like the moon—not the same on the first and the fifteenth. Our way of thinking determines our life; whatever kind of thinking we have, that is the kind of future we will have.
16. In the zoo, a baby camel asked his mother, “Mom, Mom, why are our eyelashes so long?”
Mother camel said, “When sandstorms come, long eyelashes let us still see the direction in the storm.”
The baby camel asked again, “Mom, Mom, why are our backs so humped? They're so ugly!”
Mother camel said, “That is called a hump. It helps us store a large amount of water and nutrients, allowing us to endure ten-odd days in the desert without water or food.”
The baby camel asked again, “Mom, Mom, why are our soles so thick?”
Mother camel said, “That keeps our heavy bodies from sinking into the soft sand and makes long journeys easier.”
The baby camel was overjoyed: “Wow, so we're that useful!! But Mom, why are we still in the zoo instead of trekking in the desert?”
Heaven gave me talents for a reason, but sadly no one is using them now. A good attitude + a successful textbook + an unlimited stage = success. Everyone's potential is unlimited; the key is to find a stage where that potential can be fully brought into play.
17. There were once seven people living together, sharing one big bucket of porridge every day. The awful thing was that there was never enough porridge.
At first, they drew lots to decide who would divide the porridge, taking turns day by day. As a result, over a week, each of them had only one full day—the day he himself divided the porridge.
Later they began to elect a morally noble person to divide the porridge. But power produces corruption, so everyone began trying every possible way to curry favor with him, bribe him, and make the whole little group full of foul atmosphere.
Then they formed a three-person porridge-distribution committee and a four-person selection committee. After all the mutual attacks and wrangling, by the time the porridge reached their mouths it was cold.
Finally they came up with a method: take turns dividing the porridge, but the person who divides it must wait until everyone else has chosen before taking the last remaining bowl. To avoid getting the least for himself, each person would divide it as evenly as possible. Even if it was not perfectly even, he could only accept it. Everyone became happy and harmonious, and life got better and better.
The same seven people, but under different systems of distribution, produced different atmospheres. So if a work unit has bad work habits, it must be a problem with the mechanism. It must mean there is not complete fairness, justice, and openness, and no strict rewarding of diligence and punishing of laziness. How to formulate such a system is a question every leader needs to consider.
18. What kind of people do I want to cooperate with?
Someone once interviewed Bill Gates about the secret of his success. Bill Gates said: because more and more successful people are working for me.
Chen Anzhi's super success studies also mention this: first work for successful people, then cooperate with successful people, and finally let successful people work for you.
There are many successful people, but in my own life I do not know them, and there is no way for me to work for them. As for making successful people work for me, at my current stage I have even less of that kind of strength.
So cooperation is the thing I like and appreciate most. I also strive, with the help of a relaxed environment and a positive team, to cooperate fairly with more people, so that in the future I can build for myself a business able to resist risk. The people I most like to cooperate with should have the following traits:
First, unwillingness to settle. In the twenty-first century, the greatest crisis is having no sense of crisis, and the biggest trap is satisfaction. People should learn to look at the world through a telescope, not through nearsighted eyes. In good times, think about finding yourself a way out; in hard times, know how to find a road forward.
Second, strong learning ability. Academic credentials represent the past; learning ability controls the future. One must know how to learn and draw insight from any detail and from every person, and also know how to infer many things from one example. Most important of all, “learning” is actually two words: learn and practice. Learn once, do it a hundred times—only then can you truly master it. Learn, do, teach: that is a complete process. Only when you reach the stage of teaching can it be counted as truly understanding it thoroughly. And in many more cases, learning is an attitude. Only humble people really learn things. The sea is the sea because it is lower than all the rivers.
Third, strong power of action. Only action brings results. When the action is different, the result will be different. To know and not do is the same as not knowing. To do and get no result is the same as not having done it. If you never make mistakes, you are certain to make one, because people who make no mistakes have certainly never tried. If you make a mistake, it does not matter. You must be good at summing up the lesson, then do it again, until the correct result appears.
Fourth, one must understand giving. If you want to be outstanding, you must first give. People who haggle over every ounce in their whole life end up with only two jin. Without a bit of a spirit of dedication, it is impossible to start a business. You must first use action to let others know that your value exceeds what you receive; only then will others offer a higher price.
Fifth, a strong awareness of communication. Communication has no limit. This is even more an attitude than a skill. A good team of course needs a shared vision, and that cannot be achieved in a single day. It requires constant communication, from goals to details, even to family matters and so on—all of these belong within the scope of communication.
Sixth, sincerity and generosity. Everyone has different positions; it is impossible to demand that interests be completely the same. The key is that everyone should speak openly and clearly about things, and not simply swallow grievances for the sake of peace. I believe honesty and trustworthiness are the best foundation for cooperation.
Seventh, the most basic moral values. Once, a reporter was writing at home when his four-year-old son kept making noise and asking him to play. The reporter was annoyed, so he tore up the back cover of a magazine and said to his son, “First put together the world map on this page, and then Dad will play with you.” Less than five minutes later, the son came back tugging his hand and said, “Dad, I finished it. Play with me!”
The reporter was angry. “It's understandable for a child to want to play, but it's not good to lie. How could you possibly have finished a world map that quickly!”
The son felt very wronged. “But I really did finish it!”
The reporter looked, and indeed it was true. Could it be? A child prodigy had appeared in the house? He asked curiously, “How did you do it?”
The son said: on the back of the world map was a person's portrait. I put it together from the other side. As long as the person was put together right, the world became complete.
So before doing things, first learn to be a good person. If a person is good, then his world will also be good.
As you can see, the seven traits I hope for in cooperation have little to do with age, sex, appearance, weight, academic credentials, family origin, background, or ability. The greatest difference between people lies not in the factors above, but in their attitudes toward others, toward things, and toward themselves. I also hope to make friends who feel the same way, and together open up our future.
