A New Interpretation of "pot calling the kettle black"

On the surface, "pot calling the kettle black" means that a hundred steps is not as good as fifty. However, is one hundred steps really not as good as fifty? The clever metaphor of "pot calling the kettle black" comes from Mencius' mouth, and the allusion comes from Mencius Hui Liang. When Mencius answered King Hui Liang's question, he asked him, "Do you really think that a hundred steps is not as good as fifty?" What was Mencius' intention in asking Liang this question?

Time goes back to the fourth century BC, that is, the early Warring States period. Liang Huiwang is a "baby", namely. He is the son of the third generation ruler of Wei State, born in 400 BC. In the ninth year of Wang Hui (36 BC1), the capital was moved to Daliang (southeast of Kaifeng, Henan) in order to compete for hegemony in the Central Plains. During the decades of Liang Huiwang's reign, he often fought with other countries.

"Historical records. Volume 44. Wei's Historical Records of Hui Wang attracts sages with modesty and generosity. Zou Yan, Chunyu Kun and Mencius went to Liang. " It is said that Hui Wang is eager to recruit sages with a heavy gift. When King Hui saw Mencius coming, he asked him: What benefits will you bring to our country when you come from thousands of miles away? Are there any plans to make Qiang Bing rich?

This time, Liang Huiwang asked Mencius a question: "I dedicated myself to the people of my country!" " ! When the harvest in Hanoi was not good, I moved the affected people to Hedong, and some old people and children in Hanoi could not leave, so I moved the food from Hedong to Hanoi. When there was a famine in Hedong, I did the same for disaster relief. The kings of neighboring countries don't care as much as I do, but the people of neighboring countries have not decreased, and the people of our country have not increased. What is the reason? "

Mencius replied, "Your Majesty likes to fight, so I will take this as an example. On the battlefield, the drums were ringing, and the soldiers of both sides rallied and fought hand to hand. Soon, the soldiers of the defeated side lost their armor, dragged their swords and guns and ran for their lives. Some people escaped a hundred steps, while others escaped fifty steps. At this time, if a soldier who has escaped fifty steps laughs at others for being timid and afraid of death and escapes a hundred steps, do you think he is right? "

Liang said to him, "Of course not. Even if he didn't escape to a hundred paces, he escaped! "

Mencius said: "Since you understand this truth, how can you hope that your people will increase, and how can you hope that your country will be more attractive than its neighbors?"

This is the origin of the allusion "pot calling the kettle black", and the compilation of Mencius Hui Liang Wang Shang. In fact, both of them are retreating deserters, but to different degrees. Later, I compared myself to making the same shortcomings or mistakes as others, only to a lesser extent, but laughing at others.

Mencius cited the example of pot calling the kettle black as a metaphor. Neither Liang Huiwang's kingdom nor its neighbors can support the people. The kings of neighboring countries can't sympathize with the people, and the relief measures of Huiwang are only small favors when the people encounter great famine. If you laugh at him, you are like the soldier in pot calling the kettle black on the battlefield.

In order to compete for hegemony, King Hui of Liang frequently involved the people in wars, ignoring the work of keeping the people abreast of the times, so Mencius used this "pot calling the kettle black" to persuade him to really practice kingliness.

Mencius advised him to say:

If we can let the people not violate the farming season of spring ploughing, summer harvesting and winter storage, we will have a bumper harvest in the middle of the year; If you don't fish with dense nets, fish and turtles can't win food; If you cut trees in the mountains in autumn, you can't use wood. In this way, the people can support their families, lose their conscience and have no regrets in life and death. The people live a carefree life, which is the beginning of kingliness. However, the small benefits given by the king to the people can't make people live a carefree life, which is too far from the king.

For example, Mencius said:

Pigs and dogs with rich families eat better than the poor, but the king doesn't know how to stop it, and he doesn't know what went wrong in reviewing the administration. There were starving people on the road, but the king didn't think of opening a barn to help the poor. When he saw that people were starving to death, he just said, "It's not my fault, it's a bad year and the grain harvest is not good." This liberation of oneself is different from killing people with sharp weapons and then saying, "I didn't kill anyone, I was killed by weapons." If the king does not make excuses for his administration and does not blame the people for the poor harvest in the fierce year, then the people of the world will come back.

Therefore, the flow of fifty steps or the flow of a hundred steps is good, both of them are losers, and both of them are deserters of the "king", which is too far from the real king. Liang Huiwang didn't really listen to Mencius' advice, so during his decades in charge of Wei, Wei also turned from prosperity to decline.

In fact, whether it is step 50 or step 100, both are losers and victims of the "scramble" war.