The Old Man Says: False praise is deceptive; flatterers deceive through flattery.

Virtue endures in falsehood; flatterers deceive with praise. — Lu Yu, 'Stopping the Boat'

The falseness of reputation; many people are lazy to discern it; those who bestow reputation upon themselves mostly like to accept it. This human weakness is easily exploited by others without their awareness, leading them into traps. This is especially true for those in power, as people will eagerly flatter them for various purposes, and flatterers will use honeyed words and extravagant praise to win their favor, which is why those in power should be particularly vigilant. Those who boast about themselves without merit are undoubtedly suspect, and they must have ulterior motives. Those who are intoxicated by such praise can only be controlled by them.

A calm and discerning eye, a calm ear to listen to words, a calm emotion to guide consciousness, and a calm mind to think through principles.

Yuan Mei said, 'With a pair of cold eyes to observe the world, with passionate blood to reward one's bosom friends.'

As the saying goes, 'Let things remain quiet and observe them from a distance; all are content in their own way.' The ancients emphasized 'patience' and 'forgiveness' as principles of self-cultivation, all of which have something to do with 'coldness,' because only a cool heart can bring a clear mind. Passion like fire can give people vitality and warmth, but a calm like water is helpful for thinking.

RefinedAccurate judgment.'Coldly observing the world' is a sophisticated survival philosophy and a strategy for dealing with affairs. Looking at people with a calm eye will not be deceived by their appearance; listening to others' words with a calm ear will not be biased or misled by petty tricksters; treating external criticisms or praise with a calm attitude is also a sign of wisdom.

A mature person is calm and wise; dealing with things in this way will not be impulsive and confused, and things will be carried out in an orderly and progressive manner.

In life, we often encounter perplexing and distressing circumstances that we don't understand, and sometimes it's unnecessary or unprofitable to spend too much energy on them. We must learn to wait, to observe with a cool eye, and not to exhaust ourselves; we must not get bogged down in disputes.

The eminent monks Han Shan and Shiqie of Hanshan Temple in Suzhou during the Tang Dynasty had a very brilliant conversation on this topic.

One day, Han Shan asked Shiqie, 'If someone insults me, scoffs at me, despises me, harms me, dislikes me, deceives me, and cheats me, what should I do?'

Shiqie replied, 'Just endure it, be patient with him, let him go, respect him, ignore him, pretend to be deaf and mute, and remain indifferent. Observing him from a cool perspective, see how he ends.'

This is the highest level of 'coldly observing'—although this endurance is a passive and aloof way of dealing with things, 'observing him from a cool perspective, see how he ends,' is admirable and has a dignified bearing, containing a sense of detachment and a noble spirit. It is a posture of looking down on life.

The 'Old Tang Book – Lu Shide Biography' records that Lu Shide was a man with both knowledge and a broad mind. He was recommended to the position by the talented. However, after entering the position, he didn't realize this, and he often disliked Lu Shide and treated him with hostility, leading to Lu Shide eventually being forced to leave the capital and serve in a remote border region. When Wu Zetian knew about this, she took Lu Shide's previous notes recommending to him and said, 'How can you treat someone who has done you so much?'

was greatly ashamed and said, 'He never argues with me about issues, nor does he tell me about this matter. I didn't realize Lu Shide's kindness towards me, I'm much worse than him!' Lu Shide was in a prominent position in the imperial court, he served for decades, he was diligent and conscientious, he was strict with himself, he treated people with kindness, and he never engaged in factional disputes or experienced major ups and downs. He was always highly respected, which was closely related to his stable and cautious approach to dealing with things.

Observing the world with a cool eye is also an effective self-protection measure; it is a wise move.

“”