"Harmony" is a hot word now. What is the true harmony? Many people think that, if the officials say so, the common people do so, and there is harmony between officials and the common people, so the society is harmonious. Is it a true harmony? Let us listen to the words of our great ancestors who lived more than 2500 years.
Liangqiu Ju was a minister of the Qi State. He always tried to ingratiate himself with Qi Jing-Gong, the monarch of the Qi State. Jing-Gong said approvingly, "Is only Ju harmonious with me?” Yan Ying, the prime misiter of the Qi State, said, “Ju is just the same as you. Why do you think he is harmonious with you?” Jing-Gong asked, “Are harmony and sameness different?” Yan Ying said, “They are different. Harmony is as a thick soup. A chef cooks it with various seasonings and via different methods, adds lacks and removes superfluities. A gentleman eats it for moderating his mind. A monarch and his ministers are as so. If a monarch thinks a thing will be successful but it also is possible to be unfavorable, ministers should tell him the unfavorable situation in order to facilitate his success. If a monarch thinks a thing won’t be successful but it also possible to be successful, ministers should tell him the successful possibility in order to dispel the monarch’s doubt. Then the political affairs can be treated moderately, and people have no disputes. Former kings degusted five flavors and appreciate five tunes for moderating their mind and accomplishing their political ideals. A gentleman listens to different harmonious tunes, so his mind can be moderated. The mind is moderated, and he will have harmonious virtue. But now Ju is not as so. Monarch says ok, so he also says ok. Monarch says no, so he also says no. If water is added into water, then who can eat it? If all tunes are the same, who can listen to it? So the harm of the abuse of sameness can be known by us.”
How wise and wonderful the words of Yan Ying are! Harmony, Not Sameness. Reading later articles, you will find more interesting things between the common people and officials before 221 B.C..