When Mengchang Jun was banished from Qi and later returned, Tan Shizi went to the border to receive him and said, "Do you harbor resentment against the scholars and officials of Qi?" Mengchang Jun replied, "I do." Tan Shizi asked, "Do you wish to have them all killed to satisfy your anger?" Mengchang Jun said, "Yes." Tan Shizi said, "There are things that must inevitably happen, and principles that are naturally so. Do you understand this?" Mengchang Jun said, "I do not." Tan Shizi said, "What must inevitably happen is death; what is naturally so is that the wealthy and noble are approached, while the poor and humble are abandoned. This is what must inevitably happen and what is naturally so. Allow me to use the marketplace as an analogy: in the morning, it is crowded with people, but by evening it is empty—not because people love the market in the morning and hate it at night, but because in the morning there are goods they need, so they go, and in the evening there are none, so they leave. I hope you will not harbor resentment." Mengchang Jun then took out the five hundred bamboo slips on which he had recorded his grievances, scraped off the names, and dared not speak of resentment again.
💡 商战启示录
Tan Shizi used the marketplace as a metaphor to reveal the essence of human relationships: the pursuit of benefit and avoidance of harm is inherent to human nature, not a matter of personal grievance. In the modern arena of commercial warfare, this wisdom holds profound relevance. For instance, when a corporate executive is dismissed by the board due to strategic missteps, erstwhile close partners and subordinates may swiftly align with the new center of power, even openly severing ties. Should that executive wallow in resentment and seek revenge, he would only deplete his own energy and forfeit the chance to stage a comeback. Instead, he ought to emulate Lord Mengchang, understanding humanity's inclination toward advantage, releasing grudges, and redirecting focus toward enhancing his own worth. The rule of the business world is the exchange of value—when you possess resources, capability, or unique insight, followers will naturally return. Steve Jobs was once ousted from Apple, the company he founded, yet he did not dwell on hatred toward its executives. Instead, he founded NeXT and Pixar, steadily accumulating technological and creative prowess, until he was invited back in Apple's hour of crisis to lead it to unprecedented heights. This corroborates the principle that "in prosperity, people gather; in adversity, they depart"—rather than decrying others' fickleness, one should concentrate on reforging one's core competitiveness. Modern managers should glean three lessons: first, when forging partnerships, design mechanisms of aligned interests rather than relying on personal loyalty; second, when faced with betrayal or estrangement, first examine whether the value one offers has diminished, rather than resorting to moral censure; third, the market is like a bazaar—brimming at dawn and empty by dusk is the norm; maintaining strategic composure and proving one's mettle through results is the true path to breaking through impasses.