Zhang Liang and the old man of Xia Pi: Punctuality is the greatest courtesy to people
There is a story about Zhang Liang in the "History of the Liu Hou Family":
One day, Zhang Liang was wandering on the Xia Pi Bridge when he met an old man dressed in coarse cloth. The old man deliberately threw his shoes under the bridge and looked at Zhang Liang: "Boy, go down and pick up the shoes!" Zhang Liang was a little surprised and wanted to teach the old man a lesson, but seeing that he was old, he couldn't bear to do it, so he reluctantly endured it, so he had to go down and pick up his shoes. After taking the shoes, the old man said to him, "Put the shoes on for me!" Zhang Liang was very angry, but he thought about it for a moment, since he had already picked up the shoes for him, he was a good person to do it to the end, so he knelt down to put on shoes for the old man. After the old man stretched out his feet to let Zhang Liang put on his shoes, instead of thanking him, he laughed and left. Zhang Liang was very surprised and looked at the old man's departing figure. But after the old man left about a mile, he returned and said, "The widow has a teaching!" Five days later, at dawn, meet me here. Although Zhang Liang thought this old man was very strange, he still agreed.
Five days later, at dawn, Zhang Liang came to the bridge. The old man had already arrived there first, and said angrily: "Meet with the old man, but come later, and the sky is already light, why are you?" The old man left and said, "Come and meet early in five days." After another five days, as soon as the chicken crowed, Zhang Liang ran away. And the old man was there first, very angry and said, "You are late again, why is this?" The old man left and said, "Come early in five days." ”
Zhang Liang learned the lessons of the previous two times, and the third time he went less than midnight, waiting for the old man there. After a while, the old man also came and said happily, "It should be like this." So the old man took out a book and told Zhang Liang, "After reading this book, you can become the emperor's teacher." It will be found in ten years. Thirteen years later, young man, you come to Jibei to see me, and the YellowStone under Gucheng Mountain is me. After saying that, he left, leaving no other words, and Zhang Liang never saw the old man again. When it was dawn, when I looked at the book sent by the old man, it turned out to be the "Taigong Art of War". Zhang Liang studied this book day and night, deeply understood the art of war, and finally became a famous strategist in the early Han Dynasty, helping Liu Bang to seize the world.
The original text of the Chronicle of History is as follows:
Liang Taste leisurely swam down the Pi Yuan, there was an old father, dressed in brown, to the good place, straight to his footsteps, Gu said Liang Yue: "Son, take the next step!" "Good and bad, want to beat it up." For its old, forbearance, the next take. Father: "Do me!" "Good deeds are to be performed, because they kneel for a long time." The Father took it upon himself and laughed. Liang Shu was shocked and followed. The Father went to the house and returned, saying, "The widow can be taught." After five days of peace, with me this. Good cause strange, kneeling: "No." "Five days of peace and good fortune." The Father was there first, and he was angry: "With the old man, after that, what is it?" "Go, I know, the morning meeting on the last five days." "Five days of chicken chirping, good past, the father is first, and the anger is repeated: "After, why not?" "Go, say, come back early in the next five days." "Five days, the good night is not half over. Then the Father came, and rejoiced, "When it is so." A compilation of books was published, saying: "Reading this is the king's teacher." After ten years of prosperity. Thirteen years of widows see me in Jibei, and the Yellowstone under the Gucheng Mountain is me. "Gone, without a word, never to be seen again." Dan Ri regards his book, which is also the "Taigong War Law". Good causes are different, and I often practice reading them.
The Westerners famously said, "Punctuality is the courtesy of the emperor." "Time is precious to everyone and no one wants to waste it. To be a punctual person is not only out of respect for others, but also out of respect for yourself. A person who is not punctual is also a person who is untrustworthy.
The German philosopher Kant once wrote this sentence in a letter to an old friend: "In my opinion, whether it is an old friend or a stranger, punctuality is the greatest courtesy." "The fast pace of modern life puts more emphasis on people's sense of time. Therefore, punctuality has become an indispensable quality and professional ethics for modern people, because the concept of time reflects a person's work attitude and moral accomplishment. Punctuality is a virtue, and wasting other people's time or violating the convention is a great disrespect to people.