The Art of Persuasion and Heart-to-Heart Approach of Deng Xiaoping

Author: Wu Ying
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-10-01
Features:
, one of the greatest leaders in Chinese history. His methods of persuasion and winning hearts are not mystical or obscure, but are filled with the bold strategy, great wisdom, and perseverance of a great leader.
once commented on Deng Xiaoping more than once, calling him "a rare talent." Chairman Mao's "talent" certainly did not refer to an ordinary individual, but rather meant that Comrade Deng possessed extraordinary strategy and talent in governing the party, the country, and the military.
This book follows the life, work, and methods of Comrade Deng, attempting to systematically organize the techniques and methods he used in his efforts to persuade others through numerous examples. From this, we can appreciate his masterful art of persuasion and his strategic approach to winning hearts, gaining insight into the great wisdom and bold strategy of a great leader, benefiting greatly from it.
"How Can Such Filial Piety Be Showed?"—Persuading a Classmate with Sincere Reasoning to Break Superstition and Believe in Science
During his youth, Deng Xiaoping demonstrated extraordinary persuasive abilities even in primary school. His story of persuading adults and children to believe in science rather than superstition still circulates in Guang'an, Sichuan.
Not far from Deng Xiaoping's home were two stone tablets, deeply revered by the local villagers. These tablets were erected during the Jiaqing era of the Qing Dynasty to commemorate the achievements of two high-ranking officials from Guang'an. The tablets were 3 meters tall and over 1 meter wide, with bases shaped like two massive stone turtles. The villagers believed these officials were deities who had descended to Earth to uphold justice, so the tablets were considered sacred objects and were not to be ridden on by anyone.
One day, an older playmate told Deng Xiaoping, "Deng Xixian (Deng Xiaoping's childhood name—author's note), adults say these stone turtles are sacred and that playing on them will cause stomach pain if you go home."
Deng Xiaoping, however, scoffed at this superstition and urged the children not to believe it. One day, he pointed at the two sacred stone turtles and said, "Friends, these are superstitions. They are used by the feudal ruling class to erect monuments for themselves and to scare children and the poor. Don't listen to those nonsense. What 'miracles' or 'fulfilling all requests' are they talking about? It's all deceitful nonsense."
How could this be allowed! Publicly speaking ill of the sacred turtles. A child quickly said, "Deng Xixian, if your family offends the gods, you'll suffer consequences. If you play on the sacred turtles, you'll get stomach pain when you go home."
Hearing this, Deng Xiaoping laughed and said, "What? A piece of stone like this has such power? Such ability? I'm going to sit on it, and you all can too."
As soon as Deng Xiaoping finished speaking, he was already sitting on one of the sacred stone turtles, dancing on its back. Some timid children saw this and said, "Deng Xixian, get down! If you don't, you'll cause trouble. If you cause trouble, we won't be able to escape either."
Not only did Deng Xiaoping not get down, but he also climbed onto the turtle's head and urged the other children, "It's nothing to worry about. It's just a stone. How can it have such power? Come up and sit with me!"
But the children were still afraid and dared not go up to play.
The next day, Deng Xiaoping's stomach didn't hurt, and the sacred turtles showed no miraculous power. He continued to play on them. Over time, the other children saw that Deng Xiaoping not only didn't cause trouble but also played even better, so they all climbed up to play too.