The Wisdom of Ice Mirror

Author: (Qing) Zeng Guofan / Zhuge Jingyi (compilation)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: To meet heroes from all over the world, to gather talents from everywhere, to jointly plan an immortal cause, it is better not to be literate than not to recognize people! Interpret life, understand the world, master the art of recognizing people, and predict the future; choose officials as treasures, make friends as a good method, reflect as a clear mirror, and discern treachery as a secret art! The world fears not the lack of talent, but the inability of those who use talent to accurately discover and properly utilize it. Zeng Guofan's method of recognizing people:
- Look at the eyes and nose to see right or wrong;
- Look at the lips to see true or false;
- Look at the bearing to see fame and fortune;
- Look at the spirit to see wealth and status;
- Look at the fingers to see intentions;
- Look at the foot tendons to see storms and waves;
- If you want to see logic, it is all in the language.
The core of Zeng Guofan's "art of recognizing people" is: The world fears not the lack of talent, but the inability of those who use talent to properly utilize it. Especially in managing important senior personnel, Zeng Guofan had his own set of methods:
1. Selecting talent. "To select military talent, one must seek those with profound wisdom and strategy, who must also be strict in commands and able to endure hardships. Only those who possess all three are the best choices."
2. The abilities of military talent. Zeng Guofan believed that the talent for governing troops lies in three aspects: fairness, clarity, and diligence. If a leader is not fair, rewards and punishments are unclear, soldiers will not be loyal. If a leader is not diligent in their duties, the affairs of the army will pile up and become difficult to manage.
3. Fighting prowess. "The way to govern an army is to prioritize the ability to fight." Zeng Guofan considered fighting to be the most important thing. If a city is besieged for half a year and the enemy breaks through unexpectedly, unable to resist or suffers minor setbacks, one's reputation will be ruined. Zeng Guofan's "ability to fight" is quite similar to the "execution" popular in modern enterprises.
How did Zeng Guofan recognize people? Does his art of recognizing people make sense? Is it proven to be effective? In the book of talent recognition, Bingjian, there are detailed explanations.
Bingjian takes ice as a mirror, meaning it can discern the finest details. Although the book is small in size, its thoughts are refined, and though its words are few, its meaning is profound. The methods of recognizing and observing people in Bingjian still hold important practical value today. Therefore, the author has carefully annotated the original work, provided detailed analyses, extensively collected historical materials, and compiled this book to serve the readers.