Knowing the Right People

What does it mean to follow the right people? What kind of person do you need to follow to be considered following the right people?

Is it enough to follow someone with ability to be considered following the right people?

Of course, if you want to succeed, it’s necessary to follow someone capable. But I want to say, that’s not the whole story; we need to be selective about who we follow.

There are many capable people in this world. Let me tell a story: When Liu Bang saw Zhongli Mo’s head and said, “You’ve been opposing me all along. Today, who still dares to protect you?”

But what about Han Xin and Ying Bu, who had been helping him conquer the world? And Peng Yue, who repeatedly cut off Xiang Yu’s supply lines and helped him escape when Xiang Yu was surrounded?

Han Xin was stuffed into a sack and stabbed to death with sharpened bamboo by palace maids; Peng Yue was chopped into minced meat and made into buns; Ying Bu, after eating buns made with Peng Yue’s meat filling, rebelled and was killed after his failure.

And what about Wei Zheng at the end of the Sui Dynasty and the beginning of the Tang Dynasty? He initially followed Dou Jiande to attack Li Shimin; after defecting to Tang, he repeatedly advised Li Jiancheng and even plotted to kill Li Shimin. But after the Xuanwu Gate Incident, he followed Li Shimin and was instead entrusted with important duties.

This illustrates a truth: Following a narrow-minded, extremely selfish person, even if you are loyal, will not lead to good results.

On the other hand, following a broad-minded person means that even if you accidentally offend him, it won’t be a big problem.

So when you realize that the people you follow are selfish and only think of themselves, you should proactively distance yourself.