I can't flatter those I despise just to
make myself full.(不為五斗米折腰)
During the Jin Dynasty in China, there was
a famous writer named (Tao Yuanming).
His poems and prose have influenced many
famous poets and writers in Chinese history.
History books record a story about him.
He lived in the last years of the Jin
Dynasty, which was a chaotic era.
When he was in his 20s, he hoped to use his
knowledge to change society and make society better.
So he entered the central government as a
mid-level official.
Due to the unstable political situation at
the time, many officials within the central government formed their own
cliques.
These cliques focus on fighting each other
rather than how to make all people better.
He is some honest and loyal people, after
he observed this phenomenon, and he found that he could not change, so he was
very disappointed, so he chose to resign.
When he was in his 40s, because his family
was too poor, he entered the central government again as a mid-level official,
and he served as the county magistrate of Pengze.
He only did this job for 80 days.
The political climate at that time was even
worse than it was 20 years ago, and many people who only flattered others but
had poor work ability became senior officials in the central government.
One day, the central government sent an
official to inspect. Although the official's position was higher than his, this
official was a person with very low moral standards.
He looked down on this officer very much,
and he was unwilling to violate his own moral standards to flatter this
officer.
So he chose to resign again.
Before he left, he said a word.
He said, I can't go against my own heart,
and I can't flatter those people who have low morals and I look down on in
order to make a living.
This idiom means that I am not willing to
flatter others and violate my inner morality just to get enough in life.
This idiom is often used when a person
resigns from his job.
Dear friend, what are your feelings or
thoughts after hearing this story?
If you were him, would you resign? If you
were his wife, would you choose to support him or divorce him?
I hope this story can give you some new
harvest.
不為五斗米折腰(I can't flatter those I despise
just to make myself full.)
中國的晉王朝時代，有一個著名的文學家，他的名字叫做(陶淵明)。
他寫的詩與散文影響了中國歷史上許多著名的詩人與文學家。
歷史書上記載了一個他的故事。
他生活的年代是在晉王朝的末年，那是一個混亂的年代。
他在20幾歲的時候，他希望可以藉由自已的知識去改變社會，讓社會變得更好。
所以他進入中央政府擔任一個中階官員。
由於當時的政治局勢不穩定，中央政府內的許多官員各自組成小集團。
這些小集團把心力放在彼此鬥爭而非放在如何讓所有人民變得更好。
他是一些正直又很忠誠的人，他觀察到這現象之後，而且他發現自已無法改變，所以他很失望，所以他選擇辭職。
他在40幾歲的時候，他由於家境太過貧窮，他再次進入中央政府擔任一個中階官員，他擔任彭澤這地方的縣長。
他這個工作只做了80幾天。
當時的政治風氣比20年前更壞，很多只會逢迎拍馬但是工作能力很差的人成為中央政府內的高級官員。
有一天，中央政府派了一個官員來視察，這個官員的職位雖然比他高，但這個官員是一個道德水平很低的人。
他很瞧不起這個官員，他不願意違背自已的道德標準去奉承這個長官。
所以他再度選擇離職。
他離職前，他說了一句話。
他說，我不能違背自已的心，我不能為了讓生活獲得溫飽，而去奉承那些道德低下而且我瞧不起的人。
這句成語的意思是我不願意為了只是生活獲得飽足而做出奉承別人且違背自已的內心道德的行為。
這句成語通常被用在一個人辭職的時候。
親愛的朋友，你聽完這個故事有怎樣的感受或有怎樣的想法呢。
你如果是他，你會辭職嗎?你如果是他的妻子，你會跟選擇支持他還是跟他離婚呢?
我希望這故事能讓你產生一些新的收穫。
出處為南史-卷75-陶潛傳
https://zh.m.wikisource.org/zh-hant/%E5%8D%97%E5%8F%B2/%E5%8D%B775
出處為晉書-卷94-隱逸傳-陶潛
https://zh.m.wikisource.org/zh-hant/%E6%99%89%E6%9B%B8/%E5%8D%B7094