On weekdays, when it comes to "reading palms" and "reading faces", there are always superstitions, but "reading people" does exist. Everything has laws, and it is inseparable from its sects. It takes not only time to know and understand a person, but also the right ways and means. People can be divided into changeable substances and unchangeable substances. Generally speaking, a scholar can change, but a fool cannot. Scholars have good adaptability because of their good self-awareness ability, thus making up for the lack of personal nature. A headstrong person is different. He is born with talent and is extremely difficult to change. But these people are often gifted, and if used properly, their effectiveness is irreplaceable by other talents.
Zeng Guofan's understanding of people is unparalleled. In the twenty-fourth year of Daoguang, Guo Songtao took Jiang Zhongyuan to Zeng's apartment. Three fellow villagers met in Beijing, and naturally they had a very happy talk. Afterwards, he told Guo about his views on Jiang Zhongyuan. "I have never seen such a person in my life." After a while, he said, "This person will go down in history, but his death will be glorious." Later, Ting Zhongyuan really died in Luzhou.
When I was an official in Beijing, there were two students, both of whom got the position of Zhili magistrate and went to pay their respects to Zeng. Asked when they would go to work, one of them replied, "We still have to prepare our luggage." Yang said to:
"I've rented a car and I'm leaving right away." I once suspected that Yang was treacherous, but later I knew that he had arrived first. I admired Yang's honesty and thought that his future was bigger than Fang's. Yang later became a magistrate, and another was impeached and dismissed for something.
This is by no means Zeng Guofan's ability to predict the future, but his ability to make correct observations.
Zeng's way of knowing people mainly includes three aspects: one is to look at a person's moral integrity; The second is to look at a person's learning ability; The third is to look at a person's appearance, language, writing style and interest. We usually make friends, and we might as well learn from this and make friends.
Zeng Guofan must observe the talents he selected face to face, observe their talent and moral depth, and then decide whether to select them. His physiognomy is based on his own knowledge and rich experience in reading people. The book Bing Jian is rich in content and detailed, which is praised by later generations.
Every time it's time to choose officials and generals, Zeng Guofan always arranges interviews first, carefully observes each other's facial features, manners and manners, and makes judgments in various ways.
On the question of examining people, I once thought that "the whole should follow the parts", from spirit to product to action. Overall observation focuses on the spirit, while local observation focuses on the eyes. What he thinks "one spirit depends on two eyes" is roughly the same as what he says now "eyes are the windows of the soul"
Second, look at "essence" to distinguish its wisdom. In other words, observing a person's "essence" can identify the brilliance of his wisdom. Intelligent people benefit, its "essence" is clear; Lu is dull, and his "essence" is rough and obscure. Although wisdom comes from the foot, it is also important to become useful materials, which determines the starting point of training.
Then look at its "muscles" to tell its courage. The so-called "muscle strength represents courage, muscle weakness represents timidity" means that observing a person's muscles can identify his courage, which is especially important for people who can lead troops. Jin Jin, his people are brave and powerful; Loose tendons, his cowardice and lack of vitality are like a weak scholar without corruption. If the mind is the human spirit, then the tendon is the body spirit.
Then look at its "bones" to distinguish its strength. "Strong bones, weak bones." Observing a person's bones can identify his strength. Zeng Guofan believes that the sacred bone is the gateway and procedure to identify a person when identifying talents, which has a crucial role. "Tendon" and "bone" are often linked to examine a person's strength and courage.
Look at its "qi" to distinguish its determination. "Abundance is determined by rashness, while exuberance is determined by potential": Observing a person's "Qi", we can see his ups and downs and calmness. Hold your breath and keep calm in the crisis. Such people can take on great responsibilities, but most people give up halfway. Lively and active, quiet and serene, not the difference between ups and downs and calmness. If you are confident, energetic, easy to concentrate and durable, then a quiet person can move like a rabbit, and a lively person can be as quiet as a virgin; However, impetuous people are absent-minded, give up halfway, be smart about small things and be confused about big things. A steady person can be careless when he should be careless and careful when he should be careful. Those who are silent when they are calm and panic when they are in trouble are the least desirable.
Then look at its "color" to distinguish its feeling. Zeng Guofan thought: "Sincerity and benevolence must be gentle; Sincere and brave, there must be wonderful; Honesty and wisdom must have the color of understanding. " In other words, a person's face reflects his inner feelings. It is difficult to ponder and understand people who can keep a straight face after ups and downs.
Then look at its "organ" to distinguish its heart. Zeng Guofan believes that a person's appearance and behavior can best reflect his heart. In other words, observing a person's "appearance" can reveal his quality and accomplishment. Dignified and generous, with profound cultivation and high quality; Behaviour is stubborn and obscene, self-cultivation is shallow and quality is poor. Zeng Guofan said: "Dignified and heavy is your appearance."
Generally speaking, Geng Jie is honest and upright, and his behavior is firm and dignified; Brave and decisive, bold and heroic in manners; Open, selfless, serene and quiet. Manner is the main embodiment of temperament, and the cultivation of temperament is closely related to the growth environment. This can be used as an external basis for identifying people.
Then look at its "capacity". The "capacity" here should be understood as "Rong Zhi" to represent the previous "instrument"
Distinguish from each other. A person's inner activities are bound to show up in the Rong Zhi, even if the parties try their best to hide it, there will always be traces. If Rong Zhi is dishonest, he will think of others, so it is necessary to examine the real motives and ideas of such people. If Rong Zhi is decent, pure-hearted, and free from distractions, he will not easily "forget righteousness for profit".
Then look at its words. "Forgiveness makes the palace slow, and suppression makes the palace urgent." Observing a person's speech can reveal his character. Gentle-natured people speak gently; Impatient people speak straight, fast and straight. Speech is the expression of thoughts, and it is also an important aspect to judge a person's temperament and talent. Of course, with the growth of age and different personality maturity, this standard should also be used flexibly.
Zeng Guofan's way of employing people has formed a set of systematic theories.
First of all, he emphasized the mutual attraction of talents. In a letter to a friend, he said: "The way to ask for help ... is like a mother with a mother, a pheasant in it, asking for the same kind, attracting the same kind of gas, and covering nine sides can get the rest." .
As the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together. No one is unwilling to work with like-minded people. The combination of advantages and advantages can get twice the result with half the effort. This is how Zeng Guofan recruited Li Hongzhang and his brothers Li Zhanghan and Li Zhanghu to his own door. Luo Zenan, a famous scholar in Hunan, is knowledgeable and talented. He has been a teacher for a long time and has many disciples. We are all familiar with Xu Shou. After he defected to Zeng Guofan, he introduced the famous scientist Hua, and together they became Zeng Guofan's right-hand man during the busy westernization period. Those who entered Zeng's family, some became the backbone of Xiang army and some became military strategists, which reflected Zeng Guofan's idea of recruiting talents.
Taking advantage of the relationship between hometown and nationality is also an important way for Zeng Guofan to recruit talents. This way of expanding contacts is still commonly used now, and it is easy to get things done. At that time, Zeng Guofan's shogunate almost became the base camp of senior talents of the Qing government. There are not only so-called traditional talents, but also new talents in machinery, law, mathematics and astronomy. This is thanks to Zeng Guofan's knowledge and skill, and his use is the only way.
Anyone who has lofty ideals needs some help if he wants to achieve something. Without talent support, he ended up with nothing. So in the final analysis, you still have to be able to use people. Only by not being jealous of talents and eager for talents can we finally achieve great things.
Zeng Guofan started almost entirely by recruiting talents. He has superb methods of recruiting talents and talents, excellent ability of recognizing people and convincing way of employing people, and can make the best use of talents and talents to find their own value. Different methods of recruiting and using talents will have different effects.
Zeng Guofan's way of introducing wisdom from point to line to surface is wise and creative, which is worth learning from later generations. Friends of friends are also part of personal resources. Don't ignore them because of their indirectness. Making full use of them can increase the chances of success.