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Yin can be identified with the negative, the potential, and the preservative while yang can be identified with the positive, the actual, the objective and the creative. ...Yin represents Tao as an inexhaustible source from which every form of energy or activity is derived, whereas yang represents Tao as a form of activity which is ever creative, but which has a beginning and an ending and therefore remains ex-haustible. When the yang force exhausts itself, it will fade into yin; but when yin
When yang moves, yin stops and becomes concealed.When yang comes out, yin hides and retires.Yang eventually ends up in yin,
Yin eventually returns to yang.
When moves with yang, virtue is generated.
When one silences with yin, forms are
accomplished.
Starting from yang to seek yin is to enfold with virtue.
Starting from yin to seek yang is to exert force. [A:19]b
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the movement also. In Chinese, tzung-heng as a phrase also means moving about freely without opposition, i.e., invincibly. In T'ao Hung-c'hing's terms, horizontal movements build up, resulting in the construction and growth of things. Vertical movements pull down, resulting in the destruction and diminution of things. Tzung-heng is often combined with pai-ho in Chinese idiom to mean suave and ingenious persuasion or skillful dealing of things and people. From these concepts the Tzung-heng school may have derived its name.a.
When it comes to speech, most immediately, there is a concern for the mechanism of utterance--the mouth. "The mouth is the doorway of the heart. ...Through this doorway, one's will, intentions, delights, desires, thoughts, worries, wisdom and plans go in and out. This doorway, therefore, should be carefully guarded and moderated by [the uses of] pai-ho" [A:12].
These words alert one to the importance of being cautious in speaking. Furthermore, "Ancient people had
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a A more popular version on the origin of the "Tzung-heng" School has to do with Su Ch'in and Chang I's persuasive activities. Towards the end of the Warring States Period, only seven states remained. Ch'in was a rising power from the West and was threatening the other six states. Su Ch'in persuaded the princes to cooperate with ch'u in the South to form a sort of North-South, the vertical, alliance to fight against Ch'in. Chang I, on the other hand, persuaded the princes to cooperate with Ch'in and formed seperate East-West, the horizontal, alliances. For the relative positions of these seven states, consult the map in appendix B.
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the saying: The mouth can eat but cannot talk,' because there are taboos in the use of language. They said, human mouth can melt gold, because the message can be distorted" [I:18]. Speaking is exposing oneself and one must be on guard as to what one exposes and how."Pai is to open, is speaking, and is yang. Ho is to close, is silence and is yin" [A:13]. Thus is the basic relationship between pai-ho, yin-yang and speech.
Speech, like other phenomena in the universe, is inclined either toward yin or yang. So are people. Just as in contemporary English, we say some people are more open, some more closed; some more broad-minded, some rather selfish, Kuei Ku Tzu also took note of people's characters and used yin-yang terms to describe them. When speaking, one should choose appropriate types of expression to match certain types of people.
"When speaking with those who are yang, use lofty and sublime language. When speaking with those who are yin, use petty and restricted language. Use the base to deal with the petty use the sublime to deal with the great" [A:18].
This notion of "matching speech with people" is reminiscent of Donald Bryant's "rhetorical function is the function of adjusting ideas to people and of people to
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ideas", a A basic tenet in Kuei Ku Tzu's persuasion is similar.
Since yang is exhaustible, the process from yang to yin is naturally exhaustive. Yin is inexhaustible. But the process from yin to yang, from the potential to some thing, requires the exertion of energy. When human effort is involved, the process can be considered artificial.
The yin-yang dialectic is also used in terms of differentiating positions. Yang is heaven, yin, earth. Yang is high, yin low. When applied to socio-political structure, those high in the hierarchy are yang, those low are yin. As the process from yang to yin is natural, so is the communication from the high ranking to the low. And as the process from yin to yang is artificial, the communication from the low to the high requires effort.
The kind of persuasion Kuei Ku Tzu deals with is the latter type--from yin toseek yang, a disturbance in the natural process. Yet, in disturbing the natural process, it is all the more important to note the balance and harmony of yin-yang. "When yin and yang are balanced harmoniously, the beginning and the end are justified" [A:14], and, "...in all cases, matters are to be guided by yin-yang" [A:18].
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a Donald C. Bryant, "Rhetoric: Its Functions and Scope," in Quarterly Journal of Speech, XXXIX:4, 401-424.
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Because yin is inexhaustible, there is no limit to what it is capable of. When coming from yin to seek yang, everything is possible. "...There is nothing which cannot be brought out, nothing which cannot be penetrated and nothing which is impossible. ...Nothing is too small when using the petty. Nothing is too big when using the great" [A:18].
When it comes to persuasion proper, Kuei Ku Tzu also offered some interesting insights: "To persuade is to please. To please is to gain something from the person [to be persuaded]" [I:1].
In Chinese, the word in question is "說 " which can be read in one of three ways: shuo is "to speak", shuei is "to persuade", and yueh is "to please". Although in modern writing, a different word悅 , read yueh is used exclusively to mean "be pleased", in old texts, the two meanings are both served by the same character. a This point is also observed in The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons 文心雕龍(ca. A.D.500): "The character shuo ,"to speak" or "to discuss", has the sense or meaning of yueh, "to please". And as tui 兌, "to
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a According to Bernhard Karlgren's reconstruction of ancient Chinese phonetics, shuo was read as *'siwat, shuei as 'siwad, and yueh as *diwat. The realtionship among these three words apparently is cognate. See Bernhard Karlgren, Grammata Serica: Analytic Dictionary of Chinese and Sino-Japanese, Taipei: Cheng-wen Publishing Co., 1966, (rpt. of 1923 ed.). p. 209.
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please", is a mouth and tongue, [according to "Shuo-kua" in the Book of Changes], then the way to please is by means of one's words.a
Vincent Shih, who translated and annotated this work, elaborated this point further:
The character shuo is composed of two elements: yen (to speak) on the left, and tui (to please) on the right. Hence shuo has two senses: to speak or to please. Later, the yen radical is replaced by a heart radical, when it is taken to mean "to please" and is pronounced yueh. But the original form persists, though its pronunciation is identical with yueh, when it means to please. b
It is interesting to speculate upon the manifestations of one single word and their relationships. To speak is to persuade. To persuade is to please. To speak is to please. To please is to persuade. To please is to speak. To persuade is to speak.
The totality of these impressions may summarize the Chinese perception in regard to speaking and persuading. Perhaps it is also partly responsible for an overriding suspicion towards people who speak too much or who demonstrate excessive friendliness.
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a Vincent Yu-chung Shih, (trans.) The literary Mind and the Carving of Dragon, Taipei: Cheng-chung Book Co., 1971, pp.144-5.
b Ibid., p.149.
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But Kuei Ku Tzu went one step further. He specifically stated the utility of persuasion and that is "to gain something." This appears to be a rather bold statement, even though there is some validity and truth to it. No matter how we put it, persuasion is aimed at inducing the other person to grant consent or cooperation to our proposal. Is not consent or cooperation "something"?
Bearing in mind the organic conceptualization of speaking-persuading-pleasing, we are further advised to be selective of whom to persuade. "...I must choose a person who is communicable with me and persuade him...." [H:14]. "In order to be listened to, I must find some agreement in the feelings of the person I intend to persuade. He who agrees in feelings would listen" [H:16].
Kuei Ku Tzu then provides a series of elegant analogies to illuminate:
Things of similar nature tend to attract each other. When making fire from wood, it is the drier wood which catches fire first. When pouring water to the ground, it is the wet area that absorbs the water first. This illustrate how things of similar nature attract and respond to each other. Other situations are like this, too. [H:17]
Not only should one choose the right audience, but he should avoid the unsuitable ones:
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He who has no eyes should not be shown the five colors. He who has no ears should not be given the musical tones. He who cannot be persuaded is such because he is not open to change. He who cannot accept persuasion is such because he has no capacity to accept it. When communication is not possible, sages would not be bothered to deal with it [I:16-17].
Persuasion is an effort at interfering with the natural process with the purpose of gaining something from the audience. Since not everyone can be persuaded, a persuader needs to be careful in selecting his audience.
2. On Silence and Secrecy
Since silence is yin in nature and Kuei Ku Tzu's persuasion is starting from yin to seek yang, some significant consideration must be given to silence.
silence is the absence of speech. But it is far from being static and stale. On the contrary, just like yin, it entails tremendous potential which can be transformed into forms. Silence is the result of ho, the withholding of speeh. But it is far from being unable to speak. On the contrary, silence entails some positive functions. Firstly, it is a tactic in interaction, a method which causes the other side to expose itself. "If I keep
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silent so that he will open up, I may thus gain advantage [in approaching him]" [A:3). "When a person speaks, he is on the move. When I listen silently, I am still. Following the spoken words, I listen to his statements" [B:3]. Strategically, the person who is on the move is vulnerable--he is being exposed and examined while the person who is still is preserving his energy and building his potential for action.
Furthermore, "When he keeps silent and no analogy can be found, then I change accordingly" [B:6]. Thus, silence is the result of successful guarding of the passage through which he reveals his feelings and desires. If I need these information, I am powerless in the face of his silence. If I am persistent in my pursuit, I must think of alternative ways to approach him. The one who is silent has the actual power to direct and to lead the interaction.
Besides, silence is a way of protecting oneself, especially when there is disagreement which is a possible source of conflict and animosity. "I close and conceal myself because there are differences in our true feelings" [A:4]. It is a posture in preparation of action. "To listen, I must first be silent. To expand, I must first withdraw. To ascend, I must first humble myself"[B:12].
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Page 124Silence is by no means harmless. on the contrary, it has all the potential to act and to harm. silence is dynamic.
Along with the character of yin and silence, another important aspect of persuasion is secrecy. Before yin turns to yang, before the time to open up arrives, one should strive to be secretive and remain concealed. "When I wish to be silent, I should be secretive. In being secretive, I should be subtle and closely follow the Way" [A:6], "I plan without visible signs, and nobody can see what I am driving at" [B:22]. As there is a time to be silent and a time to speak, so there is a time to be secretive and time to be known. When it is time to be secretive, the secrecy should be complete.
What time is the time to be secretive? Basically, as often as possible: from observing changes in events to gathering information, assessing the situation, calculating ways and means to proceed with the persuasion, even in retreating after the work is done. "When I want to persuade, I must conceal my calculation" [C:6]. "I plan without visible signs, and nobody can see what I am driving at" [B:22]. "Wisdom should be used at where people cannot comprehend; might should be used where people cannot see" [J:25]. "Then comes the time when I should retreat inconspicuously. ...Hiding all clues and concealing the signs, I take leave of the situation.
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without anyone knowing it. This is how I can accomplish my plans without incurring troubles" [H:3].
In addition to the generic association between yin and secrecy, there are two other reasons which may have contributed to this tremendous emphasis on secrecy.
One is simply a practical matter of protection for the persuader as well suasions as the persuadee. As the persuasions take place in political arena for political purposes, there inevitably exist some competitive forces. Keeping secretive the intentions and plans for persuasive actions is probably the only effective way to prevent the already complicated situation from becoming any more precarious.
What really matters is what is actually accomplished. "In making plans, nothing is more difficult than being thorough. In carrying out a plan, nothing is more difficult than the certainty of success " [H:13]. The more secretive one can be, the less unnecessary interference there may be. If the task is not successful, having kept it concealed in the first place perhaps is useful in minimizing the harmful effect.
Even if the plans are successful, so that the result is manifested in the open, it is still desirable that the persuader/planner remain anonymous.
"... [T]he people are secure in their prosperity without knowing whence the benefit comes. Thus he is cumulating goodness. ...The
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people would have no one to whom to surrender and know not what to fear" [H:8-9).
Apparently, secrecy has gone beyond the utility of the task. Rather, it seems to be close to the Taoist philosophy as expressed in Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching: "It (i.e.the Way) benefits them [the myriad creatures] yet exacts no gratitude; it accomplishes its task yet lays claim to no merit. It is because it lays claims to no merit, that its merit never deserts it".a
In comparison, we see in Kuei Ku Tzu: "The way of a sage lies in the hidden and unseen" [J:27]. Apparently, secrecy in persuasion is kept not only for the success of the task, but because it conforms with the Way.
Since Kuei Ku Tzu's persuasion deals with an effort to seek yang from yin, he capitalizes the potential of yin. From this perspective, silence is dynamic and powerful. Also from this perspective, secrecy should accompany the silence.
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a Lau, D. C., (trans.) Tao Te Ching, by Lao Tzu, New york: Penguin Books, 1963, p.58.
126
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3. Tools of Expressing and Knowing
Kuei Ku Tzu did not develop a full fledged theory of language. But there are some points that are important to note.
"In language there are symbols. In things and affairs there are analogies....Symbols are the symbolization of things. Analogies are the comparison and contrast of expressions. One uses what has no form to seek what has sounds" [B:4]. We may consider "what has no form" to be our thoughts, ideas, feelings and other aspirations before they take shape, and "what has sounds" to be the utterance of langauge. This is the process of encoding meanings into symbols, which is basically the process of language. Analogies, being the comparison and contrast of expressions, can be considered as the process of reasoning. Using these as tools, "one may contemplate what follows next" [B:4].
"What follows next" seems to bear a slight touch of humor. What will follow the use of language and reasoning? Everything!--expressions, knowledge of other people, interaction, and ultimately, persuasion.
The repeated use of symbols and analogies allows one to find the appropriate expression and lay the basis of
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interaction. "I reflect and send forth, he will respond and come. Language contains symbols and analogies upon which I set the foundation" [B:7]. And, "Human interaction requires fluency of expression. Fluency of expression makes discussions easy and smooth. ...Sometimes the speech is repeated and refuted with an attempt to step back [to gain perspective]. Such debate and discussion is to fish for the minute and hidden elements" [1:2-3].
Symbols and analogies not only are the tools of self-expression, but more importantly, tools of knowing other people and "getting" other people. They are the external manifestations of "that which has no form" within others. Through them, I may know the thoughts, ideas, feelings, arguments and other aspirations that others may have. "Using different symbols to find the one which his heart responds to, I would then perceive his feelings and then shepherd him" [B:6]. To elicit his feelings, I must first use symbols and analogies to guide the direction of his expressions. similar arguments will echo each other. Similar reasonings willmove in the same direction" [B:12].
Kuei Ku Tzu further provided an analogy which demonstrates the nature and the use of symbols and analogies:
[Speaking is like fishing.] If the bait language is appropriate to the situation, then the human fish can be caught. Speaking is like spreading and setting up snares to
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trap animals. I set up many snares in the intersection of animal paths and wait for my prey. If the Way [of my speech] fits the situation, then my prey will automatically fall into it. Thus is the snare to catch people. The snares are used often" [B:5].a
This may seem to be a rather exploitative conceptualization of the use of language and the function of persuasion. However, it would be impractical to brush aside the validity of this analogy, especially when we consider the situation in which this kind of persuasion is practiced.
To use language effectively implies more than proper selection of symbols and analogies: "modifying language is an artificial process which involves adding and subtracting" [I:1]. In this respect, Kuei Ku Tzu's suggestions reflected a general value in Chinese persuasion: the ancient is superior and the classics carry high credibility.
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a I recently ran into a poem entitled, "Fish Story":
Old lady fishes
Baits her hook with words
All day talks fish
Through a hole in the ice
End of the day
Sets a spruce bush in the hole
Packs her story home
by Katherine McNamara, in Hunger and Dreams: The Alaskan Women's Anthology, ed. Patricia Monagham, Fairbanks: Fire wood Press, 1983. It is interesting to note that the idea of using words as baits is not unique in the Chinese mind.
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Inventiveness is to be couched in the context of tradition valued antiquity.
"I take [what is appropriate] from the Book of Songs and Book of Documents, mix them with my own words, th en discuss generally the gains and losses, the comings and goings events, of events" [C:18]. "When talking about past events, I first follow [the conventional] expressions. When talking about future events, I am versatile in my speech" [C:9].
The classifying of types of speech also goes further than the yin-yang dichotomy. Depending on the intended purpose.
Fawning speech gives the impression of pleasing and can be used to solicit a reputation of loyalty. Flattering speech gives the impression of being knowledgeable and can be used to solicit a reputation of wisdom.
Grand speech gives the impression of being resolute and can be used to solicit a reputation of courage.
Solicitous speech gives the impression of being capable ot discretion and can be used to solicit reputation of being a trustworthy.
Speech of silence prepares one for counter attack and can be used to solicit a reputation of winning. [1:4-8]
Depending on the psychological make-up of the speaker,
Speech of illness is characterized by weakness and lack of spirit. Speech of fear is characterized by disintegration and lack of mastery. Speech of anxiety is
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characterized by blockage and inability to come through. Speech of anger is characterized by imprudence and lack of control. Speech of joy is characterized by expansiveness and lack of substance. [1:23]
All these categories may seem confusing. Yet, the ability to steer through these numerous categories of speech is a sign of an accomplished persuader: "Categories of speech are many. Changes in things are numerous. If one can talk the whole day without losing the right categories, things will not be confused" [1:27]. "He who employs complicated languages without being confused, who soars high without getting lost...has learned the essentials [of persuasion]" [I:15].
4. The Ideal Persuader
At the very beginning of his book, Kuei Ku Tzu described the profile of the sages--his idea of the ideal persuaders. An ideal persuader has a few essential qualities:
First of all, he must have an extremely quick and sharp perception. He is always ahead of ordinary beings; he can observe the stirring and ceasing of yin and yang;
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he is perceptive of the slightest signals of change in things: he understands the principles of the human mind.
Not only does he know, but he is in perfect control. He can name things according to their natures. He can guard the passages to survival and perdition. Not only is he in perfect control of the situation, but also of himself. "When a sage persuades, regardless of whether the person is foolish or wise, there will be no doubt [left in the mind of the sage]" [B:8].
A sage is extremely resourceful. "The world does not remain perpetually prosperous. Things do not have any perpetual model. A sage, therefore, approves nothing perpetually yet there is not that he does not approve. He listens to nothing yet there is nothing that he does not listen to" [F:3]. This, coupled with his extraordinary perception, makes him extremely powerful: "He is skillful in reflecting and listening and will alternately use god-like or ghost-like methods to gain [the desired information]" [B:9].
He knows how to assess people's capacities evaluate their potentials and and make full use of them. "After perceiving whether he is light or heavy on the scale and figuring out how to compensate the imbalance, the sage proceeds to make plan with him in mind. If he does not pass the scales or evaluation, the sage proceeds to make plans in spite of him" [A:8].
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"Making plans with him in mind" may not necessarily be exploitative. Either friend or foe, allies or enemies, he keeps them in mind as long as they measure up to something and are capable of making some difference. For those who do not make any difference, those who do not measure up to anything, a sage is quick to put them aside.
Also, Kuei Ku Tzu advised that when the situation is profitable, use to full advantage your strength. When the situation is harmful, avoid exposing your weakness"[I:20]. A sage, knowing himself as well as other people, makes full use of this knowledge: "The wise would not use his deficiency, but would use a fool's strength. He would not use what he is clumsy at, but would use what a fool is skilled at. This is why he is never trapped" [I:19].
This ability to safeguard himself, to free himself troubles is also an essential quality. "Even if I become capsized, I can easily turn over and not lose my bearings" [E:11].
Another concept which warrants our attention is "shepherding". In line with a sage's dealing with people, we see "all may be shepherded without overt intervention" [A:2] and that he "can use all these to shepherd people" [C:10]. The word in question is mu (牧). Literally, it means to pasture, to shepherd. But it has been used in various contexts to mean governing, especially as a magistrate looking after the well-being of the people.
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There are two-fold implications. On the one hand,there is the aspect of nurturing and looking after. In On the other hand, there is the aspect of controlling. In actual shepherding, the animal is allowed to wander about, but always within confinement and is rounded up and commanded when needed.
Thus is the sage's dealing with the situation and people. He is perceptive. He understands more than any one else does. He knows himself as well as the people he deals with. He is in command and in control of himself, of other people and the entire situation.
B. THE ROLE OF CH'ING IN PERSUASION
One of the most frequently used words in Kuei Ku Tzu is ch'ing (情). Depending on the context, it has been variously translated as feelings/emotions, information and situation. At certain appropriate points, it was rendered as "feel for the situation." Each of these represents one aspect of ch'ing, but, ch'ing is all these put together. Here is yet another example of the difficulty of conveying the rich Chinese image into a single English word. It is an important part in Kuei Ku Tzu's conception of persuation
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and is discussed widely throughout the entire book.
In this section, I will first illustrate the role of ch'ing in Kuei Ku Tzu's persuasion. And then, the methods of getting ch'ing.
1. The Importance of Ch'ing
How important is ch'ing in persuasion? To put it simply, ch'ing is the foundation of persuasion. Without some knowledge of the situation, the people involved and some sense of appropriateness, one cannot even begin to proceed.
As we have seen earlier, persuasion is an artificial process, not something that comes naturally, but something a person must design and contrive. Ch'ing is the basis for the design and contrivance. It provides the guidance in the pursuit of ways and means to reach the desired goal.
When people in Cheng (鄭) set out to search for jade, they always carried with them the south-pointing vehicle so that they would have no question [about directions]. Measuring strength, weighing ability and figuring out the feeling for the situation are the south-pointing vehicle in human affairs. [J:2]
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