To be selfless and devoted to public interests, putting collective good above personal considerations and forgetting one's own private affairs.
Era:
Ancient
Frequency:
Synonym:
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Story:
During the Spring and Autumn period, Duke Ping of Jin sought a capable person to serve as the magistrate of Nanyang County. He consulted his official, Qi Huangyang, asking him to recommend a suitable candidate.
Unexpectedly, Qi Huangyang, disregarding his past grievances, recommended his own enemy, Xie Hu. On another occasion, when Duke Ping needed a brave and skilled commander for the army, Qi Huangyang strongly recommended his own son, Qi Wu, without any concern for what others might say.
Regardless of whether the person had a good or bad relationship with him, Qi Huangyang would generously recommend anyone who was suitable, and his recommendations always proved to be excellent choices.
Later, Confucius heard about this and praised Qi Huangyang, stating that he recommended talent purely based on a person's ability and virtue, without considering if the individual was an adversary or his own son. He truly exemplified the spirit of putting public interests before personal ones.