Yanzi, the prime minister of Qi, once went out in his carriage. The driver’s wife watched from a crack in the door. She saw her husband sitting tall under the canopy, cracking his whip, looking immensely proud of himself.
When he returned home, she asked for a divorce. Shocked, he demanded to know why.
She replied, “Yanzi is less than six feet tall, yet he is the prime minister, renowned among all states. Today I saw him—humble, thoughtful, and deeply wise. But you, eight feet tall, are merely a driver—and yet you act as if you have already attained greatness. I am ashamed.”
Her words struck him like a thunderbolt. From that day on, he became modest and restrained.
Yanzi noticed the change and asked the driver what had happened. After hearing the truth, Yanzi praised his willingness to improve and recommended him for a higher post.
True nobility is not measured by rank, but by character. Humility is the beginning of wisdom, and the courage to accept correction is the path to growth.