文质彬彬·每日好词语｜心悦诚服

心悦诚服

心中喜悦而诚心服从。“心悦诚服”是以德服人的结果或表现。孟子认为，令他人服从于自己，不能依赖于对他人的强制要求，而应通过提升自身的道德修养来实现。一个人如果具有崇高的品德，那么他者出于对德行的认同与喜悦，自然会服从于有德者在思想或政治上的主张。

Be Completely Convinced and Follow Willingly

This term means to gladly and willingly follow someone by virtue of their moral character and conduct. Mencius believed that the proper way to convince others was not by forcing them to do something, but by demonstrating a high level of self-cultivation and morality. A person with high ethical standards will convince others, out of appreciation and regard, to accept his teachings or political ideas.

引例

以力服人者，非心服也，力不赡也；以德服人者，中心悦而诚服也，如七十子之服孔子也。（《孟子·公孙丑上》）（依靠强制力而使他人服从，他们并不是真心服从，而是力量不足以抗拒。通过德行而令人服从，他们是内心喜悦而诚心服从，就像是孔子的70余位弟子钦服孔子那样。）

Coercion can bring people in line not because they are willing, but because they do not have the strength to resist; it is virtue that will persuade others to gladly and willingly follow, just as in the case of Confucius' more than seventy disciples who followed him out of true respect. (Mencius)