Abstract: The idiom "three men make a tiger" originated from the historical records of "Strategies of the Warring States." It stems from the time when King Hui of Wei sent his crown prince as a "hostage" to the state of Zhao, accompanied by the prominent minister Pang Cong. Pang Cong, fearing that he might be falsely accused by political rivals after his departure, met with king of Wei before leaving. He used the story of "three men make a tiger" as an analogy, hoping that the king would not be swayed by rumors and would maintain his trust in him.
Keywords: common idiom, three men make a tiger, Pang Cong, Zengzi, rumors
Original article: 三人成虎
The story of "three men make a tiger," which involves fabricating something out of nothing and the confusion caused by rumors, logically shouldn't lead people to believe it. However, even Confucius' esteemed disciple Zengzi (Zeng Shen), who is historically referred to as the "Exhibitor of the Fundamental Principles of the Sage," and who authored classics such as the "Great Learning" and the "Classic of Filial Piety," was falsely accused of murder. This resulted in even his own mother believing that the accusation was true. Given this, the concept of "three men make a tiger" becomes less surprising.
Let's begin with the story of Zeng Shen...
Zengzi, often referred to as "Exhibitor of the Fundamental Principles of the Sage," was a compiler of essential Confucian texts such as the "Great Learning" and "Classic of Filial Piety." One day, consecutive individuals approached Zeng's mother claiming, "Zeng Shen has committed murder." Initially, Zeng's mother completely dismissed these allegations and continued to weave cloth as if nothing had happened.
However, not long after, a third person arrived, delivering the same claim, "Zeng Shen has committed murder." This time, Zeng's mother could no longer remain calm. She immediately dropped the shuttle she was using to weave and fled in panic over the wall.
The story of Zeng Shen, similar to the idiom "three men make a tiger," tests the highest level of "trust" between individuals...
Pang Cong advises the king: the origin of "three men make a tiger"
In the historical record "Strategies of the Warring States - Wei II: Pang Cong and the Crown Prince as Hostages in Handan," it is documented that King Hui of Wei sent his crown prince as a "hostage" to the state of Zhao, accompanied by the prominent minister Pang Cong.
What does the term "hostage" mean? During the Warring States period, states frequently annexed and attacked each other. To avoid being attacked by neighboring states, they often formed alliances and exchanged their crown princes as hostages to demonstrate their commitment to the alliance.
At that time, Wei and Zhao formed an alliance, and Wei's crown prince was sent to Zhao as a hostage.
Minister Pang Cong understood that accompanying the crown prince to Zhao meant he might be away from Wei for an indefinite period. He anticipated that his political rivals would defame him with various rumors during his absence. Pang Cong foresaw that he might be targeted by these political enemies. Therefore, before his departure, he spoke to King Hui of Wei and used the story of "three men make a tiger" as an analogy. Pang Cong posed the question to King Hui: "If someone were to report to you that there's a tiger in the marketplace, would you believe it?" The king responded, "No, I wouldn't."
Pang Cong continued: "What if a second person also reported seeing a tiger in the marketplace? Would you believe it then?" The king pondered and said, "I'd start to doubt."
Pang Cong proceeded: "And if a third person confirmed once again that there was a tiger in the marketplace, what would you believe?" The king responded, "I'd believe it."
Pang Cong then revealed: "In reality, how could a tiger appear in a bustling marketplace?" However, despite the story's implausibility, the king was swayed by the consistency of the claims made by three different individuals and eventually believed the fabricated tale. Therefore, Pang Cong implored the king: "The distance from Handan to Great Liang is much greater than that of the marketplace. In the future, people will accuse and slander me more than just three individuals. I beseech the king to discern the truth and not be misled by baseless rumors."
The king promised Pang Cong that he would not be misled by rumors.
However, when Pang Cong and the crown prince returned to Wei after the hostage period, the king remained influenced by prolonged rumors. He distanced himself from Pang Cong, no longer relying on him, thus forming the well-known story of " three men make a tiger."
In the present world, the scenario of " three men make a tiger" has become increasingly common, although ultimately the truth may be clarified. Nevertheless, even after the white fabric has been cleansed, it may still bear permanent stains and lasting damage.
The stories above remind us not to blindly follow others and to "listen to their words, observe their actions," as one's actions may serve as evidence to verify their words, which is one way to determine the authenticity of events.
Mastering idioms allows our speech to be elegant and rich in depth.
- While it's said that wise individuals can see through rumors, the influence of "three men make a tiger" might not be easily discernible by everyone.
- The widespread tale of "three men make a tiger" cautions against blindly following the crowd and believing rumors.
- Continual accusations and slander can lead to a "three men make a tiger" scenario, where something baseless is treated as fact.
Written by Bubu
Sponsored by Mei-Hua Hall