2024年12月讀完了《君主論》，雖然對於書中馬基維利闡述的歷史事件和人物不熟悉，但仍能透過他的舉例來理解，他心中理想的君主應該是什麼樣貌，而這也啟發了身為現代凡人的我，尤其是第二十三章「如何避開馬屁精」的內容，覺得十分受用。
I finished reading The Prince in December 2024. Although I am not familiar with the historical events and figures that Machiavelli discusses, his examples still helped me grasp his vision of the ideal ruler. What struck me the most—especially as an ordinary modern person—was Chapter 23, Avoiding flatterers, which I found particularly insightful.
朝廷中比比皆是的馬屁精。人難免對自己的事感到洋洋得意，因此流於自我陶醉，很難抵抗這種瘟疫，試圖抵抗卻會遭遇被人輕視的風險。之所以如此，因為防範諂媚只有一個方法：讓人們明白，對你說真話並不會得罪你；然而，一旦人人都對你說真話，你就得不到普遍的尊重了。
I’m talking about flatterers.
Courts are always full of them and men are so ready to congratulate themselves on their achievements and to imagine
themselves more successful than they are that it is hard not
to fall into this error. Then if you do try to defend yourself from flatterers you run the risk of having people despise you.
Because the only way to guard against flattery is to have
people understand that you don’t mind them telling you the
truth. But when anyone and everyone can tell you the truth,
you lose respect.
明智的君主應該採取第三個辦法，就是選擇明智的人當他的大臣，只允許那些大臣擁有對他說真話的自由，而且只許回答他的詢問，其他人或其他話題都不允許。除了這些人以外，他不應該聽別人的意見，而且應該堅持下了決定就貫徹到底。除非這麼做，否則要不是因奉承話而受害，就是因朝三暮四而舉棋不定，讓人家瞧不起。
So the sensible ruler must find a middle way, choosing
intelligent men for ministers and giving them and only them
the right to tell him the truth, and only on the issues he asks about, not in general. However, the ruler should ask his ministers about everything and listen to their opinions, then make up his mind on his own, following his own criteria. In responding to these advisers, as a group or separately, he should make it clear that the more openly they speak, the
more welcome their advice will be. After which, he shouldn’t
take advice from anyone else, but get on with whatever has
been decided and be firm in his decisions. Try a different
approach and you’ll either be ruined by flatterers or change your mind so often listening to everyone’s opinions that
people will lose their respect for you.
君主應該時常徵詢意見，但是要掌握原則──是他要聽，而不是別人要說給他聽。除非他自己主動問起，否則不應該允許任何人進言獻策。但是他一定要不恥下問，並且耐心傾聽相關事情的真相，但是千萬不能縱容對方不說實話，不論是任何人基於任何理由都一樣。
So a ruler must always take advice, but only when he wants
it, not when others want to give it to him. In fact he should
discourage people from giving him advice unasked. On the
other hand he should ask a great deal and listen patiently
when an adviser responds truthfully. And if he realizes someone is keeping quiet out of fear, he should show his irritation.
有許多人認為，被譽為明智的君主之所以博得明智的美稱，並不是因為他本人明智，而是因為他身邊的人提供忠言嘉謨。這個看法大謬不然。有個顛撲不破的通則：不明智的君主不可能虛心接納建言，除非有那麼湊巧的事，他把政務完全交給一個碰巧事事智慮超群的人。在這種情況下，他的確有可能把國家治理好，但是不可能持續多久，因為幫他出主意的那個人在短時間內就會篡奪他的權力。
Many people think that when a ruler has a reputation for
being sensible it’s thanks to the good advice he’s getting from
his ministers and not because he’s shrewd himself. But they’re
wrong. There’s a general and infallible rule here: that a leader
who isn’t sensible himself can never get good advice, unless
he just happens to have put the government entirely in the
hands of a single minister who turns out to be extremely
shrewd. In this case he may well get good advice, but the
situation won’t last long because the minister will soon grab
the state for himself.
不明智的君主永遠不可能協調進而彙整出自己的看法。每一個出主意的人都只想到自己的利益，不明智的君主既沒有能力加以糾正，也沒有能力辨明是非。情況必然如此，因為別人總是不可能對你真誠，除非為形勢所逼不得不表現好的一面。
If on the other hand he’s taking advice
from more than one person, an ingenuous ruler will find
himself listening to very different opinions and won’t know
how to make sense of them. Each of his advisers will be
thinking of his own interests and the ruler won’t be able to
control them or even sense what’s going on. It’s not a case of finding better ministers; men will always be out to trick you
unless you force them to be honest.
忠言嘉謨，不論是誰提出來的，必定源自君主的智慧，而不是君主的智慧源自忠言嘉謨。
In conclusion: a ruler isn’t
smart because he’s getting proper advice; on the contrary, it’s
his good sense that makes the right advice possible.
君主要怎麼避免馬屁精亂事，其中一個要點是，是你要聽，而不是臣子在你沒問時主動餵訊息給你。如此才能建立自己的看法。這在公司也是堪用。
One key lesson on avoiding flatterers is that a ruler must actively listen rather than passively receive unsolicited information from advisors. This way, they can form their own judgments. The same principle applies in the workplace.
剛巧最近時常觀察到公司某主管總會主動向高層獻想法，我不清楚高層會不會對於他提供的訊息皆買單，但我想若是有智慧的高層，應該會去思考，為什麼這個人要主動跟我說這些？
Coincidentally, I recently noticed a certain manager in my company frequently offering unsolicited ideas to senior executives. I am not sure whether the executives fully buy into his suggestions, but if they are wise, they should ask themselves: Why is this person telling me these things?
雖然我不是在高位的人，但我也經常會想，這個人跟我說這些是基於什麼利益考量呢？畢竟會驅使一個人展開行為的動力絕對與自身利益攸關。
Although I am not in a position of power, I often ask myself a similar question—What personal interest drives this person to say these things to me? After all, every action is ultimately motivated by self-interest.
遲來的啟蒙 Start From Here Now 