Gumanjusan

The idiom “狗猛酒酸” (dog is fierce and the wine becomes sour) is an old saying that means “If the dog is fierce, the wine becomes sour.” This saying comes from the story that no matter how good the wine is brewed and how honestly the business is conducted, if the dog in front of the house is fierce, customers will not come, the wine will not sell, and eventually the wine will become sour. This old saying is a story from the Song Dynasty during the Spring and Autumn Period of China and is recorded in the “Waizhuseol” section of “Han Feizi” (韓非子).

 

This idiom is used metaphorically to mean that if there are traitors in the country, good subjects will not gather. In other words, no matter how great the policies and intentions of a leader or the head of an organization are, if there are traitors or vicious people around them, good and capable people will not come near them, and eventually the organization or country will not be run properly.

 

Through this story, Han Feizi emphasized that the ruler should carefully observe the people around him, keep away from traitors, and create an environment where virtuous subjects can approach him. In this context, the saying “Gu Meng Zhu Shan” is also used as a warning that if a leader in an organization or society does not manage his close associates well, talented people will leave, and eventually the entire organization will decline.