Who can tell the difference between modesty and hypocrisy?

In the field of ethics, modesty has always been regarded as a virtue and should be advocated. On the other hand, hypocrisy has always been regarded as a bad habit and should be suppressed.

However, in fact, sometimes there is no clear distinction between the two, and it is impossible to make a difference. A little modesty will turn into hypocrisy. I think everyone will have this experience.

Among the ancient civilizations in the world, China is the first country that advocates modesty. In one of China's oldest classics, Shangshu Da Mo Yu, there has been a teaching that "fullness is harmful, modesty is beneficial, and time is heaven", which has raised complacency and modesty to the level of heaven, which is high. Since then, all the sages of past dynasties have been arrogant and modest, belittling complacency. Today, there are still a large number of words related to the word "modesty" in our common vocabulary, such as "modesty", "modesty", "modesty", "modesty" and so on, which shows that the word "modesty" has long been deeply rooted in people's hearts.

In my opinion, we should advocate sincere modesty and avoid hypocritical modesty, which is inseparable from hypocrisy.

But here we encounter a stumbling block: what is "sincere modesty"? What is "hypocritical modesty"? There is no obvious difference between the two. It can be said that it varies from person to person, from place to place and from time to time. It is difficult to master the correct proper limit.

The most prominent thing is that it is different from place to place. "Land" first refers to the East and the West. In the East, such as China and Japan, when you mention your own article or work, you must say it is "my poor work" or "my poor writing". You can't find equivalent words in western languages. What's more, there may even be misunderstandings. When people in China treat guests, they must say "clean and prudent" when sending invitations. Westerners who don't understand the oriental habits will be full of doubts: why only treat guests with "not rich banquets"? Japanese people often write the word "thick" when giving gifts, and westerners will ask: Why not send "fine"? In the west, teachers and friends must tell the truth as much as possible. If you say that there is only a little bit of this and a little bit of that, they will believe it, but not in the East. This can be dangerous sometimes. As for bragging, both East and West despise it, not to mention it.

But how to master this discretion? In my opinion, sincerity is the first criterion here. Being open-minded, if sincere, will promote your study and progress forever. Some people always "feel good about themselves", and such people are often not motivated. Kang Youwei is a famous example. He claimed that he had mastered all the knowledge in the world when he was 30 years old. It turns out that Kang Youwei is an innovator, not a scholar. Compared with the masters of the Gan family, even the masters in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, including his disciple Liang Qichao, he made no academic achievements.

In short, modesty is a virtue, but we must master the sense of proportion and pay attention to things. The modesty of the east covers a wide range and cannot be applied to the west. We must pay attention to it. However, whether East or West, we must be sincere. Deliberate modesty equals hypocrisy.