In the Ming dynasty in ancient China, there was a famous academician called Zhu Xi. Once, he got an illness in his feet which made walking difficult for him. At that time, the medical skills were not advanced enough so that even though the most famous doctors couldn’t heal him. Until one day, a certain Taoist gave him acupuncture and, amazingly, his feet healed! Feeling very happy, Zhu Xi presented him with much money and a poem to thank him. The poem told that this Taoist was very skilled in medicament and healed him.
As a celebrity, Zhu Xi made an ad for this Taoist, hoping that he could have more customers and heal more people. However, before long, the illness recurred to him and became more severe! Not until then did Zhu Xi knew that he just healed the symptoms temporarily instead of the illness itself.
Conscious of his being a cheat, Zhu Xi seeked for that Taoist in haste. Someone asked him, “Do you want to get the money back and get even with him?” Zhu Xi said, “No, I just want to get my poem back, in case he cheats more people with it.” Zhu Xi was such an academician as expected that he was so responsible for such a little ad.
Apart from the moral aspect, I think there are other two differences from this ancient ad and the modern ads. On one hand, Zhu Xi made this ad out of kindness instead of money, and it’s like a Public Service Ad. Withdrawing the ad or not didn’t make a big difference for him. But the celebrities today are well paid for advertising, and they will have a loss if they withdraw the ads so they will think twice even though he knows the ad is false. On the other hand, supposed that he didn’t withdraw his ad after knowing that the ad is false, his prentices would leave him immediately. But, it seems that fans in the modern time don’t care much about the ethics of their idols. Whatever they do, like drinking, drugging, cribbing, lip-synching, their fans worship them as always.
Do you think it’s worth reflecting?
As a celebrity, Zhu Xi made an ad for this Taoist, hoping that he could have more customers and heal more people. However, before long, the illness recurred to him and became more severe! Not until then did Zhu Xi knew that he just healed the symptoms temporarily instead of the illness itself.
Conscious of his being a cheat, Zhu Xi seeked for that Taoist in haste. Someone asked him, “Do you want to get the money back and get even with him?” Zhu Xi said, “No, I just want to get my poem back, in case he cheats more people with it.” Zhu Xi was such an academician as expected that he was so responsible for such a little ad.
Apart from the moral aspect, I think there are other two differences from this ancient ad and the modern ads. On one hand, Zhu Xi made this ad out of kindness instead of money, and it’s like a Public Service Ad. Withdrawing the ad or not didn’t make a big difference for him. But the celebrities today are well paid for advertising, and they will have a loss if they withdraw the ads so they will think twice even though he knows the ad is false. On the other hand, supposed that he didn’t withdraw his ad after knowing that the ad is false, his prentices would leave him immediately. But, it seems that fans in the modern time don’t care much about the ethics of their idols. Whatever they do, like drinking, drugging, cribbing, lip-synching, their fans worship them as always.
Do you think it’s worth reflecting?
Perfectly interesting and meaningful.Zhuxi post the advertise out of gratitude and withdrawed it for prevent the harm to others.I really appreciate Zhuxi for his wonderful character contrary to celebrities today who serve on ads.Honesty has been highlight for a couple of years. And the intendance from the media and public has been more serious.I believe the celebrities who perform at false ads will bear more pressure from the public.What the people have to think twice is the ethics of their own and others'.Pick up good moral characters and go ahead,everyone!
ReplyDeletePersonally, I feel that in whatever you do, you must stay true to yourself so that in the process you do not hurt yourself or others.
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