《史记》中记载着这样一段故事：

魏文侯想为自己提拔一位相国，目前有两个人选都不错（魏成子与翟璜），不知道该选哪一个。

于是他找来谋士李克，对他说：〝有句谚语说‘家贫思良妻，国乱思良将’，现在我们魏国正是处在‘国乱’这个状态，我迫切需要一位又有本事、又贤良的相国来辅助我啊。魏成子和翟璜这两个人都不错，我一时也拿不定主意，你说说他们两个到底哪个强一些？〞

李克并不直接回答魏文侯的话，却说：〝大王，您下不了决心，是因为您平时对他们的考察不够。〞魏文侯急忙问：〝怎么考察？有何标准吗？〞李克说：〝当然有，我认为考察一个人的标准应该是：

通，观其所礼

一个人发达了，要看他是否还谦虚谨慎、彬彬有礼、遵守规则。

贵，观其所进

一个人地位高了，要看他推荐什么人。他提拔什么样的人，他就是什么样的人。

富，观其所养

一个人有钱了，要看他怎么花钱，给谁花，花在什么地方。人穷的时候节俭不乱花钱，那是资源和形势造就的；人富了以后还能保持节俭，才是品行的体现。

居，观其所亲

看一个人平常都与谁在一起：如与贤人亲，则可重用，若与小人为伍，就要当心。

听，观其所行

听完一个人的话，要看他是不是那样去做的。不怕说不到，就怕他说了做不到。

止，观其所好

通过一个人的爱好，能看出这个人的本质。

习，观其所言

第一次跟一个人见面的时候，他说的话不算什么。等相处得久了，再听听他跟你说什么，是不是跟当初一致，跟当初的差别越大，人品越不好！

穷，观其所不受

人穷没关系，穷而不占小便宜，这样的人本质好。

贱，观其所不为

人地位低没关系，不卑不亢，保持自己的尊严，这样的人本质特好。

魏文侯听后以上标准说：〝好了，您休息去吧，我明白该怎么做了。〞

李克拜别大王出来后正好遇见了翟璜，翟璜问道：〝听说魏文侯找您商量谁做相国的事情，决定了没？〞李克说：〝决定了，魏成子为相国。〞

翟璜气不过，愤愤地说：〝我哪里不如魏成子？大王缺西河太守，我把西门豹推荐给他；大王要攻打中山这个地方，我就推举了乐羊；大王的儿子没有师傅，我就推荐屈侯鲋，结果是：西河大治，中山攻克，王世子品德日增，我为什么不能做相国呢？〞

李克说：〝你怎么能比得上魏成子呢？魏成子的俸禄，百分之九十都用来罗致人才，所以卜夏子、用于方、段千本三人都从国外应募而来。他把这三个人推荐给大王，大王以师相待。而你所推荐的人，不过是魏文侯的臣仆，又怎么和魏成子相比呢？〞

翟璜想了半天，愧然失色，说：〝您是对的，我的确比不上魏成子。〞

果然，魏文侯让魏成子做了相国。

其实可以从三个人身上学到一些道理：

从李克身上学到了考察人才科学方法；

从魏成子身上学到了，虽享有俸禄千种，但十分之九用于为国家招贤（荐才举贤）；

从翟璜身上学到了，有自知之明，识轻识重。

《史记》可谓是：世代永传的史学经典、安身经世的谋略宝库！

——转自《〝史记〞微信ID：shiji234》

 How to Evaluate a Person’s Character?
                                                       Yi Ming  

Wei Wen Hou, i.e., Marquess Wen of Wei, wanted to pick his right-arm man from two candidates, namely Wei Cheng-Zi and Di Huang. But he was having trouble in making a decision.

So, he turned to his strategist Li Ke. He said: "There is a saying that a poor family needs a good wife, and a chaotic kingdom needs a good general. Now our kingdom is in a chaotic state and I have an urgent need of a capable person to assist me.  Between Wei Cheng-Zi and Di Huang, which one do you think is better?” Li Ke said:” You are having difficulty in making a decision because you did not observe them well.”
Wen Hou asked:  “What standards do you use to observe people?”
Li Ke said: “My standards of observing people are:

1. When someone is prosperous, observe how he behaves.  Does he still abide proper rules?

2. When he is a high ranking official, what kind of people does he recommend?  Whomever he recommends will be just like him.

3. When he becomes rich, how does he spend his money? Whom he spend the money on?  People are thrifty when they are poor; when they are rich, they are as careful in spending their money –that is the real measure of their character.

4. What kind of people does he associate with?  If he likes to be with gentlemen, that is good; if he chooses to be with villains, look out!

5. Does he keep his promises? Watch his behavior, words are cheap, and it is actions that really matter.

6. What does he like? We can know a person from his hobbies or collections etc.

7. Listen to what he said when the first time you met him. After you know him well, does he express more or less the same opinions?
-----the greater the difference means the greater the concern.

 
8. He can be poor, as long as he does not take advantages of other.

9. It is ok to be in a lower social status, as long as he can keep his dignity.

After listening to Li Ke, Wen Hou said, “Ok, you can go, and now I can make my decision.”

Li Ke met Di Huang after he left Wen Hou.  Di said, “I heard you were discussing about who would be the right arm for the Majesty. Who got picked?”
“ Wei Cheng Zi.”

Di Huang was very angry:  “Why wasn’t I chosen?  I am just as good as Wei Cheng Zi. Every time, Wen Hou needed someone, I recommended a good person, when the prince needed a good teacher, and when the kingdom needed a good general……”

Li Ke said: “Wei Cheng Zi spent 90% of his salary to recruit talents to serve this kingdom, even from outside the kingdom, and Wen Hou admired them; all the people you recommended are Wen Hou’s own subjects.  How can you compare yourself with Wei Cheng Zi?”

Di Huang pondered for a while and said; “You are right, I am not as good as Wei Cheng Zi.”

Wei Wen Hou did pick Wei Cheng Zi and eventually became the ruler of Wei.