Being amiable and easily approachable is a type of virtue. It is a manifestation of one's high moral accomplishment; it is also being respectful of others. People respect and like to be around this kind of person, and they are willing to comply with him.

Duke Dan of the Zhou Dynasty was King Wu's (also of the Zhou Dynasty) younger brother. In the first year of the Western Zhou Dynasty (1046 –  771 BC), Duke Dan's eldest son Boqin was granted the Kingdom of Lu and became the King of Lu. It wasn’t until three years after Boqin began his rule of the Kingdom of Lu that he went back to report to the Duke about his rule. The Duke asked him, "Why did it take you so long to report?" Boqin said, "I was changing the customs of the Kingdom of Lu and transforming their etiquette. It took me three years to eliminate the old customs. That's why it took me so long."

At that time, Jiang Ziya, the prime minister, was granted the Kingdom of Qi. In only five months after Jiang Ziya went to rule his kingdom, he came back to report to the Duke about his rule. The Duke asked him, "Why have you returned so quickly?" Jiang Ziya replied, "I simplified the formality between the ruler and the ministers and governed the Kingdom according to their customs."

Jiang Ziya later heard about Boqin's report to the Duke. He sighed, "The Kingdom of Lu's descendants will submit in the future to its northern neighbor, the Kingdom of Qi! If the way of ruling is not simplified, the people will not be willing to be close to their ruler. If one is amiable and easy to approach, the people will certainly be willing to submit to him."
As matter of fact, this not only applies to ruling a country, it also applies to dealing with people and doing things in general. If one behaves as Boqin, only wanting to change others to the point of arrogance and seeing himself as better than others, who then would want to be close to him? This will inevitably isolate him. On the other hand, if one is amiable and easy to approach and respects others with a humble and mild manner instead of arrogance, people will naturally be happy to be near him and willing to listen to him.  This is why Jiang Ziya said that the Kingdom of Lu would submit to the Kingdom of Qi in the future.

平易近人　人必亲之

在神传文化中，平易近人是一种美德，是一种有修养和德行的表现，也是对他人的尊重，人们都尊重和喜欢亲近这种人，并喜欢听从于他。

周公旦是周武王的弟弟，西周初年，周公旦的儿子伯禽被封在鲁国，这就是鲁公。伯禽到了封地鲁国三年后，才来向周公报告执政的情况。周公问他：「为甚么这么迟呢？」伯禽说：「改变那里的习俗，变革那里的礼仪，三年后才能去除，所以来的这么晚。」
当时姜子牙被封于齐国，他五个月后就来向周公旦报告执政的情况。周公旦说：「为甚么这么快呢？」姜子牙回答说：「我简化了君臣间的礼节，遵从那里的习俗办事。」

姜子牙后来听说了伯禽报告政事迟缓一事，叹息道：「唉！鲁国的后代要向北方的齐国臣服了！政事不简化，百姓就不会亲近，能够平易近民，百姓必然会归附于他。」

其实不仅在治理国家方面，在为人处事和与人交往方面也是同样的道理，假如像伯禽那样只想改变别人，只想让别人听命于自己，甚至一副盛气凌人、咄咄逼人、傲岸不群的样子，有谁会心甘情愿的接受和亲近你呢？这无疑将自己孤立了起来。反之，能够平易近人，不摆架子，尊重别人，谦逊温和，这样人们自然都会喜欢亲近和听从于你。

平易近人，人必亲之；盛气凌人，大摆架子，人必远之。这就是姜子牙敢断言鲁国将来必将臣服于齐国的原因。