Heed Wise Counsel
Updated 2026-08-22
INTRODUCTION
English translation pending.
CORE DEFINITION
From Zhuge Liang's memorial to the throne, which urges the ruler to consult good counsel and accept honest words. The model addresses the information filter that power creates: subordinates report what pleases the leader, so accurate feedback disappears unless it is deliberately sought. The qualification is that seeking counsel is empty unless the person who spoke up is protected and the advice changes something.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
Reduce cognitive load
- Use Safety Signal: state publicly that dissent is welcome before asking for it. - Use Follow-Through: act visibly on at least one uncomfortable piece of advice so others see it counts.
Anchor fast decisions
Advice flows toward whoever can punish the giver, so subordinates optimise for the leader's reaction rather than for accuracy. Because the leader cannot observe what was withheld, the degradation is invisible from the top, and only a deliberate, protected channel restores the missing information.
MINIMUM ACTION
In progress 0/1Practice this model in one real situation:
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Source support: Explicit
- zh.wikipedia.orghttps://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%87%BA%E5%B8%88%E8%A1%A8verified
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