Humility and arrogance are two contrasting qualities, like water and fire, yin and yang, morning star and evening star. Arrogance, simply put, is pride and insolence towards superiors and subordinates; it's the tendency to think of the sky as insignificant, or even the heavens as small as a pot lid or a fig leaf.
Humility, for officials and the elite, means being unpretentious, simple, close to the people, and integrating into everyday life, from their speech to their affection and kindness. In the autumn – after the August Revolution and National Day on September 2nd – a group of young intellectuals organized a seminar on the topic "Close to the People – Respect the People." One morning, about twenty opinions were expressed – the majority were impromptu, not written, but rather delivered spontaneously. They cleverly explained that President Ho Chi Minh was the great leader of the Party, the class, and the nation, a model of "respecting the people" and "being close to the people." The discussion highlighted examples of Confucian scholars, writers, journalists, and political commentators such as Xuan Thuy, Thep Moi, and Hong Ha… who were close to the people, engaging with their lives, as reflected in their works about the people's lives.
Xuan Thuy was a respected leader of the Party, a talented diplomat , an outstanding journalist, and a poet. In his poem "To Comrade Xuan Thuy," written when he led the delegation of the Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam at the Paris Conference on Vietnam (1968-1973), the poet Song Hong depicted Xuan Thuy's talent, virtue, and unwavering confidence: "Every week a fierce battle / Months pass without a single game of chess finished / Firmly grasping the strategy for victory / He calmly strolls through the garden of poetry." In Paris, Xuan Thuy took the opportunity to meet with Vietnamese expatriates, elderly people, and children, listening to their heartfelt stories about the times, the country, and their homeland. He was particularly pleased with the bright and diligent Vietnamese expatriate student Nguyen Thu Thuy, and his simple, humble poem conveyed: "I am the vibrant Xuan Thuy / You are the bright and clear Thu Thuy / Tomorrow we will return to visit the Red River / We will meet again, rejoicing in our shared homeland."
Thép Mới was a talented writer and journalist. Before 1975, he was in charge of the Giải Phóng newspaper, and after 1975, he was the Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Nhân Dân newspaper – directly under the Central Committee of the Communist Party. He was the author of the famous essay "The Vietnamese Bamboo Tree," which many generations of students memorized. Everyday stories recount many touching events about Thép Mới's simplicity and unpretentiousness. If he didn't have time to eat, he would happily go down to the sidewalk with the rickshaw drivers and grab a bowl of noodles, porridge, or fertilized duck eggs, and then chuckle, "Delicious!" Before thousands of people, Thép Mới would borrow poems by Xuân Diệu and essays by Nguyễn Tuân… to discuss life and work. Occasionally, he would go down to the classroom, visiting each row of desks to inquire, share his thoughts, and inspire young people in his profession – a truly memorable and endearing experience.
On July 20th and 21st, 2023, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim visited Vietnam. He leads a simple, unpretentious life. Observing him enjoying the local cuisine , visiting the Hanoi book market, stopping to shake hands and greet anyone, and attending a panel discussion with the press and businesses at a 5-star hotel by Truc Bach Lake in Hanoi, one of his remarks was: “I respect Ho Chi Minh; his works have been translated and will be available in Malaysia.” Leaving the podium, the Prime Minister from the Muslim country went down to the seats to greet and chat with everyone, comfortably inviting them to take commemorative photos.
Let's not dwell further on the unassuming and unpretentious nature of politicians like Xuan Thuy, Thep Moi... and more recently, the Prime Minister of a neighboring country during his official visit to Vietnam. It suddenly occurred to me that those who are arrogant, bureaucratic, distant from the people, and treat the heavens with contempt – so prevalent everywhere – might feel the need to cultivate certain qualities in their character and public service ethics.
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