」仲曰：「可，然非聖人之道。
Can this be done?” “It can,” said Guan Zhong, “but this is not the way of the sages.” “What do you mean?” asked Lord Huan. “A short windlass, please note, cannot get water from a deep well, and people of limited knowledge cannot be made to understand the words of sages.
」桓公曰；「何也？
Intelligent men can participate in discussions of ordinary affairs; wise men can participate in discussions of an unlimited range of matters; and sages can participate in discussions of the most rarefied spiritual matters.
」對曰：「夫短綆不可以汲深井，知鮮不可以與聖人之言，慧士可與辨物，智士可與辨無方，聖人可與辨神明。
“The ways of sages cannot in general be grasped by the common run of people.
夫聖人之所為，非眾人之所及也。
When people know that others are ten times superior to themselves, they will still contest matters and say that the others’ views are inferior to their own; when they are surpassed a hundred times, they will pick out flaws and faults; and, when they are surpassed a thousand times, they will jeer and disbelieve.
民知十己，則尚與之爭，曰不如吾也，百己則疵其過，千己則誰而不信。
For this reason, the common run of people cannot be praised and esteemed but can only be herded together and nurtured; they cannot be treated harshly and killed but can only be beckoned and directed.
是故民不可稍而掌也，可並而牧也，不可暴而殺也，可麾而致也，眾不可戶說也，可舉而示也。」
You cannot speak with the masses house by house; you can, however, set up good examples for them all to see.”