A Chinese painting features a hermit enjoying beautiful and serene natural surroundings.

A successful businessman who asked to remain anonymous told the media that he would not welcome too great a reputation for wealth because it wouldn't be good for his business. He also said many of his friends, who are also rich people, share his attitude.

Keeping a low profile even when highly successful seems to be a traditional idea among Chinese people. There are many such examples in the history of the country.

Virtuous Hermits

Hermits have always been respected people in China. In most literary and historical accounts hermits are smart, knowledgeable and noble. But what wins them particular respect is their refusal of the high status provided by the emperor and their willing to stay anonymous in the villages or mountains. Chinese people respect their low profile, seeing it as beautiful, like the lives of the crane and the tree pine that live by themselves.

Bo Yi and Shu Qi are the best example. The two brothers are most the famous historical examples, though they lived about 3,000 years ago, at the end of the Shang Dynasty (16th-11th c. BC).

The brothers were sons of a king named Guzhu. The old king planned for his son to succeed to the throne, but, facing this golden opportunity, neither of the two were willing to accept it, for they both thought the other would be the more suitable choice to be king. In the end they both fled from their hometown to avoid the throne.

This may be the most famous example of ancient people refusing fame, but such behavior has consistently been considered meritorious in China.

Laozi, the creator of Taoism, said that after achievement and fame, it is time to retire.

Most Chinese people, especially scholars, sought to follow Laozi's suggestion. Chinese scholars' most beautiful dream is to live in the village after retirement with the plum tree for a wife and the crane for a child. Or to be like Tao Yuanming, a poet of the Jin Dynasty (265-420), who, after retiring from high office, just planted chrysanthemums and enjoyed the mountains everyday. This lifestyle is favoured by most people.

People choose retirement, because they are smart. There are many examples of people coming to a bad end because they didn't retire as early as possible.

A common Chinese proverb says that the big tree is more easily blown down by the wind. Another saying is more interesting but expresses the same meaning: people should avoid high fame just as a pig should avoid becoming fat. Chinese people believe that the leading bird will be shot first, the rafters that jut out will rot first.

People may note the case of actress Liu Xiaoqing, the famous actress, who won several State film awards due to her great talent. She was arrested last month after being accused of large-scale tax evasion.

Some commentators said there are a lots of actors and actresses evading tax in China, yet they are still safe, whilst Liu was picked up. The reason, most people believe, is that Liu is always in the media spotlight, or, in other words, she has gained too much of a reputation for her own good.

If she had kept a lower profile, she wouldn't have been selected as the first film star to be arrested. People saw her as the leading bird, or the rafter that jutted out.

Restrained Creativity

So keep a low profile and you will be safe. For the individual this may be a smart way ensuring self-protection, but for the whole society it will scarcely be conducive to national improvement.

Having held such ideas for hundreds - even thousands - of years, Chinese elders are used to smiling at young people's enthusiasm for revolution or creation. The Chinese also have the habit of sneering at people who launch revolutions, making irresponsible and sarcastic remarks about them.

Lin Yutang (1895-1976), the famous writer, said in his English book "My Country and my People", a book about the character of Chinese, life, culture, politics and art, that "to withdraw from the world is a passive way of self-protection just like a tortoise who cultivates its shell".

The writer said this attitude is not the essential nature of Chinese people, but the fruit of traditional culture and politics.

In ancient societies, the political atmosphere was never healthy for people who wanted to do something creative.

During the Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 220) scholars threw themselves actively into politics, even criticizing the emperors and the powerful eunuchs who surrounded them. Without the protection of the law, however, they were subject to a crackdown by the eunuchs.

During the years 166-169, 200 or 300 brave scholars, often together with their whole families, were killed, sent into exile or imprisoned. After that, scholars withdrew from the world, and started pursuing wine, woman, poems and mysterious things.

The trend may have lasted up to the period of the Wei (386 - 581) and Jin (1115-1234) dynasties, during which times scholars never attended to politics, but enjoyed alcohol and discussion a lot. They considered themselves to be smart and fashionable. As can be imagined, the dynasties failed quickly.

(Shanghai Star October 4, 2002)