A gentleman can live in harmony with others but does not blindly follow them, always adhering to his own independent views and principles.
“君子能够与人和谐共处，然而不会盲目跟从他人，始终坚守自己的独立见解与原则。”
A petty person, however, often out of self-interest or some ulterior motive, outwardly agrees with others, appearing to support and flatter them.
而小人常常出于自身利益或某种目的，在表面上与他人保持一致，做出赞同与迎合的姿态，
But in reality, there is no sincerity in their hearts; they may even harbor thoughts of intrigue and mutual scheming."
但实际上内心毫无真诚可言，或许还存在着勾心斗角、互相算计的心思。
During the Warring States period, Su Qin and Zhang Yi were both students of Guiguzi, but they had different political views.
战国时期，苏秦和张仪同为鬼谷子的学生，但二人政治观点不同。
Su Qin advocated for the strategy of 'He Zong' (Uniting the Vertical) to unite the six states against the powerful Qin.
苏秦主张合纵，联合六国对抗强大的秦国；
"Zhang Yi, on the other hand, promoted 'Lian Heng' (Uniting the Horizontal), persuading the states to ally with Qin."
张仪则主张连横，劝说各国依附秦国。
Although they held different stances and even became strategists for opposing factions, they maintained mutual respect in their personal interactions, embodying the spirit of 'A gentleman seeks harmony but not uniformity.'
虽然两人立场不同，甚至成为敌对阵营的策士，但在私人交往中，他们依然保持了彼此的尊重，体现了‘君子和而不同’的精神。
Zhao Gao was an eunuch during the Qin Dynasty who, after Emperor Qin Ershi (Hu Hai) ascended to the throne, wielded immense power.
赵高是秦朝时期的一位宦官，他在秦二世胡亥即位后，权倾朝野。
In order to consolidate his power, Zhao Gao outwardly flattered Hu Hai’s desires while secretly manipulating the court, eliminating loyal ministers.
为了巩固自己的权力，赵高一方面表面上迎合胡亥的意愿，另一方面暗中操纵朝政，排除异己，陷害忠臣。
The most famous story is 'Calling a Deer a Horse,' where Zhao Gao pointed to a deer and called it a horse in front of the court.
最著名的故事是‘指鹿为马’，他在朝堂上指着鹿说是马。
The officials, out of fear of Zhao Gao’s power, did not dare to contradict him.
大臣们因为畏惧赵高的权势，不敢反对。
This is a typical example of 'A petty person seeks uniformity but not harmony.'
这是‘小人同而不和’的典型例子。”
'A gentleman seeks harmony but not uniformity; a petty person seeks uniformity but not harmony'—this phrase is from the Analects of Confucius.
‘君子和而不同，小人同而不和’ 这句话出自《论语》。
