逆耳之言 Unpleasant words
Explanation
指那些虽然听起来不舒服,但却是出于好心,对人有益的劝告或批评。
Refers to advice or criticism that, while unpleasant to hear, is well-intentioned and beneficial to the recipient.
Origin Story
话说魏国有个叫齐桓公的国君，他有个大臣叫管仲，管仲为人正直，经常会向齐桓公提出一些逆耳的建议，虽然齐桓公有时听着不高兴，但后来证明管仲的建议都是为了国家好，所以齐桓公最终成就霸业，这其中管仲的逆耳忠言功不可没。还有一位明君唐太宗，他非常重视魏征的逆耳之言，并经常采纳，使得大唐盛世得以延续。而反观那些昏庸的君主，他们常常听信谗言，拒绝忠言，最终导致国家灭亡。可见，听得进逆耳之言，对于一个国家，一个领导者，都是至关重要的。
It is said that the ruler of the Wei state, Qi Huan Gong, had a minister named Guan Zhong. Guan Zhong was an upright man and often gave Qi Huan Gong unpleasant advice. Although Qi Huan Gong was sometimes unhappy about it, Guan Zhong's advice ultimately proved to be for the good of the country. Therefore, Qi Huan Gong eventually achieved hegemony, and Guan Zhong's unpleasant but loyal advice contributed to this. There was also a wise ruler, Tang Taizong, who highly valued Wei Zheng's unpleasant words and often adopted them, allowing the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty to continue. In contrast, foolish rulers often listened to flattery and rejected wise advice, ultimately leading to the demise of their country. It is clear that the ability to listen to unpleasant words is of utmost importance for a country and a leader.
Usage
用来形容那些虽然让人不舒服，但却是忠告和批评的话。
Used to describe words that, while unpleasant, are intended as advice and criticism.
Examples
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尽管逆耳之言听得不舒服，但它往往对我们有益。
jin guan ni er zhi yan ting de bu shu fu, dan ta wang wang dui women you yi.
Although unpleasant to hear, harsh words are often beneficial.
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他的批评虽然逆耳，却句句在理。
ta de piping sui ran ni er, quei ju ju zai li.
His criticism, while harsh, was spot on.