"Once Confucius was walking on the mountains and he came across a woman weeping by a grave. He asked the woman what here sorrow was, and she replied, We are a family of hunters. My father was eaten by a tiger. My husband was bitten by a tiger and died. And now my only son! Why don't you move down and live in the valley? Why do you continue to live up here? asked Confucius. And the woman replied, But sir, there are no tax collectors here! Confucius added to his disciples, You see, a bad government is more to be feared than tigers."

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Source: Lin Yutang (1937). “The Importance of Living”

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Lin Yutang

Writer

Lin Yutang was a Chinese writer and philosopher known for his works that blend Eastern and Western thought, particularly in 'The Importance of Living'.

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