More Than Just Zongzi: What Qu Yuan Teaches Us About Communication

Bruno Huang 黃鼎翰 / 老黑
5月31日
讀畢需時 5 分鐘

已更新：6月9日

屈原教我們的溝通課

Every year during the Dragon Boat Festival, we gather to eat zongzi and watch dragon boat races. The atmosphere is festive and warm. But behind the celebration lies a deeply emotional story—one that speaks volumes about the power and the pain of communication. It’s the story of Qu Yuan. 每年端午節，我們吃粽子、看龍舟比賽，慶祝的氣氛熱鬧又溫馨。但你知道嗎？這個節日背後，其實藏著一個和「溝通」有關的悲傷故事——那就是屈原的故事。

Loyal Words That Fell on Deaf Ears

Qu Yuan was a high-ranking minister in the ancient state of Chu. Passionate and patriotic, he frequently offered advice to the king, hoping to save his country. Sadly, his honesty wasn’t appreciated. Instead, jealous courtiers slandered him, and the king, rather than listening, banished him.

His story isn’t too far from what happens in modern workplaces.

For example, I once coached a company where a senior employee, let's call him Jack, pointed out flaws in a product design and proposed improvements. Instead of being appreciated, his manager brushed him off: “Are you just trying to stir up trouble? We've been doing this for years.” After that, Jack stopped speaking up and just went through the motions each day.

This is what a communication breakdown looks like—when good intentions are misunderstood, it leads to frustration, silence, and eventually, disconnection. 忠言逆耳？屈原的話沒人想聽

屈原是古代楚國的大臣，他愛國又有想法，經常向國王進言。但可惜的是，他的誠意和建議，沒被聽進去，反而被其他官員誣賴說他居心叵測。國王不但不信他，還把他放逐了。

屈原的處境，跟很多職場上的情況很像。

有一次我輔導一家公司，裡面有個資深員工，看出公司的產品設計有問題，提出改進建議。結果主管只說：「你是不是想找麻煩？我們都已經做很久了。」阿傑後來乾脆不說了，結果產品被太多消費者抱怨，最終走向倒閉。

這就是一種「溝通斷線」的情況。明明出發點是好意，卻因為不被理解、被誤會，讓人失望、甚至放棄。

Silence Doesn’t Mean You Have Nothing to Say

Even after being exiled, Qu Yuan didn’t stop expressing himself. He poured his thoughts and emotions into poetry, with his most famous work being Li Sao. He never gave up on communication—he just changed how he communicated.

In the workplace, many quiet or introverted individuals are the same. They have valuable ideas, but past experiences of being ignored have taught them to stay silent.

不說不代表沒話，只是覺得沒用

屈原雖然被放逐，還是寫了很多詩，像《離騷》，把他對國家的感情和無奈寫了下來。他其實沒有放棄說話，只是換了一種方式。

很多職場上比較內向的人，也是這樣。他們不吵不鬧，但其實心裡很有想法，只是「說了也沒人理」的經驗太多次，慢慢地就選擇不說了。

A friend of mine, Wen, worked as a designer. She often came up with creative campaigns, but her boss only cared about numbers, not long-term brand value. One day, she proposed an event to boost brand image and was shut down with: “We don’t have time for that kind of fluff.” After that, she stopped sharing and eventually left the company.

This isn’t rare. It happens in many teams:

Speak up, and you're dismissed. Stay quiet, and resentment builds. Over time, the whole team loses its voice.

有位設計師朋友，常常有創意提案，但老闆只看業績、不看品質。有一次她提出一個能強化品牌形象的活動企劃，卻被回一句：「現在沒有空做這些花樣。」後來她就不再多說，選擇離職。後來成為另一家公司的設計總監，設計大受好評。

這不是個案，而是很多人都會遇到的問題：

說了，被打槍；不說，又憋在心裡。久而久之，整個團隊就會失去溝通的活力。

From Tragedy to Tradition:

What Are We Really Celebrating?

Qu Yuan eventually drowned himself in the Miluo River. Yet today, we remember him with sticky rice dumplings and dragon boat races—not to mourn, but to honor his spirit.

It’s fascinating how a tragedy became a celebration, and how regret turned into remembrance. In a way, the Dragon Boat Festival represents a collective attempt to make peace with a voice that was once ignored.

從悲劇變成節日，傳遞的是什麼？

屈原最後投江，結束生命。但千年後的我們，用粽子和龍舟紀念他，不讓他被遺忘。

一個悲劇，變成了節日；

一種遺憾，變成了團圓。

從某種角度來看，這就是一種「晚來的理解與修補」。

We can bring that same spirit into the workplace. I’ve seen managers who, after facing crises, finally realize the value of previously ignored team members. They start listening more, opening up conversations, and fostering healthier communication.

One CEO I know turned his company around during a downturn—because he finally acted on a frontline employee’s suggestion to pivot to a new product. That decision not only saved the business but also reignited the team’s trust and sense of purpose.

在職場上，我們也可以學會這樣的轉換。例如有些主管，後來才發現當初沒聽進的員工建議，其實是對的。他們開始改變做法，更願意傾聽與開放對話。

一位我認識的企業老闆，在一次經營危機中，終於聽進一位基層員工的建議，開啟新的產品線，不但讓公司起死回生，也讓團隊開始有了「說話的空間」。

Rejection Isn’t Always About You

Qu Yuan’s story reminds us not to let truth-tellers become martyrs. But it also teaches us this:

Sometimes, not being heard isn’t your fault.

It might simply mean you’re on the wrong stage.

Don’t lose heart—you might just need a different setting or a better team to shine.

We don’t need to sacrifice ourselves to be heard.

The real art of communication is saying the right thing, in the right place, at the right time, to the right people.

被拒絕，未必是你的問題

屈原的故事提醒我們，不要讓「說真話的人」變成悲劇。

但也讓我們知道一件事：