In the course of his discussion of the journalists’ revolt at the Washington Post, Jeffrey Blehar tells a priceless anecdote:
During the Spring and Autumn period of ancient China (ca. 470 B.C.), the kingdom of Yue was ruled by one Goujian, whose infamy preceded him in combat, quite literally: Yue’s most devoted warriors would march forward from the front ranks, stand before the opposing army on the battlefield, and demonstrate their implacable fearlessness by chopping off their own heads.
This is such a good story that it deserves to be a cautionary tale, a critical analogy, or a sermon illustration. What would be some examples of this syndrome?
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