Bian Que was one of China's most famous ancient physicians. He once went to the kingdom of Qi in today's eastern China as a traveling physician. One day he visited the King and saw the king' facial color and energy and warned, "Your Majesty has an illness of the skin. If not treated, it may become serious." The king said, "I'm not sick. All doctors love to pretend that a healthy person is ill and then boast of their healing skills," he added.

Ten days later, Bian Que again saw the king. He said, "Your illness has already entered your blood. If not treated, it will become more serious." The King dismissed him with displeasure.

Another ten days passed, he met the King once again. "The illness has invaded your stomach and intestines. If not treated, it will become deeper and more severe." The king still said that he wasn't sick.

A few more days passed, and he met the King again. This time the doctor didn't speak a single word. He simply walked away. The king felt this a bit strange and sent someone to ask why. Bian Que said, "When an illness is at the level of the skin, it can be cured with medicinal hot compresses; when an illness has entered the blood, it can be cured with acupuncture; when an illness has entered the stomach and intestines, it can be cured with boiled medicinal compounds, but the king's illness has already entered his bone marrow, there is no way to treat it."

A few days later, as Bian Que expected, the king fell ill. He sent for Bian Que, but the doctor had already fled the kingdom. The king died shortly thereafter."

The story illustrates that one should take his own small shortcomings seriously and correct them quickly, because if one lets them be, small shortcomings can eventually get out of hand.