this phrase indicate nowadays:(only in China, where the interpersonal relationships play an important role) You are so enlightened , wise or whatever, that you can rumble others. What they really want to say, to do. And you can easily find out, the way the world works. But sometimes, just play stupid.( Let it be?) Don't be too strict with yourself. Make a concession and maybe you'll gain much more. READ this with the "interpersonal relationships" in your mind. XD

据说，“难得糊涂”四个字是在山东莱州的云峰山写的。有一年郑板桥专程至此观郑文公碑，流连忘返，天黑了，不得已借宿于山间茅屋。屋主为一儒雅老翁，自命“糊涂老人”，出语不俗。他的室中陈列了一块方桌般大小的砚台，石质细腻，镂刻精良，郑板桥十分叹赏。老人请郑板桥题字以便刻于砚背。板桥认为老人必有来历，便题写了“难得糊涂”四字，用了“康熙秀才雍正举人乾隆进士”的方印。 因砚台地，尚有许多空白，板桥说老先生应该写一段跋语。老人便写了“得美石难，得顽石尤难，由美石而转入顽石更难。美于中，顽于外，藏野人之庐，不入宝贵之门也。”他用了一块方印，印上的字是“院试第一，乡试第二，殿试第三。”板桥一看大惊，知道老人是一位隐退的官员。有感于糊涂老人的命名，见砚背上还有空隙，便也补写了一段话：“聪明难，糊涂尤难，由聪明面转入糊涂更难。放一著，退一步，当下安心，非图后来报也。” It is said that, the phrase of “难得糊涂”is written by Zhen Banqiao on a stone of Yunfeng Laizhou Shandong province. One year Zhen made a special trip to a stele written by Zhen wengong, it was so attractive that he forgot to leave until the night. Forced by the situation, he decided to spend the night in a mountain hut. The owner was a refined man, self-proclaimed “confused elderly”, a special phrase. There was a square table-sized ink-stone, carved well in his showcases. Zhen admired it very much. The owner begged zhen for inscription engraved on the stone’s back. Zhen thought the owner must be some one particular, so he wrote the phrase “难得糊涂”with the square print, written with “Xiucai kangxi Juren Yongzheng Jinshi Qianlong”

最近看了个资料有人分析了几个意思： 其一：自我解嘲说。公元1751年，郑板桥在潍县“衙斋无事，四壁空空，周围寂寂，仿佛方外，心中不觉怅然。”他想，“一生碌碌，半世萧萧，人生难道就是如此？争名夺利，争胜好强，到头来又如何呢？看来还是糊涂一些好，万事都作糊涂观，无所谓失，无所谓得，心灵也就安宁了。”于是，他挥毫写下“难得糊涂”。因此它被称为“真乃绝顶聪明人吐露的无可奈何语，是面对喧嚣人生，炎凉世态内心并发出的愤激之词。”（《广陵奇才--郑板桥传》） 其二：抗议之声说。公元1754年秋，郑板桥由山东范县调任潍县知县，上任之日正遇百年未见的旱灾。而钦差姚耀宗却不闻不问，反而向他求字画。郑板桥就以鬼画讽刺，钦差姚耀宗怒而撕画，郑板桥见百姓惨像，心力不支，非常忧郁。其妻相劝：既然皇上不问，钦差不理，你就装作糊涂嘛！郑板桥怒言：装糊涂，我装不来。你可知道，聪明难，糊涂难，由聪明变糊涂更难，难得糊涂。（《难得糊涂是郑板桥的抗议之声》） 其三：心安理平说。郑板桥任潍县知县时，其堂弟为了祖传房屋的一段墙基，与邻居诉讼，要他函告兴化县相托，以便赢得官司。郑板桥看完信后，立即赋诗回书：“千里捎书为一墙，让他几尺又何妨？万里长城今犹在，不见当年秦始皇。”稍后，他又写下“难得糊涂”，并在“难得糊涂”下加注‘聪明难，糊涂难，由聪明而转入糊涂更难，放一着，退一步，当下心安，非图后来福报也。’此处将“难得糊涂”比喻为就是聪明；难得做一次糊涂，心安理得，也可取得心态平衡。

no story it represent in one ordinary people opinion