《资治通鉴·汉纪·汉纪四十三》
左雄再次进谏说： 我曾听说，虽然没有一个君主，不喜爱忠良正直，而厌恶阿谀谄媚。然而，历代的忧患，无不是由于忠良正直而获罪，而阿谀谄媚的受宠。这大概是因为听忠直的言词困难，听阿谀奉承的话容易的缘故。
雄复谏曰： 臣闻人君莫不好忠正而恶谗谀，然而历世之患，莫不以忠正得罪，谗谀蒙幸者，盖听忠难，从谀易也。
Zuo Xiong once again advised the emperor, "I have heard that there has never been a monarch that doesn't like honest and loyal people and hate those that flatter. However, troubles in history always started because honest and loyal people were punished and flatterers were favored. This is probably because it is hard to hear honest words but easy to hear flattery.