Wisdom Book

Chapter 11

good long-term plan
When trouble strikes, the man who prepares for it will never be in trouble.Don't wait until you are in a deep quagmire to think of using your reason, but use your reason to predict the danger that will appear and take precautions.After repeated and in-depth thinking, and then let go, can help us overcome the greatest difficulties.The pillow is like a tongueless prophet. Rather than being so preoccupied that it is difficult to sleep when something happens, it is better to make plans early so that you can rest easy.Some people always act first and think later, and most of what they think about is the excuse of failure rather than the result of success.Still others don't think hard, either before or after.A person's life is a process of continuous thinking. We can foresee the development of things, and after thinking about things, we can determine the correct way of life.

Don't be with someone who makes you look like a fool

Don't be in the company of those who make you less beautiful.The more perfect a person is, the more admired he is by everyone.He always walks far ahead, and you can only follow behind him.Even if you can win people's admiration, it is just the leftovers of his charity.When the moon hangs alone in the sky, it can compete with the stars.But when the sun comes out, it will lose its original brilliance, or even disappear.Therefore, associate not with those who bring you down, but with those who add to your splendor.Marshall ① (①Spanish ancient Roman poet, good at satirical poetry.) Fabra in the poem is radiant because of the ugly and unkempt maid.However, one cannot show respect for others by belittling oneself, nor be dragged into danger by lazy friends.At the beginning of starting a business, associate more with those outstanding people; after becoming famous, associate more with ordinary people
Don't fill the void left by previous generations
Don't try to fill the void left by your predecessors, and if you have to, make sure you can outdo your predecessors.Just being on par with your ex requires double the credit.It takes finesse to get people to like you over your successor; it takes even more clever strategy to keep yourself from being overshadowed by your predecessor.It's very hard to fill the big void because people always value the past over the present.Compared with the predecessor, it is not enough to be able to achieve an equal share, because the forerunner has already taken the lead.You must have extraordinary talents before you can replace the great fame of your predecessors.

Not easy to believe, not easy to like
With sound judgment, one does not trust others lightly.Lies can often be seen, so don't trust others easily.Hasty judgments can often get you into trouble and ultimately lead to failure.At the same time, do not openly doubt the sincerity of others, as this will not only hurt him, but also make him feel ashamed, because such doubts make him either a liar or a guinea pig.This creates a greater hidden danger: your distrust of others will make people doubt your sincerity.Liars have to suffer double torture: neither dare to trust others easily, nor allow themselves to be believed by others.The attentive listener does not rush to judgement.Easy liking is also an imprudent behavior. People can lie with words or actions, and the latter kind of deception will cause more harm.

be good at controlling your passion

You should be able to control sudden outbursts of passion with careful thought at all times, and this is easy for the prudent to do.When passion bursts, being able to be keenly aware of it is the first step in controlling emotions.In this way, you can control your emotions first, and then adjust them appropriately so that they are necessary and not excessive.With this smart defense strategy, you can quickly eliminate anger.Know how to control anger and know when to use it.When running, it is very difficult to stop.The ability to keep a clear head when angry proves your wisdom.Every overexcitement has an effect on your sanity, and with this vigilance you don't lose control of your emotions with anger and impair your good judgment.In order to harness passion, you must firmly grasp the reins of attention, and if you can do this, you will be the first sane man on horseback, and maybe the last ① (①Spanish proverb: "Horseback There is no wise man above.").

choose your friends
The choice of friends must be carefully observed.Friendships are most trustworthy when they have been tested by fate, both of willpower and insight.Although this is the key to success in life, few people care about it.Only a few people make friends by intelligence, while most people make friends by pure chance.People will judge you by the friends you have around you: a wise man will never associate with a fool.Just because you feel good about being with someone doesn't mean you consider him a confidant.Sometimes we appreciate a person's humor, but it doesn't mean that we also appreciate his talent.There are friendships that are impure but that bring joy to those they associate with; there are friendships that are sincere, generate thought and drive, and breed success.Many people's affection for you is often not as good as the insight of a confidant.Therefore, choose your friends carefully, and don't make random friends according to your own wishes.A wise friend can take away your worries, but a stupid friend can bring you troubles.In addition, if you want your friendship to last forever, don't always expect your friends to be lucky.

Don't make mistakes when you know people
Mistakes in identifying people are the worst mistakes you can make.It is better to be deceived by the price of the product than to be deceived by the quality of the product.Compared with dealing with other things, knowing people requires careful inspection.Identifying objects is different from identifying people. It requires insight into the temperament of others and distinguishes their temperament and character characteristics. This is a great art.The study of human nature should be read and understood like a book.

make good use of friends
Making good use of friends requires skill and judgment.Some friends are suitable for close friends, and some friends are suitable for distant friends. For those friends who are not good at talking, writing letters may be more interesting.Distance can purify the flaws that are close but cannot be tolerated.Making friends should also be practical, not just for fun.With friends, you have everything.Friends usually have three qualities common to all good things in the world: sincerity, kindness, and single-mindedness.There are not many people who can be friends. If you are not good at choosing, it will be even more difficult to find friends.Keeping old friends is more important than making new ones.You should choose those people who can be with you for a long time as friends. If the new friends now can become the old friends in the future, this is also a little consolation.The best friends are those who last forever, with whom you can share life experiences.If a person has no friendship, then his life may be more desolate than a desert.Friendship doubles the joy and halves the pain; it is the cure of frustration and the wine that soothes the heart.

know how to put up with stupid people
Wise men are often impatient because learning reduces their patience.Knowledgeable people are hard to please.The most important rule of life is to know how to bear everything, which is half the truth of all wisdom.It takes a great deal of patience to tolerate stupidity.Sometimes those we depend on most become the ones we have to live with.They help us exercise self-control.Patience brings immeasurable peace of mind; and peace of mind is the boon bestowed upon us by worldly happiness.If you are impatient, you should choose to be alone, but you must also understand that even if you are alone, you will eventually have to bear with yourself.

Be careful what you say

A man should be cautious in his words, cautious in his conversations with enemies, and cautious in his conversations with others.It is easy to speak, but once the words are spoken, it is impossible to take them back.Talking is like making a will, the less words you have, the less disputes you will have in the future.If you want to accomplish big things very smoothly, you should pay attention to the small things in your conversation.Hidden secrets have the meaning of oracle, and those who speak out are prone to failure.

be aware of one's own flaws

Even the most perfect people have flaws.These imperfections follow us like shadows.Intelligence has its flaws, and the more intelligent a person is, the more flaws he has.Some people are not unaware that they have flaws, but because they have special feelings for those flaws.It is a double misfortune: both flawed and irrational about it.These flaws are blemishes of perfection that delight the owner but loathe others.Being able to undo those flaws is an amazing thing, and it's a brave way to conquer your ego.People are good at seeing the shortcomings of others. They will not admire your talents, but will only stare at your shortcomings and smear them with embellishments, so that your other talents will also become eclipsed.

Overcome the jealousy and malice of others
It is wise to turn a blind eye to the jealousy and malice of others, but it is even better if you can also show general demeanor.There is nothing more admirable than complimenting those who have made fun of you.It is the most heroic revenge to conquer narrow envy with your wit and character.Every time you succeed, those who are jealous of you will suffer a torture, and every time you achieve brilliant achievements, those who are jealous of you will be hit hard.Turning success into poison is the greatest punishment.A jealous person doesn't just die once, every time his opponent gets applause, he dies as if he died once.If the envied can win glory forever, the envied will always reap pain.The clarion call of success is partly a celebration of someone's brilliance, and partly announcing that those who envy him are about to start suffering.

Don't just empathize with others when they're unlucky
One man's unhappiness may be another man's luck, for it is precisely because there are so many unlucky people that some feel lucky.The unfortunate always win the sympathy of the people, and people try to soothe their aching hearts with unhelpful favors.Those who were hated by everyone in their prosperity sometimes suddenly become the object of everyone's sympathy.His downfall turned people's hatred into sympathy.However, we should gain insight into how the god of destiny plays his cards.There are some people who associate with the unlucky, and when they are unlucky, they draw close to him; when they are lucky, they run away.Doing so may show good character, but it is not a wise way of doing things.

Let go of the wind first to find out the truth

If you want to judge whether something can be accepted and succeeded, you might as well let out tentative rumors first, so that you can ensure that things go smoothly, and you can also get a chance to choose again, whether to continue to advance or launch early.By testing the minds of others, a wise man can know where he is.Foresight is the most foresighted approach when a request is made or a decision is made.

(End of this chapter)