Wisdom Book

Chapter 5

Excellence in a noble cause

Of all the qualities of perfection, the ability to excel in a noble cause is the most precious.A great man must have some noble quality, and it is difficult for a mediocre man to win applause.To rise above the crowd in extraordinary endeavors makes us exceptional.No matter how well done a humble career is, it is not worth mentioning. The easier success comes, the less honor there is.Being outstanding in extraordinary careers can make you look like a king, and everyone will admire you and admire you.

Use the tools to get the best

Some people like to use crude tools to prove their superiority, which is a dangerous self-satisfaction.If it suffers a disastrous defeat, it is also expected.The talents of the courtiers do not do any harm to the excellence of the king.On the contrary, all the credit for success usually goes to the king, just as the king bears all the blame for failure.A person who can achieve success and fame is a superior person. People never say "he has good ministers or bad generals", but "he is a brilliant or incompetent person".So you must choose your assistants carefully, and rely on them for an indelible reputation.

take the first step

If you want to be outstanding, you must act before others, because under the same conditions, the person who takes the first step will be the first to gain the advantage.Some people would have been able to dominate in the industry they are engaged in, but it happens that those who are not as good as them take advantage of it.Those who get the first opportunity are the heirs of fame, and those who come later can only become the second son without inheritance rights, and barely get a little bit of living wealth.And no matter how hard the latecomers tried, they still couldn't get rid of the suspicion of following in others' footsteps and were ridiculed by everyone.Great people are always careful and take a different approach to greatness.Because it is unconventional, it can be famous in history.A mediocre person only wants to be a second-rate leader, not a first-rate one.

stay away from sorrow
It is both wise and profitable to keep away from sorrow.Acting cautiously can prevent many troubles and bring you luck and peace of mind.Don't bring bad news to others, and avoid receiving such news yourself.Some people have heard too much sweet compliments, but it is difficult to distinguish between loyalty and evil, some people have heard too many gossips, and they do not understand good and evil, and some people are like Misridates who must take poison every day ① (①Pontus The king, for fear of being poisoned by the enemy, has to take a little poison every day to enhance the body's resistance to poison.), as long as there is no trouble for a day, he will be restless.It is not the law of life to spend one's life worrying and suffering in order to please someone, even if that person is your best friend.There is someone who devises stratagems for you, but he is not responsible for them, so you don't have to sacrifice your happiness to please him.When giving happiness to others means embarrassing yourself, please remember: it is better to let others endure a little pain in front of you now than to make yourself suffer every day in the future.

Cultivate elegant taste

Intelligence can be cultivated, as can good taste.A thorough understanding can stimulate your appetite, increase your desire, and make you feel twice as happy when you succeed.Know what a person is pursuing, and you can judge whether his taste is elegant or not.The more elegant the taste, the more lofty and grand goals you will pursue.The bigger the mouth, the more things it can swallow.A person of high moral character will definitely engage in a noble cause.In the presence of people of good taste, even the bravest will become intimidated, and the most perfect will lose self-confidence.The most perfect and best things are very rare, so you can't be too demanding in appreciating things.Taste is often acquired through interpersonal communication, and through continuous training, it will eventually be used by you.It is a kind of luck to make friends with people of high taste.Don't claim to be dissatisfied with anything, though, that's a silly extreme.If this extreme psychology is due to artificiality and not due to nature, it will be regarded as abhorrent.Some people's minds are always full of unrealistic ideas. They imagine that God will create another world and create some perfect things.

Everything should have a perfect ending
Some people like to focus on whether things are in accordance with the rules when they are carried out, but they don't pay attention to whether they can succeed in the end.So, no matter how hard they try, they cannot remove the stigma of failure.Winners don't need to explain why they won because the focus is on the outcome rather than the process.As long as you can achieve your goals as you wish, your reputation will not take a cut.No matter how unpleasant your means, as long as there is a happy ending, everything will be gilded.If you need to be unscrupulous to get things done, then unscrupulous means is precisely the means.

choose your career correctly
The quality of most things in the world depends on whether others are satisfied. Just like flowers need spring breeze, your perfection needs others' praise.There are some professions that are respected by people, and some professions, although important, are always neglected by people.The former can be seen by everyone, so everyone likes it; the latter is more rare and requires high attainments, but no one knows about it, so although it is respectable, it is difficult to hear the voice of admiration.Among the kings, the reputation of those victors is known to the world, so the kings of Aragon can be praised by the world, known as "conqueror" and "warrior".Great men should choose those professions that are well known and prestigious.If you can get the hearts of the people, you will get a reputation that will last forever.

try to understand you

It is better to be understood than to be remembered, for thinking is greater than remembering.Sometimes we should give advice to others when the time is right, and sometimes we need to advise them.Some people can't do corresponding things when the time is right, just because they haven't thought of it for a while. At this time, you should give friendly advice so that they can see the pros and cons of things clearly.To be able to assess the situation and point out what is at stake is a very great qualification.Without it, you will lose many opportunities for success.If you have the ability to see things, you should answer other people's questions; if you don't have this ability, you should seek help from others.Be cautious when answering questions for others, especially if the person is already in danger.You can hint at it at first, and if he doesn't understand, give more information.If the other party has said "no" publicly, then you should use techniques to get him to agree.The reason why many things have no results is that the pursuer has not worked hard to pursue.

reflect on yourself from time to time
A wise man is never at the mercy of other people's impressions.The way to be prudent is to be able to reflect on yourself, understand your own temperament, and consciously do the opposite, so that self-cultivation and nature can balance each other.If you want to improve yourself, you must understand your own situation and make a correct estimate of yourself.Some people have different temperaments and are always influenced by their emotions. Only slight changes in the surrounding environment will affect their emotions.Governed by this vicious imbalance, they are always contradicting themselves when doing things.

Such a disposition not only destroys their will, but also their judgment, and disturbs their desires and understandings.

Refuse politely
When you get along with people, you can't give everything to others. Knowing how to say no is as important as knowing how to give. For those in high positions, knowing how to say no is the key to dealing with problems.Some people's nos may be more valuable than others' commitments, because a measured "no" is more appreciated than a flippant "yes."Some people always say "no", although they will give in at the end of the matter, but because they are disappointing at the beginning, they will not be liked by people.Don't reject others outright, let people gradually feel disappointed, and then accept the reality of being rejected.Don't reject people outright, or people won't have any hope in you anymore.Always leave some hope to soften your rejection.Even if old favors cannot be offered, be courteous and make amends with kind words. "No" and "yes" are short to say, but it takes a lot of brains to say them safely and appropriately.

Don't be capricious
It is in this that the prudent man is not capricious in matters of perfection.If they have changed, it is also considering the fundamental reasons and interests of things.Variations in behavior can have fatal consequences.Some people change from day to day, with changes in their willpower and understanding, and with it changes in luck.From yesterday's concession to today's retreat.They not only live up to their own reputation, but also damage the trust of others.

to act decisively

The harm caused by indecision in acting is far greater than the harm caused by indecisiveness in acting.A still river is more dangerous than a flowing one.Some people are always uncertain when doing things and need to rely on the guidance of others.Most of the time, this is not because they lack wise decision, but because they lack action.Being able to find out where the problem is is certainly considered shrewd, but being able to find out the solution is even more intelligent.Others don't let anything get in their way, and they have clear judgment and an unwavering will.They are born to achieve great things, they have good judgment, so they can easily succeed.They are able to do everything well quickly and leave room for what is done, and they are able to grasp their fortunes so that they can succeed again with greater confidence.

get out of trouble safely

Taking the initiative to retreat and avoid to avoid conflicts is the magic weapon for a prudent person to overcome difficulties.Even when they are in danger, they are able to use witty words to get them out of danger.Use a joke to get yourself out of a complicated situation. Most great men understand and master this method thoroughly.A great way to say no to someone is to change the subject in a friendly tone.Sometimes pretending that the person in question isn't really about you is the neatest trick.

don't always be on top
The wildest animals live in cities, and inaccessibility is one of the vices of the ignorant, whose title changes their character.Attacking others with vicious words is not a magic weapon to gain fame.Such people are like a bunch of misfits, brutal and unreasonable monsters.Those unfortunate servants had to approach them with a whip, for they were like a hot-tempered lion.This kind of person has groveled and flattered everyone in order to get a high position;His high position and power should have made him the object of everyone's clinging, but because of his meanness and irritable temper, he made it difficult for others to approach.If you want to punish him in a civilized way, you have to ignore him.If you are really wise, use your wisdom to benefit others.

(End of this chapter)