Wisdom Book

Chapter 6

Choose a great man as a role model
Choose a great man to be your role model, but you'd better not imitate or follow him in everything, but catch up with and surpass him.There are all kinds of great men in the world, and they are living lessons for how to gain fame.People should choose a top person in their own industry as their emulation object, not to imitate him blindly, but to aspire to surpass him.Alexander once shed tears at the tomb of Achilles, but he was not sad for the passing of Achilles, but lamented that he could not enjoy the same reputation as Achilles ① (①Achilles is a hero in Greek mythology, It was recorded in Homer's epic and left a mark in history, and Alexander cried bitterly because of jealousy at his tomb.).In this world, the reputation of a great man is like a trumpet that inspires people's progress. It can most arouse the ambitions of others. It can make you forget simple jealousy and finally achieve great things.

less jokes
The so-called wisdom lies in its seriousness, which is easier to win the admiration of others than playing smart.A joker is always ridiculed by others and is not perfect.People regard him as a liar and will not believe him easily. On the one hand, they are afraid of being deceived by him, and on the other hand, they are even more afraid that he is joking.One never knows when a joker can use his judgment to say something serious, which is to say that they have no judgment at all.Endless jokes are undoubtedly the worst kind of jokes.There are people who gain a reputation for being humorous and witty, but eventually lose that reputation for good judgment.Sometimes it's okay to joke around, but other times it should be serious.

Adjust yourself, do what others like

Be a Proteus ① who is cautious in words and deeds but flexible and quick-witted (①the god of the sea in Greek mythology and China, known for being good at shapeshifting.).Associating with learned people should show that you also have profound and extensive knowledge.When interacting with people of high moral character, the behavior should conform to the ethical norms.This is the secret to goodwill.Because of similar habits, it is easy to have a sense of intimacy, and then they will be like-minded.When interacting with people, you should first understand the other person's temperament, and then adjust yourself. No matter whether he is kind or serious, you must know it well, so that you can speak and act according to the situation.This is especially true if you want something from the other person.This skill is not something everyone can learn, but for those who are knowledgeable and cautious in their words and deeds, it has no difficulty in doing it. .

Doing things skillfully is exploring
Haste is the hallmark of fools, since most of them lack planning, strategy, and carelessness, so they don't worry about their reputation being ruined.The prudent man is always cautious in his actions, and cautiously detects whether there is danger in the road ahead. They know that although the god of fortune may sometimes help others, rashness will inevitably lead to failure.If you don't know the depth of the road ahead, you should walk slowly, keep your eyes wide open, ears straight, and explore forward cautiously.Nowadays, there are many pitfalls in interpersonal communication, so it is necessary to be more observant and considerate.

develop good character
A light-hearted disposition, if tempered, is a natural virtue, not a defect, and can be enhanced with a little tact.Great men know how to use their poise and humor to win people over.But they will also maintain a certain dignity and never do things that violate etiquette.Others see humor as a means of getting out of trouble.It's true that some things can be laughed off, even those that others consider serious.This is a kind of easy-going performance, which will have a wonderful attractive effect on others.

Be cautious about obtaining information
In life, there are so few things we can see with our own eyes that we rely on information provided by others in order to gain insight.But our ears hear lies as well as truth.The vast majority of the truth is seen, rarely heard.The truth heard by both ears is rarely true, especially the so-called truth from afar, which is even more unreliable, because it often incorporates the emotion of the communicator, and this emotion will change the color of the truth and make it become more unreliable. sad or pleasing, biases us toward certain impressions.Those who are always praising others are more worthy of our attention than those who comment on faults and mistakes.See through his intentions, understand his position, and guard against the false and always erring.

dare to recreate your glory
This is the secret of Phoenix Nirvana.When the talents are exhausted, the fame also dissipates.The admiration for people will gradually wear out and corrode in the habit, and even the most outstanding achievements will lose their luster, because it is far less than the temptation of mediocrity but novelty.Therefore, all aspects of courage, talent, happiness, etc. should be constantly updated.Dare to recreate your glory as the sun rises every day.Being good at restraint can make people miss it even more, and when it comes back to glory, it will win people's unanimous applause.

Can not pursue the ultimate
The wise reduce all virtues to a golden mean.Extremely right leads to wrong.When the orange juice is squeezed dry, nothing but bitterness remains.Even when you are having fun, you can't pursue the ultimate.Too much use of the intellect is doomed to mental exhaustion.If the limit is exceeded when milking a cow, what is squeezed out may only be blood.

make some harmless mistakes
Sometimes, an inadvertent negligence can reveal your best talent.Jealousy usually takes the form of rejection of others, and the more polite the act of jealousy, the more harmful it is.The reason why jealousy regards perfect things as mistakes is that people cannot tolerate perfection.People who are often jealous will become a hundred-eyed giant Argos (① a person with a hundred eyes in Greek mythology), always using all eyes to find small shortcomings, just to smooth them out. inner jealousy.Rebuke is like lightning, always striking the highest places.Because of this, even a great poet like Homer will fail ② (② comes from the Roman writer Horace's "The Art of Poetry". The original text roughly says that "a brilliant Homer sometimes dozes off.").When prudence can be guaranteed, you can also pretend to lose wisdom and courage, so as to eliminate the malice of others and no longer wanton poisoning.Then, like a matador, you can wave your red cape before the envious bull, and when it unleashes its wrath, you can escape safely and preserve your immortality.

good at exploiting the enemy
Doing things is like picking up a knife with your hands. Holding the blade can easily hurt yourself, but holding the handle can protect you.This principle also applies to people fighting each other.A wise man finds more use in his enemies than a fool finds in his friends.The many difficulties that are so dreaded by good intentions are often easily overcome by malicious intentions.Most of the people who can achieve great things are due to his enemies.Flattery is more dangerous than hatred. Flattery makes it difficult for you to discover your own shortcomings, but hatred can correct the shortcomings covered by flattery.A prudent man is able to see the malevolent eyes of others as a mirror, which is more real than those full of good intentions, and enables a person to reduce or correct his faults.Everyone becomes extremely cautious when facing the enemy face to face.

Demonstration of talent should be in moderation
It is the nature of excellence that it is often misused.When everyone desperately wants it, many troubles arise.Being good for nothing is a bad thing, but being good for everything is also a bad thing.Many people fail because they are omnipotent, and the result is that everyone seeks it and everyone despises it.These all-knowing and omnipotent beings, at the beginning, can be famous for being very rare, but when people know them well, they will be regarded as ordinary and reduced to mediocrity.The panacea for extremes is to be moderate in your display of talent.There is nothing wrong with pursuing perfection, but it is necessary to grasp the measure, enough is enough.The brighter the torch, the more it consumes and the shorter its duration.If you want to get real respect, don't always show yourself off.

guard against rumors
Rumor spreaders are like monsters with many heads, with many eyes waiting to create maliciousness, and many tongues that wantonly slander.Rumors that go around can stain your clean name, and if it follows you like a shadow, your good name will be destroyed.Rumormongers are always focusing on your glaring flaws or ridiculous flaws, which are good subjects for gossip.At some point, our envious enemies will also fabricate many rumors without any basis.A joke from a mean mouth is quicker than a brazen lie to tarnish another's reputation.It is easy to gain notoriety, because evil is easy to believe and hard to get rid of.A prudent man should avoid all these, guard against vulgarity, for prevention is much easier than cure.

be educated
A man is born uncivilized, and culture lifts him up and distinguishes him from the beast.Culture creates the world, and the amount of culture determines whether a person is civilized.According to this view, the ancient Greeks called people from other parts of the world "barbarians."Ignorance is the equivalent of vulgarity, and nothing enlightens man more than knowledge.But knowledge can appear vulgar without culture.Our understanding, our desires, and above all our manners, require cultivation.There are some people who are born wise and refined, and their thoughts, words, deeds, appearance (like the bark) and talents (like the fruit) naturally reveal cultivation.Others are mediocre and vulgar, and people can't stand what they do, and even avoid them, fearing that they will tarnish their good qualities.

don't worry about little things
Great men are never restrained by small things in their actions.They do not go into detail when they are in conversation with others, especially when the subject is unpleasant.Although you must be cautious when acting, you must also show a casual attitude and do not need to know all the details of the matter.When you have a dispute with others, show a polite and tolerant attitude.Acting like you have nothing to do with yourself is a great way to dominate others, learn to ignore things, especially things that happen among your friends, acquaintances, and especially your enemies.Excessive cautiousness can be tiresome, especially when it becomes part of your personality.Only the paranoid can never forget the unpleasant things.Remember, people usually act according to nature: it has to do with their heart and ability.

A person knows himself well

He who does not know himself cannot master himself, so one should know one's gifts, intelligence, judgment and emotions.There are many mirrors that can reflect the image of a person, but self-knowledge is the only mirror that can observe the spirit.When you are confident in your external image, try to correct and improve your inner image.Accurately judge your intelligence and ability to do things, predict how you will meet challenges, and talk about the depth of your thoughts, just to be able to deal with everything wisely
The secret of longevity
Stupidity and depravity lead to the premature fall of life.Some people lose their lives because they don't know how to keep them alive, and others lose their lives because they don't want to survive.This is the same reason that virtue is its own reward and vice its own punishment.A person who spends his life in evil will end his life prematurely.He who spends his life in good deeds has eternal life.The power of the spirit can be transmitted to the body, and a good life is not only meaningful, but also prolonged.

(End of this chapter)