The No. 1 Study in the World: The Wisdom of How to Be a Person

Author: Li Zhen
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: Regarding how to be a person, the author's insights can be summed up in four sentences:
Being a person, a bit foolish is okay.
Dealing with others, being a bit round is okay.
Happiness, being simple is okay.
Success, coming late is okay.
First, about being foolish. Most people think that being a person means being sharp and cunning. In reality, being a bit foolish is better. This "foolishness" means understanding the world deeply, broadening one's perspective, not worrying about gains or losses, as Laozi said, "Great wisdom seems foolish, great skill seems clumsy, great speech seems slow, and great courage seems timid." When we observe the world, we are often tricked by our own cleverness, while those who achieve great things and live effortlessly are often the "foolish" or "slow-witted." Zheng Banqiao said, "Life is hard to be foolish." The wisdom here should be savored carefully.
Second, about being "square." Of course, being a person requires being "square," but when dealing with others, one cannot be stubbornly "square." One must ( means " the art of dealing with others"), which is to be "round."
Third, about happiness. Life should naturally be happy, not always with a frown. However, most people have more worries than happiness because they have too many desires. Too many expectations cannot be met, naturally leading to endless worries. If one appropriately controls unrealistic desires and expectations, simplifies life and interpersonal relationships, and keeps the mind pure and calm, life can be much happier.
Fourth, about success. A successful life is what everyone hopes for. It is naturally good to succeed early, but there is also the possibility of reaching the peak too early, after which one may have to face a downhill path. The above four sentences are the four parts of the author's work. At the beginning of each chapter, the author quotes one or two sayings from the Ming and Qing dynasties, then expands on them, drawing from the past to prove the present, sharing their insights.