1 Minute to Make Others Like You

Author: Xiao Ran / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: Relying on oneself is the key. This means having independent will and belief, not placing all hopes on others, whether they are friends, lovers, or even family. Because in this world, only one is absolutely certain not to betray oneself.
There is a story about the Spring and Autumn and Warring States period. A general took his son to war. When a trumpet sounded, the father solemnly picked up a quiver with only one arrow in it and said to his son with great seriousness, "This is our family heirloom quiver. Carrying it with you will give you infinite strength, but never draw it out. Remember."
The quiver was extremely exquisite, crafted from thick leather and inlaid with glowing copper edges. The arrow shaft and the fletching at the end of the arrow could be seen clearly, and it was immediately evident that they were made from the finest peacock feathers. The son looked at the quiver, imagining the shaft and the head of the arrow. It seemed as if the sound of the arrow whizzing past was in his ears, and the enemy commander fell off his horse with a single shot.
Indeed, the son, carrying the family heirloom quiver, fought bravely and invincibly. But when the trumpet sounded to signal the end of the battle, he couldn’t resist the arrogance of victory and completely forgot his father’s warning. Driven by a strong curiosity, he suddenly drew out the "family heirloom arrow." In that instant, he was stunned: it was a broken arrow! "I’ve been fighting with a broken arrow!" The son broke into a cold sweat, his will crumbling as if it had lost its, and collapsed completely. The outcome was inevitable—the son died in the chaos of battle.
After the battle, the father picked up the broken arrow and sighed heavily: "One who doesn’t trust their own will can never become a general!" The son in the story was so naive to place his hopes on a "family heirloom arrow," ultimately losing his life because of it. Similarly, when a person places the core of their life and hopes on others, it is incredibly dangerous!
In daily life, parents place their hopes on their children; wives place their happiness on their husbands; employees place their livelihood on their employers—all of these are unrealistic. In reality, the most reliable thing is to be the arrow oneself. Through tempering, make it strong and sharp, achieving the ability to hit the mark at a hundred paces and hit every shot. Everything depends on one’s own effort. But that doesn’t mean everything must be done by hand. That is clearly unrealistic.
Looking at human history, it is difficult to find even one example of a truly important task being accomplished solely through individual strength.
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