To be a person, one must have spiritual insight.

Author: Wang Feng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-07-01
Features: This is a classic subset of ancient Chinese teachings on how to be a person, emphasizing the need to act with both integrity and flexibility. This is quite insightful. The "square" teaches people not to violate their inner principles when dealing with others; the "round" means, as the name suggests, that people should be smooth in their interactions, making it less likely for them to get hurt. The way of being square and round lies in knowing when to advance and when to retreat, rather than blindly moving forward. As the saying goes, "The rafters at the top of the roof rot first" and "Sparrows that stick their heads out get shot," which means that sometimes one should hide, sometimes reveal, sometimes advance, and sometimes retreat, avoiding being like the "rafters at the top" or the "sparrows that stick their heads out." Knowing when to reveal oneself, when to hide, when to advance, and when to retreat is crucial. In real life, not everyone can do this, but knowing when to advance and when to retreat is always better than being stubborn. By the time one bumps into a wall and is covered in bruises, it's too late to retreat. This book uses vivid short stories as its foundation and explains the principles of how to be a person in simple and easy-to-understand language, giving readers a fresh and enlightening perspective, making them no longer lament, "Being a person is hard, and it's hard to be a person."