To be a person and to do things requires cunning - The 12 cunning of doing things just right

Author: Chen Xiaochun / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-07-01
Features:
1. Cultivating Excellent Character
In the journey of life, there is only one thing that can bestow a person with true and lasting strength—that is, excellent inner character. The British newspaper The Times once highly praised the power of character: "Character enables a person's courage to be displayed and their moral influence to take effect; it is a weapon to conquer others and the foundation of a person's noble status." Character is a person's true essence. If you want to become a person of significant influence, first be a person of noble character. Excellent character, such as honesty, tolerance, benevolence, integrity, humility, and perseverance—beautiful human qualities—can bring people happiness, peace, ease, and joy in career success. Conversely, poor character, such as selfishness, self-interest, arrogance, and stubbornness, will inevitably lead to bad consequences, ending in hardship and destruction. Many in the world focus on external beauty, but in reality, excellent character is far more important than the dazzling display of appearance. Beautiful looks may fade with time, while a good character leaves a beautiful and lasting impression, its radiated power even more pleasing to the eye. In this regard, the Austrian psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud once taught his daughter in this way. In 1908, Freud's eldest daughter, Marcelle, who was only 21 years old, fell ill with a chronic disease. Marcelle had always been self-conscious about her weight and, further aggravated by the long-term torment of the illness, her discouraged mood made her feel hopeless about her future marriage. While recovering in the countryside of Austria, her father wrote to her patiently, saying, "I have full confidence in your future, mainly because I see you as a very charming girl, and I deeply know that in real life, a girl's destiny is not determined by how beautiful she looks but by her quality and character. Your mirror will tell you that you are a wonderful girl among others; and your memories will confirm that you have always tried to sow seeds of respect and compassion in the crowd. Therefore, I am very optimistic about your future, and you should also be optimistic about yours. You are my dear daughter, and I am deeply proud to have you. When I was young, I also experienced similar anxieties and despondency. At that time, I always felt that I would never find an ideal partner and that a happy marriage was only a dream for me. But later, that dream became a reality." Marcelle followed her father's guidance, regained her confidence in life, and no longer felt or blamed her fate. A year later, she married Robert Hristich, a Venetian merchant, and their life thereafter was happy and fulfilling. Excellent character is like a treasure hidden in the body, an intangible and invaluable resource one possesses. It is more valuable than gold, silver, or jewels. Panic or failure cannot affect its existence. Even if all the worldly possessions we own are swept away, it can still bring us abundant blessings. Intelligence and talent are not character, because many people with poor character often possess these qualities. Reputation is also not character. True character is a spiritual quality, expressed in one's actions. This point was also elaborated by the Western philosopher Baltasar Gracián: "Temperament and intelligence are the two supports for the natural development of a person's talents. Those who wish to see their talents fully realized must rely on both temperament and intelligence. If one relies on only one of them, one can only achieve half the success. Relying solely on intelligence will not lead to great achievements—you also need a temperament that suits your intelligence." Intelligence and talent must be paired with excellent character to support the grand structure of life and achieve ideal careers. Excellent character is a necessary condition for success. Some people, in order to acquire wealth, resort to improper means, harming others' interests, or to gain power, go to great lengths to scheme and flatter, sacrificing their integrity and dignity. Such people, even if they are wealthy or powerful, are morally low and difficult to respect, let alone benefit society, and may even pollute the social environment. They cannot be called successful people. True successful people will not sell their character for money or status, because great character itself is the greatest success. Therefore, success does not necessarily mean having power, wealth, or fame, nor does it necessarily require doing something extraordinary. A person, regardless of their status or position, as long as they possess upright character, fulfill their duties, continuously strive, and work hard to create, can realize their life value through activities that benefit society—that is success. A person who supports their intelligence with excellent character is a truly wise person. Otherwise, in many cases, ordinary intelligence may only be seen as petty cleverness; while those who are overly clever may even fall into the trap of "overly cleverness leading to misfortune," harming themselves and others. P3-4