The Wisdom of Being Humble: Insights into the Life Wisdom of Great Masters

Author: Cheng Cheng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-02-01
Features: There is a pair of couplets that are quite interesting and can be said to reveal the essence of modest behavior. The upper line reads: "Engaging in miscellaneous tasks and learning diverse subjects, becoming a versatile expert, embracing chaos and randomness—especially interesting," and the lower line reads: "First crawl, then climb slopes, then climb mountains, coming and going, finally reaching the summit." The horizontal heading is: "Modest Behavior." Modest behavior implies "high," while also meaning "hiding" oneself. "High" is the prerequisite for "hiding," and only in this way can one truly be modest. It is precisely this "hiding" that gives modest behavior its unique charm. Modest people are not isolated from the world but maintain their true selves in social interactions. They are not pretentious or feigned, which helps them avoid losing themselves in a world full of temptations. To learn to behave modestly, one must avoid being noisy, pretentious, artificial, feigning distress, putting on a show, getting involved in disputes, being disliked, or being envied. Even if you believe you are full of talent and more capable than others, you must learn to hide your strengths.