To do great things, you must have both heroic and careful virtues. A man with great momentum likes to be far-sighted, but if there is no thoughtfulness to back him up, he is simply crude and of little use. Great men throughout the history have dual personalities, possessing both gross and subtle strengths.

If there is any person who has achieved great achievements just by being cautious, the wise will not believe it. Being free and bold is your magnanimity, which can be shown to others; being careful and thoughtful is your method, just do it quietly. Being able to lift things with ease is a characteristic of genius, so you must be good at showing your generous side to others, and you must be good at doing everything carefully and thoughtfully.

Zeng Guofan made a comprehensive summary of the people who have achieved great things since ancient times in his family letters. He said this in a letter to his younger brother:

Those who have achieved great things in ancient times have their scale. The great and the comprehensive and the subtle are inseparable. My brother's comprehensive understanding and subtlety are better than mine. Those who are somewhat skilled in the military equipment should keep a separate book, record the notes personally, and teach them to selected people. The ancients regarded the distinctiveness of armor as the key to intimidating the enemy and always winning. Liu Zhiheng was also diligent in repairing firearms, but he was not particular about swords and spears. I once sent Chu Jingchang to Henan to buy pewter poles, and he also arranged waist knives to reward each general with a piece of knives, which was very popular among people.

My brother, try to pay attention to this matter, and it also makes sense. The scale should be large, and my brother also pays attention to it. But those who are broad-minded are most likely to get mixed up with laxity. When things happen, you are arrogant and unorganized. Even though you are big, you are still sarcastic and expensive? If the differences are not disordered and can be carried out for a long time, then the equipment will be grand and there will be no shortcomings. Hu Runzhi Zhongcheng wrote a letter shortly after, praising his younger brother with the words "great talent and great tools", which I loved very much. Talent is rooted in tools, and good words are based on knowledge.

What does it mean? That is to say: Since ancient times, people who can achieve great things must combine ambitious planning with meticulous management. Both are indispensable. My younger brother has surpassed me in managing details. For military equipment, the slightly better ones among them, a separate account book should be established, registered personally, and distributed to the appropriate persons. When the ancients fought, it was a big deal to intimidate the enemy with shiny armor, and they could often win because of it. Liu Zhiheng often repairs firearms, but he is not particular about swords and spears. I once sent Zhu Jingchang to Henan to purchase white wax poles and waist knives to distribute as rewards to the soldiers. They all cherished them very much.

Brother, you can also try to pay attention to this kind of thing, which is also a subtle aspect of management. When it comes to ambitious plans, my younger brother should also be particular about it. But people with ambitious plans are most likely to become undisciplined. What's the use of being ambitious if you are careless and unorganized when dealing with things? Those who handle errands in an orderly and stable manner are those who have a grand organization and no cheating.

I just received a letter from Hu Run Zhongcheng, in which he praised his younger brother for his "talent and great abilities" in the future. I like these four words very much. Talent is rooted in measurement, this is the wise saying!

Many people may feel that it is useless when they see this. They feel that they have paid so much, and they always believe that God will not let them down. They feel that they will be rewarded if they are a good person, but the facts prove that many things are not. It is not as beautiful as you imagine. After all, ideals are full and reality is very skinny. After being baptized by reality, you will be exhausted mentally and physically and will doubt your life. Then I can tell you for sure, firstly, because your ability is not enough, and secondly, because it is necessary to achieve great things. After a long period of training. Therefore, those who truly achieve great things are good at "breaking things into pieces", focusing on the big picture and starting from the small.