source
This sentence comes from the chapter "Wei Linggong" in The Analects of Confucius and is Confucius' answer to disciple Zi Gong.
Excerpts from the original text
Confucius said, "If a worker wants to do a good job, he must sharpen his tools first. Living in a country is also a saint or a doctor, and a benevolent person is a friend. "
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Confucius told Zigong that if you want to do a good job, you must first prepare the necessary tools and conditions. This is the meaning of "if you want to do a good job, you must sharpen your tools first". Behind this story, Confucius also mentioned the moral standard of being a man, that is, "Don't do to others what you don't want others to do to you", and emphasized the importance of associating with sages, so as to shape people's character.
Make an appreciative comment
The core meaning of this sentence is that the necessary tools and resources must be prepared before completing any task. Behind this sentence is an attitude of taking work and life seriously. Only by making full preparations can we ensure the efficiency and success of the work. This is one of the reasons why this sentence is enduring and widely used in various fields.
This sentence is still very important for us in today's fast-paced and efficient life. Whether at work or in life, we need to make full preparations and make good use of our own resources in order to achieve better results and results. This also reminds us not to waste time and opportunities, because dreams and wishes are not enough, but must be realized by practical actions.
At the same time, this sentence also tells us that only by making good use of resources can we succeed. For personal development, learning and accumulating knowledge, developing skills and establishing contacts are all necessary preparations. For teamwork, division of labor and full communication are also essential. Only under these preconditions can we give full play to everyone's potential and achieve better results.
Creation background
The source of this sentence is a dialogue of Confucius in The Analects of Confucius, which is a classic book that records Confucius' words and deeds and is regarded as one of the important masterpieces of Confucianism.
Confucius lived in the period from the end of the Spring and Autumn Period to the beginning of the Warring States Period, with turbulent social atmosphere, frequent wars, political corruption and chaotic social order. Confucius devoted himself to reviving ethical culture, advocating benevolence and morality, and trying to improve the social atmosphere of this era. He advocated that the monarch should lead by example, officials should do their duty, and the people should abide by morality to build a harmonious society together.
In this context, Confucius put forward the view that "if you want to do a good job, you must sharpen your tools first". He believes that if a person wants to do his job well, he must prepare the necessary tools. This is not only for craftsmen, but also for everyone to prepare before work. In the social background at that time, this view was regarded as an attitude of attaching importance to practice and a spirit of advocating Excellence.
From this perspective, Confucius wants to tell people that if you want to do a good job, you must be fully prepared to complete the task better. This view also shows Confucius' emphasis on practice and his requirements for people to pursue Excellence in their work.
To annotate ...
"If you want to do a good job, you must sharpen your tools first" is a common idiom, which is often used to emphasize the importance of preparation.
"Benefit" refers to using and giving full play to the utility of tools.
Enlightenment of life
The sentence "If you want to be good at something, you must sharpen your tools first" tells us that if you want to be good at something, you must sharpen your tools first. This preparatory work includes preparing the necessary tools and resources in order to complete the task more smoothly and achieve good results.
This principle applies not only to work, but also to all aspects of daily life. For example, in learning, we need to prepare necessary books, notebooks, pens and other tools in order to learn and digest knowledge better. In fitness, we need to prepare the necessary sports equipment first, so as to exercise better and keep healthy.
In my personal experience, I have encountered many things that failed because I was not fully prepared. For example, when you attend an interview, you don't prepare relevant knowledge and introduce yourself in advance, and the result is very bad. And when I make full preparations in advance, the chances of success will be greatly improved.
Therefore, this sentence reminds us that in our daily life, whether we do things or study, we need to be fully prepared in order to complete the task more smoothly and achieve good results.