Zeng Guofan's classic sayings

1. Don't do things that are of short-term benefit, and don't go to places where everyone is fighting for them. If things go to extremes, they will be reversed, and harm will come.

2. Those who have little blessing must be mean, and those who are mean will have little blessing. Those who are blessed must be generous, and those who are generous will also be blessed.

3. If you don’t care about wealth when you are poor, you will not be arrogant when you succeed. When you are rich, you will never forget poverty and lowliness. Once you retire, you will not complain.

4. Sit quietly and do your own thing, and reading is a virtue.

5. Being frugal and honest will lead to good reputation among the local party; being straightforward and tolerant will lead to descendants.

7. A doting person is controlled by his wife, while a doting person succumbs to wealth. When a real man sees kindness, he attaches great importance to his name and integrity like Mount Tai. If you have a strong intention, you will take life and death lightly like a feather.

8. The people of the well-dressed family are based on the principle of leaving the world pure and innocent. They must be calm and save troubles. Any greedy, cruel and mean man should not be associated with them.

9. Therefore, if we work hard to get rid of arrogance, to guard against complacency, and not to be laughed at by others, we will make progress.

10. Everything in this world has its own right. He who is careful will gain a point, and he who is careless will lose a point. Be careful and gain everything, be careful and lose everything. Small things are too easy, and if they are too small, big things will be lost. Easy things will be too easy, and things will be easy if they are too easy. A gentleman with a sincere heart will be content with his experience.

11. I don’t know what is good, but it is good if it makes people moved. I don’t know what is evil, but it is evil to make people hate.

12. After all, it is the first thing to predict and the last thing to do. As for those who are proficient, they can be unified.

13. Everyone has the desire to love life and hate death, and everyone is willing to sacrifice life and take death. Why? Seeing good things but not hearing them.

14. If you look at it for a long time, you will not be able to recognize familiar words. If you look at it, it will appear that a still object seems to be moving. You will know that those who have doubts will confuse the truth, and those who think too much will be confused.

15. You have to be very shrewd, as long as you hide it in your simplicity. When ancient people got into trouble, nine out of ten people were shrewd, and there was no one who was honest enough to get into trouble. People today are afraid that they will not be smart enough, so they will be stupid.

16. Calmness, tranquility and worry are obtained. These five words are present at all times and in everything. Without these five words, Meng Lang does it.

17. You can arouse people's troubles with one word, and resolve people's troubles with one word. This does not need to be too much to avoid, but because it is beneficial, it is the way of the market.

18. The happiest thing is to do good without asking others to know. The most painful thing about doing evil is fearing that others will know.

19. A gentleman cannot be intolerant. If you endure desires, you will not give in to things. If you endure drama, you will not disturb things. If you endure hardships, you will not give in to the situation. If you endure poverty, you will not be stubborn about progress. Therefore, there must be Patience is helpful.

20. Eating can quench hunger, drinking can quench thirst, fear can quell disaster, and sufficient can quell greed.