His ultimate success has something to do with his personal way of doing things. Sima Yi had six philosophies of life before his death, which can be called wise sayings. Generally speaking, as long as he knows two of them, he may have great achievements.
In the first sentence, wise men are pragmatic, while fools strive for merit. Sima Yi learned this truth from Cao Cao. Cao Cao's "relying on the emperor to make the princes" is a typical pragmatism and does not dispute fame. Sima Yi only became a small official after Cao Pi proclaimed himself emperor, but his power was greater than anyone else.
The second sentence is that an enemy is also a teacher and a friend. At the beginning of Sima Yi's defection to Cao Cao, his greatest political enemy was Yang Xiu, but before Yang Xiu died, he went to be caring and attentive and asked for advice from him, which showed his modesty and prudence.
The third sentence is, be kind to your family. This sentence mainly applies to Sima Yi's wife. Some people say that he is a typical hen-pecked wife. In fact, this is a respect for women, and not everyone can do it.
The fourth sentence is, don't be timid but have awe. This sentence emphasizes that you can't underestimate your enemy. Guan Yu's defeat in Maicheng is a typical underestimation. Fear of the enemy is the greatest respect for the enemy and the greatest guarantee for victory.
The fifth sentence is, wield a sword and grind it for ten years at a time. This sentence emphasizes that people should be patient and be good at grasping opportunities, which is also the key to Sima Yi's final victory.
The sixth sentence is that wisdom is better than courage, which explains a truth: the brain is always stronger than force, the courage of ordinary people can only be brave for a while, and only smart people can laugh at the end.