This sentence comes from a famous saying of Sima Guang in the Northern Song Dynasty. The original words are: "I have no outstanding people, but I have never done anything in my life that I can't tell others."

What Sima Guang means is that he is not an excellent person, and there is nothing better than others, but he does everything aboveboard and never loses anything. On the one hand, it shows that he is modest, on the other hand, it shows that he is aboveboard.

From the biography of Sima Guang in Song Dynasty edited by Tuotuo, the prime minister at the end of Yuan Dynasty.

Excerpt from the original:

Loyal, honest, diligent, honest, courteous. When I was in L.A., every time I went to visit the grave in Xiaxian County, I had to pass my brother Dan, who would be eighty years old. I would be honored as strict father and protected like a baby. Growing up, I never said anything wrong and said to myself, "I have no outstanding people, but I have never done anything in my life that I can't say to others." Sincere and natural, the world respects it. Luoyang, Shaanxi Province has its own virtues and shortcomings, saying, "You really don't know?"

Translation:

Sima Guang's filial piety is loyalty, honesty, frugality, integrity, laws to follow and courtesy to do. When I was in Luoyang, every time I went to visit the grave in Xiaxian, I went to see his brother Sima Dan, who was nearly eighty years old. Sima Guang served him like strict father and protected him like a baby. Sima Guang grew up and never talked nonsense. He himself said, "I have nothing extraordinary, but what I have done in my life, I have never said anything to others." Sincerity comes from nature, so the whole world admires him and believes him. Both Shaanxi and Luoyang were influenced by his morality. If one thing is not done well, he says, "Does Sima Jun really know?"

Extended data

The History of Song Dynasty was compiled at the end of Yuan Dynasty, with 47 biographies, 32 tables, 255 biographies and 496 biographies, about 5 million words. This is the largest official history book in the twenty-four histories.

As early as the early Yuan Dynasty, Kublai Khan of Yuan Shizu wrote a letter to repair the history of the Song Dynasty, but it was not written because of the uncertain style. At the end of Yuan Dynasty, the Prime Minister Tuotuo advocated that the three histories of Song, Liao and Jin should be compiled independently. This opinion was approved by Yuan Shundi. Since March of the third year of Zheng Zhi (A.D. 1343), the three histories were compiled at the same time. After a lapse of two and a half years, the history of the Song Dynasty was hastily written in October of the fifth year of Zheng Zheng (A.D. 1345).

The History of Song Dynasty was edited on the basis of the original History of Song State. Historians in the Song Dynasty were well organized, block printing was widely used, books were circulated and preserved conveniently, and a large number of historical materials were accumulated. This provided a good foundation for the revision of the History of Song Dynasty in Yuan Dynasty.

However, due to the haste of the editors of the History of Song Dynasty, there are many shortcomings in the tailoring of historical materials, the textual research and revision of historical facts, the revision of words and the style of books. For example, one person makes two biographies, saying that there is no biography, seeing several things, ignorance, discipline and biography, biography and biography, table and biography, biography and theory are contradictory, which complicates it in the twenty-five history.

The History of Song Dynasty is characterized by rich historical materials and detailed narration. In Song Dynasty, economy was prosperous, culture and scholarship were active, and block printing was popular. The compiled history books are easy to publish and circulate. With the development of the imperial examination system, a large number of civil servants have been formed. They are well paid and have good writing conditions. In addition, the rulers attached importance to compiling the history of the dynasty, which also promoted the development of historiography in the Song Dynasty.

The historical compilation of this dynasty was undertaken by Chongwen Academy in the early Northern Song Dynasty. After Wang Anshi's political reform reformed the official system, the secretary province was mainly responsible. The history of contemporary official training includes the Official Notes, which records the words and deeds of the emperor, the records of the prime minister, the ruling proceedings and the current affairs with the emperor, and the meetings that record the laws and regulations in detail in the calendar compiled on a monthly and daily basis, as well as the chronicle and biography National History. The History of the Song Dynasty compiled at the end of the Yuan Dynasty was compiled by Yuan people using the old History of the Song Dynasty, which basically preserved the original appearance of the national history of the Song Dynasty.

The History of the Song Dynasty recorded the politics, economy, military affairs, culture, ethnic relations, laws and regulations of the Song Dynasty and many people who were active in this historical period in detail. It is the basic historical data for studying the history of more than 300 years in the Song Dynasty.

For example, from the Chronicle of Foodstuffs, we can not only see the general situation of social and economic development in the Song Dynasty and the strengthening of the joint economic attack of various ethnic groups and regions in China, but also see the great material wealth created by the working people beyond the previous generation and the cruel exploitation suffered. Astronomical and meteorological data, scientific data and rich historical materials about natural disasters such as earthquakes are kept in astronomy, calendars and the chronicles of the five elements.

Baidu encyclopedia-Sima guang biography