When someone is an outstanding talent, he or she will be said to have “both moral integrity and talent.” It can be seen that “morality” and “talent” are double standards for measuring whether a talent is excellent or not. For true talents, virtue and talent are indispensable.

Zeng Guofan’s requirements for talents were that he hoped that talents would have good morals and solid learning, and he also hoped that they could apply these virtues and learning to solve some real problems in life. The world does not need preachers of morality, but people who adhere to the bottom line of morality. It does not need talents without moral standards, but gentlemen who can promote the normal development of the overall destiny.

Original text

Virtue without talent to supplement it is close to a fool; talent without virtue to dominate it is close to a villain.

Translation

A person who has morality but no talent to assist him is similar to a stupid person. A person who has talent but no morality to guide him is similar to a stupid person. Villain.

From "The Complete Works of Zeng Guofan" by Zeng Guofan of the Qing Dynasty