The meaning of Zeng Guofan's Six Precepts:
1. Do not do anything that is of short-term benefit, and do not go to the place where everyone is fighting.
Don’t do things that are always profitable, and don’t go where everyone wants to go. Don't enter the dangerous city, everyone yearns for what you desire, it may be harmful.
The first half of the sentence says that there is nothing permanent in the world, and there can be no long-term profits. If there is such a thing that can always make profits, then it can only be said that this kind of thing is superficial or a scam. , you must keep a clear mind at this time.
The second half of the sentence is about safety. You should not go to places where people are arguing or fighting. It is easy to cause trouble or disaster.
2. Don’t abandon people’s great beauty with small evils, and don’t forget people’s great kindness with small grudges.
Don’t ignore other people’s advantages because of their small shortcomings, and don’t ignore other people’s great kindness because of small grudges. People will make mistakes as long as they do things. These two sentences tell us not to completely deny the goodness of others and forget the kindness of others because of their small faults, small moral flaws, and small grudges.
3. Talking about other people's shortcomings is to protect one's own shortcomings, and praising one's own strengths is to avoid others' strengths.
People who often talk about other people's shortcomings and often boast about their own strengths can be said to have "poor intentions and too narrow knowledge." Frequently talking about other people's shortcomings and boasting about one's own strengths is not only a sign of low emotional intelligence. His performance will inevitably bring resentment to himself and sow the seeds of trouble.
The meaning of Zeng Guofan's words clearly paints a spiritual portrait of this kind of person. People who often talk about other people's shortcomings are actually using this to cover up their own shortcomings; people who often boast about their own strengths are actually jealous or want to cover up other people's strengths.
4. Profits can be overwhelming but not independent, and planning can be achieved by few but not by many.
Benefits are often what everyone is eager to obtain. If someone monopolizes the benefits and does not share them with everyone, he will definitely arouse resentment and even become the target of public criticism. Therefore, in the face of interests, we must weigh the trade-offs. When planning things, you must work with a few people who have their own opinions, rather than planning things with everyone.
5. The mediocre people in the world, both ancient and modern, are all defeated by the word laziness. The talented people in the world, ancient and modern, are all defeated by the word arrogance.
Mediocre people are ordinary people, ordinary people. For ordinary people, there is no talent, and only hard work can achieve success, so the word "lazy" is the most taboo. As for those talented people, although they can take shortcuts based on their talent and are more likely to succeed, they are also prone to being arrogant, self-contained, and unwilling to learn from others, which is also why they are prone to failure.
Zeng Guofan is a good example of hard work. He was not actually smart, but he was able to achieve university knowledge and great careers with "diligence". It can be said that he is a role model for ordinary people.
6. When doing great things, knowledge should be the mainstay and talent as a supplement; when great things are accomplished, half of it is human planning and half of it is God's will.
To achieve great things, you first need to have profound experience and insight, and be assisted by talents; to achieve great things, half depends on human planning, and the other half depends on God's will and timing. will come. As the saying goes, it’s up to people to plan things, but it’s up to God to make things happen.
Zeng Guofan clearly told us that "knowledge" should be the main focus when doing great things, and talents and abilities are just supplementary. Therefore, people who are proud of their talents often find it difficult to achieve great things. Of course, "knowledge" here refers not only to knowledge, but also to experience and insight.
Zeng Guofan’s influence:
Zeng Guofan was the first person in Chinese history to truly actively practice. Under his guidance, China's first ship was built, marking the beginning of modern manufacturing; the first military engineering school was established, marking the beginning of modern higher education in China; the first translation and printing of Western books not only laid the foundation for modern Chinese science and technology, And it has greatly broadened the horizons of Chinese people.
It also arranged for the first batch of students to study in the United States and cultivated a large number of talents for the country, including Tang Shaoyi, the first prime minister of the Republic of China, Zhan Tianyou, the "father of railways" in China, and Liang Liang, Minister of Foreign Affairs in the late Qing Dynasty. Atsushi Yan and Tang Guoan, the first president of Tsinghua University, are among the best.