The story of jade that cannot be polished until it becomes useless - Ouyang Xiu's admonition:

Ouyang Xiu's family motto "The Theory of Teaching" has also been passed down to this day and has a wide influence. He said to his son in "The Theory of Teaching": "If jade is not cut, it will not become a tool; if a person does not learn, he will not know. However, jade is a thing and has unchanging virtues. Even if it is not cut to be a tool, it does not harm the jade. "Human nature changes due to things, and if you don't learn, you will abandon the gentleman and become a villain, don't you think about it?"

It means that if jade is not carefully carved, it cannot be made into utensils; if If people don't study hard, they won't understand the truth. However, something like jade has its eternal characteristics. Even if it is not made into an object, it is still jade, and its characteristics will not be damaged. Human nature will change when affected by external things.

Therefore, if people do not learn, they will give up cultivating the noble moral character of a gentleman and become a villain with bad conduct. Ouyang Xiu used this to warn his son to endure hardships, study hard, improve his knowledge and moral connotation, and then make a difference.

Extended information

"If a jade is not polished, it will not become a useful tool; if a person does not learn, he will not know." It comes from "Book of Rites·Xue Ji", which reflects the educational thought of Pre-Qin Confucianism. It was later included in the "Three Character Classic" and became a popular saying.

"If jade is not carved, it will not become a tool, and if people do not learn it, they will not know it." It means that jade cannot become a beautiful object without being carved; if people do not learn it, they will not understand Confucianism. Therefore, when the three kings in ancient times established the country and ruled the people, they had to establish education as their first priority.

The basic law of education is contained in "If a jade is not polished, it will not become a tool." Therefore, "Xue Ji" goes on to talk about "people do not know if they do not learn." The "know" we talk about today means mastering certain information, while the "know" of the ancients meant "knowing the way."

"If jade is not carved, it will not become a useful tool; if a person does not learn, he will not know." The two have the same ideological logic - the beauty of jade must not only retain its naturalness, but also be logical. Only by polishing can it become a treasure; human nature is good, and we must respect our true nature and continue to educate ourselves in order to be on the right path.

Gansu Discipline Inspection and Supervision Network-Ouyang Xiujiezi: Jade cannot be used if it is not polished

People's Daily Online-Jade cannot be used if it is not polished; if a person does not learn, he does not know

Yu CityNet - Eighty idiom stories and allusions that happened in Shangqiu (Jade cannot be used without polishing it)