In the turbulent situation of the late Qing Dynasty, there was such a famous minister, Zuo, who wrote such a couplet after experiencing ups and downs: "Make a first-class wish, make a first-class love and enjoy a second-class blessing;" If you choose to stand tall, sit flat and walk wide. "The second half of the couplet is regarded as a wise saying by many people, and just twelve words tell the three levels of life.

Zuo was a famous politician, strategist and thinker in the late Qing Dynasty. He was born in a scholarly family when he was young. Under the guidance of his parents, he has been familiar with Confucius and Mencius since childhood, reciting articles and having a strong interest in learning. But he not only studied hard, but also applied the truth in the book to practice, accumulated knowledge and realized his lofty ideals. So when I was a teenager, I wrote: "I don't have half an acre, and my heart is worried about the world; Read through thousands of books and be friends with the ancients. " Such lofty aspirations are rare in the world.

By middle age, Zuo was already a world-famous minister, and people at that time also called him "Zeng Zuo" with Zeng Guofan. Because Zuo has always been conceited, he is very dissatisfied with this title. I once deliberately asked the attendants around me: "Why do people call it Zeng Zuo instead of Zuo Zeng?" The attendant replied: "Because Ceng Gong has Zuo Gong in his eyes, but Zuo Gong has no Ceng Gong in his eyes." Zuo meditated for a long time and realized his own problems. It turns out that everyone knows his own conceit.

From then on, he began to learn to put down his airs, try to get rid of his usual conceit and learn from others with a peaceful mind. The measure of a person's greatness is not what great achievements he has, but whether he can live peacefully under the aura of great achievements.