Those who love others will always be loved by others; those who respect others will always be respected by others. ——"Mencius Li Lou Xia" [Interpretation] He who loves others will always be loved by others, and who respects others will always be respected by others. How you treat others will often be treated in the same way. To be respected and loved, you must respect and love others. Heng: Often.
If you love your son, teach him righteousness and tolerate evil. ——"Zuo Zhuan·Yin Gong Three Years" [Interpretation] If you like your children, you should teach them morally and don't let them go down the wrong path. These were the words of Shi Que (què), an official of the Wei State during the Spring and Autumn Period, who advised Duke Zhuang of Wei. Duke Zhuang of Wei did not listen to the advice, and his favorite son Zhouxu was eventually killed. Doting will lead children to go astray. Fu, no. Na: enter, bring in.
Don’t nitpick but look for small flaws. ——"Han Feizi·General" [Interpretation] Don't pick on other people's minor flaws. No gold is pure, and no one is perfect. Picking on other people's minor flaws is one's own biggest shortcoming. Seek: to find. Flaw: defect.
Do not vent your anger and do not make mistakes. ——"The Analects of Confucius·Yong Ye" [Interpretation] Do not turn A's anger onto B, nor commit the same mistake again. Many people don't pay attention to their faults and even take them for granted. How great it would be if they could be like Yan Hui! To transfer anger: to divert anger. 2: Again, heavy.
If you don’t follow the rules, you can’t make a square or a circle. ——"Mencius Li Lou Shang" [Interpretation] Without compasses and rulers, rectangles and circles cannot be drawn. We must abide by certain rules and regulations in our lives and in doing things. Otherwise, everyone will do their own thing and everything will be in chaos. Rules: Rules and moments, two tools for correcting circles and squares, are metaphors for standards and regulations.
A person who has enough food and clothing knows about honor and disgrace. ——"Guanzi·Herdsmen" [Interpretation] Only when the granaries are abundant can the people understand the etiquette system; only when the food and clothing are abundant can the people know honor and shame. Material civilization is the basis of spiritual civilization. Those who govern a country must first consider the lives of the people. Lin (lǐn): granary. Real: substantial.
A difference of a hair is a thousand miles away. ——"Book of Rites·Jingjing" [Interpretation] There are small mistakes at the beginning. If they are not corrected in time, they will eventually lead to big mistakes. Everything is difficult at the beginning, and you must be cautious at the beginning; you must strive for excellence and meticulousness when conducting scientific research, otherwise it will cause heavy losses. Millimeter: A small unit of measurement, describing very few or extremely small. Miù: Error.
The ruler is short and the inch is long; things are deficient and wisdom is unclear. ——Warring States, Chu and Qu Yuan's "Bu Ju" [Interpretation] Although the ruler is longer than the inch, it appears shorter when compared with longer things. Although the inch is shorter than the ruler, it appears longer when compared with shorter things. ; Things always have their shortcomings, and wise people always have their unwiseness. People or things have their own strengths and weaknesses. We should not blame them for perfection, but should use their strengths and avoid weaknesses.
Do your duty without giving in to the teacher. ——"The Analects of Confucius·Wei Linggong" [Interpretation] When faced with benevolence and righteousness, even the teacher does not need to be humble to him. This sentence is somewhat similar to the meaning of "I love my teacher, but I love truth even more" (Aristotle). What should be done, such as elucidating benevolence and righteousness, defending truth, and upholding justice, must be done actively and proactively, and must not be shied away from.
The right person will get a lot of help, but the wrong person will get little help. ——"Mencius Gongsun Chou" [Interpretation] With the truth, those who are in line with justice will get help from more people, while those who violate the truth and are unjust will rarely get help. It tells us that truth and justice are invincible.
To study alone without friends is to be lonely and ignorant. ——"Book of Rites·Xue Ji" [Interpretation] If you just study alone without friends to discuss with you, you will be ignorant. Study partners have been proven to benefit learning progress.
Wealth cannot be lascivious, poverty cannot be moved, power cannot be subdued. ——"Mencius, Duke Teng Wen" [Interpretation] Wealth and honor cannot make his mind confused, poverty and lowliness cannot make him change his moral integrity, and power cannot make his will surrender. Only by achieving these three points can one be called a man. Mencius's words have been passed down from generation to generation and have inspired countless Chinese people.
The high bank is the valley, and the deep valley is the mausoleum. ——"The Book of Songs·The Turn of October" [Interpretation] The highlands turn into valleys, and the deep valleys turn into mountains. According to scientific speculation, the Himalayas were a vast ocean 70 million years ago, and the sea turned into mulberry fields, which is a metaphor for the ever-changing world. It also means that things always transform into their opposite under certain conditions.
If a worker wants to do his job well, he must first sharpen his tools. ——"The Analects of Confucius·Wei Linggong" [Interpretation] If a craftsman wants to do his job well, he must sharpen his tools in advance. It can be seen from this that if a person wants to be competent at work, he must first learn the skills well. If you read good books today, you will be able to make great achievements tomorrow.
Be kind to yourself and blame others poorly. ——"The Analects of Confucius·Wei Linggong" [Interpretation] Blame yourself more and blame others less. This sentence means to be strict with oneself and to be lenient with others. If you are strict with yourself, you will make rapid progress; if you are tolerant of others, you will stay away from resentment. Gongzi: oneself. The word "responsibility" is omitted after "thickness". Responsibility: blame, demand.
Every day it is new, it is new every day, and it is new every day. ——"Book of Rites·University" [Interpretation] If washing every day can make your face clean and fresh, then wash it every day to keep it clean and fresh, and keep it clean every day. This famous saying is the inscription carved on the plate by the founder of the Shang Dynasty Xianjun Tang, which is called "Soup Plate Inscription". It is engraved on the washing plate and can be seen every day, serving as a warning, reminder and encouragement. This refers to keeping your moral cultivation and mental outlook fresh and clean. Daily renewal: This refers to being renewed morally day by day.
Therefore, if wood is supported by a rope, it will be straight, and if metal is sharpened, it will be beneficial. ——"Xunzi Encouraging Learning" [Interpretation] Wood becomes straight after being processed by straight lines drawn with carpentry ink lines (woodworking tools); metal objects can be sharpened after being sharpened on a whetstone. These two metaphors are used to illustrate that after people learn, temper and reflect on themselves, they will become wiser, stop making mistakes, and become stronger. Li (lì): whetstone.