Topic
Character
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A Journey of a Thousand Miles
合抱之木,生於毫末;九層之臺,起於累土;千里之行,始於足下。
Great things begin small: a tree from a sprout, a tower from a basket of earth, a long journey from the first step.
Growth · Action · Character · Philosophy · Chinese classics
To Learn and Practice
子曰:「學而時習之,不亦說乎?有朋自遠方來,不亦樂乎?人不知而不慍,不亦君子乎?」
Learning practiced over time, friends from afar, and equanimity when misunderstood — the opening of the Analects.
Learning · Growth · Character · Chinese classics
The Obstacle Becomes the Way
For by these the mind doth turn and convert any impediment whatsoever, to be her aim and purpose. So that what before was the impediment, is now…
The mind can convert any impediment into its own aim; what was in the way becomes the readiest way.
Cognition · Action · Character · Philosophy · Western classics
Things and Views
Men are disturbed not by things, but by the views which they take of things.
People are disturbed not by things, but by the views they take of them.
Cognition · Character · Decision · Philosophy · Western classics
You Attract What You Are
Men do not attract that which they want, but that which they are.
People do not attract what they want; they attract what they are.
Character · Cognition · Growth · Western classics
Pain + Reflection = Progress
Pain + Reflection = Progress. There is no avoiding pain, especially if you're going after ambitious goals.
Treat pain as a signal; reflect on it deliberately, and it becomes progress.
Cognition · Growth · Character · Decision · Learning · Modern investor letters
Wealth Earns While You Sleep
Wealth is assets that earn while you sleep.
Wealth is assets that earn while you sleep; money and status are different games.
Wealth · Investing · Character · Cognition · Modern investor letters
The Definition of Patience
耐心,就是正视现实,承认很多事情需要时间慢慢发展,不轻易消耗自身资源强推。
Patience means facing reality, accepting that many things take time, and not burning your resources to force them.
Growth · Character · Decision · Action · Modern investor letters
Exponential Returns Come Later
指数增长的好投资,最大的回报往往是在后面几年。
In a good exponential investment, most of the return arrives in the later years.
Investing · Wealth · Growth · Character · Modern investor letters
See the Worthy and Aspire
子曰:「見賢思齊焉,見不賢而內自省也。」
See the worthy and aspire to match them; see the unworthy and examine yourself.
Character · Learning · Growth · Human nature · Chinese classics
Knowing Yourself Is Clarity
知人者智,自知者明。勝人者有力,自勝者強。知足者富。強行者有志。不失其所者久。死而不亡者壽。
Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is clarity. Mastering yourself is true strength.
Character · Philosophy · Cognition · Growth · Chinese classics
Know When to Stop
名與身孰親?身與貨孰多?得與亡孰病?是故甚愛必大費,多藏必厚亡,知足不辱,知止不殆,可以長久。
Fame and wealth cost life; knowing contentment and when to stop is how you last.
Wealth · Character · Philosophy · Decision · Chinese classics
Knowledge and Action Are One
知是行的主意,行是知的功夫;知是行之始,行是知之成。
Knowledge is the beginning of action; action is the completion of knowledge.
Learning · Action · Cognition · Character · Chinese classics
Life from Adversity, Death from Comfort
然後知生於憂患,而死於安樂也。
Adversity keeps a person alive; comfort lets them decay.
Character · Growth · History · Philosophy · Chinese classics
Life Is Not Short
We do not have a very short time assigned to us, but we lose a great deal of it: life is long enough to carry out the most important projects
Life is not short; we waste much of it. It is long enough for the most important work.
Character · Philosophy · Cognition · Action · Western classics
The Best Revenge
The best kind of revenge is, not to become like unto them.
The best revenge is refusing to become like the person who wronged you.
Character · Philosophy · Human nature · Cognition · Western classics
Live Deliberately
I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to…
Live deliberately, face the essential facts, and do not discover at death that you never lived.
Character · Philosophy · Growth · Learning · Western classics
Trust Thyself
Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string.
Trust your own judgment; every heart responds to that iron string.
Character · Philosophy · Decision · Growth · Western classics
Caigentan, Entry 1
棲守道德者,寂寞一時;依附權勢者,淒涼萬古。故達人觀物外之物,思身後之身,寧受一時之寂寞,毋取萬古之淒涼。
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Caigentan, Entry 2
涉世淺,點染亦淺;歷事深,機械亦深。故君子與其練達,不若樸魯;與其曲謹,不若疏狂。
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Caigentan, Entry 3
君子之心事,天青日白,不可使人不知。 君子之才華,玉韞珠藏,不可使人易知。
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Caigentan, Entry 18
蓋世功勞,當不得一個矜字; 彌天罪過,當不得一個悔字。
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Caigentan, Entry 19
完名美節,不宜獨任,分些與人,可以遠害全身; 辱行污名,不宜全推,引些歸己,可以韜光養德。
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Caigentan, Entry 21
家庭有個真佛,日用有種真道。人能誠心和氣,愉色婉言,使父母兄弟間,形骸兩釋,意氣交流,勝於調息觀心萬倍矣。
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Caigentan, Entry 28
處世不必邀功,無過便是功; 與人不求感德,無怨便是德。
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Caigentan, Entry 32
居卑而後知登高之為危,處晦而後知向明之太露; 守靜而後知好動之過勞,養默而後知多言之為躁。
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Caigentan, Entry 33
放得功名富貴之心下,便可脫凡; 放得道德仁義之心下,纔可入聖。
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Caigentan, Entry 36
待小人,不難於嚴,而難於不惡; 待君子,不難於恭,而難於有禮。
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Caigentan, Entry 39
教弟子,如養閨女,最要嚴出入,謹交遊。若一接近匪人,是清淨田中,下一不淨種子,便終身難植嘉禾矣。
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Caigentan, Entry 41
念頭濃者,自待厚,待人亦厚,處處皆濃; 念頭淡者,自待薄,待人亦薄,處處皆淡。 故君子居常嗜好,不可太濃豔,亦不宜太枯寂。
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Caigentan, Entry 42
彼富我仁,彼爵我義,君子固不為君相所牢籠; 人定勝天,志壹動氣,君子亦不受造物之陶鑄。
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Caigentan, Entry 52
我有功於人不可念,而過則不可不念; 人有恩於我不可忘,而怨則不可不忘。
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Caigentan, Entry 64
欹器以滿覆,撲滿以空全。故君子寧居無不居有,寧處缺不處完。
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Caigentan, Entry 72
十語九中,未必稱奇,一語不中,則愆尤駢集; 十謀九成,未必歸功,一謀不成,則訾議叢興。 君子所以寧默毋躁,寧拙毋巧。
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Caigentan, Entry 76
心不可不虛,虛則義理來居; 心不可不實,實則物欲不入。
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Caigentan, Entry 77
地之穢者多生物,水之清者常無魚。故君子當存含垢納污之量,不可持好潔獨行之操。
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Caigentan, Entry 83
風來疏竹,風過而竹不留聲; 雁度寒潭,雁去而潭不留影。 故君子事來而心始現,事去而心隨空。
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Caigentan, Entry 84
清能有容,仁能善斷;明不傷察,直不過矯。是謂蜜餞不甜,海味不鹹,纔是懿德。
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Caigentan, Entry 85
貧家淨掃地,貧女淨梳頭,景花雖不豔麗,氣度自是風雅。士君子一當窮愁寥落,奈何輒自廢弛哉。
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Caigentan, Entry 87
念頭起處,纔覺向慾路上去,便挽從理路上來。一起便覺,一覺便轉,此是轉禍為福,起死回生的關頭,切莫輕易放過。
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Caigentan, Entry 91
天薄我以福,吾厚吾德以迓之; 天勞我以形,吾逸吾心以補之; 天阨我以遇,吾亨吾道以通之。天且奈我何哉。
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Caigentan, Entry 96
君子而詐善,無異小人之肆惡; 君子而改節,不及小人之自新。
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Caigentan, Entry 99
澹泊之士,必為濃豔者所疑; 檢飾之人,多為放肆者所忌。 君子處此,固不可少變其操履,亦不可露其鋒芒。
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Caigentan, Entry 105
爽口之味,皆爛腸腐骨之藥,五分便無殃; 快心之事,悉敗身喪德之媒,五分便無悔。
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Caigentan, Entry 106
不責人小過,不發人陰私,不念人舊惡。三者可以養德,亦可以遠害。
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Caigentan, Entry 107
士君子持身不可輕,輕則物能撓我,而無悠閑鎮定之趣; 用意不可重,重則我為物泥,而無瀟灑活潑之機。
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Caigentan, Entry 109
怨因德彰,故使人德我,不若德怨之兩忘; 仇因恩立,故使人知恩,不若恩仇之俱泯。
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Caigentan, Entry 110
老來疾病,都是壯時招的; 衰後罪孽,都是盛時作的。 故持盈履滿,君子尤兢兢焉。
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Caigentan, Entry 118
衰颯的景象,就在盛滿中; 發生的機緘,即在零落內。 故君子居安,宜操一心以慮患;處變,當堅百忍以圖成。
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Caigentan, Entry 121
毋偏信而為奸所欺, 毋自任而為氣所使。 毋以己之長而形人之短, 毋因己之拙而忌人之能。
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Caigentan, Entry 133
青天白日的節義,自暗室屋漏中培來; 旋乾轉坤的經綸,自臨深履薄處繅出。
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Caigentan, Entry 134
父慈子孝,兄友弟恭,縱做到極處,俱是合當如此,著不得一毫感激的念頭。如施者任德,受者懷恩,便是路人,便成市道矣。
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Caigentan, Entry 137
功過不容少混,混則人懷惰墮之心; 恩仇不可太明,明則人起攜貳之志。
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Caigentan, Entry 138
爵位不宜太盛,太盛則危; 能事不宜盡畢,盡畢則衰; 行誼不宜過高,過高則謗興而毀來。
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Caigentan, Entry 140
德者才之主,才者德之奴。有才無德,如家無主而奴用事矣,幾何不魍魎猖狂。
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Caigentan, Entry 142
當與人同過,不當與人同功,同功則相忌; 可與人共患難,不可與人共安樂,安樂則相仇。
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Caigentan, Entry 143
士君子,貧不能濟物者,遇人癡迷處,出一言提醒之;遇人急難處,出一言解救之,亦是無量功德。
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Caigentan, Entry 144
飢則附,飽則颺;燠則趨,寒則棄,人情通患也。 君子宜淨拭冷眼,慎毋輕動剛腸。
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Caigentan, Entry 148
事業文章隨身銷毀,而精神萬古如新; 功名富貴逐世轉移,而氣節千載一日。 君子信不當以彼易此也。
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Caigentan, Entry 154
節義傲青雲,文章高白雪,若不以性情陶鎔之,終為血氣之私,技能之末。
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