Chapter 6 Maxim 61~80

61．Excellence in a noble cause Among the perfect qualities, this is the rarest.Every hero must have some kind of noble quality.The mediocre will never win applause.Excellence in noble causes can make us different from ordinary people and make us extraordinary people.There is nothing so great about doing well in a menial profession: the easier the achievement comes, the less honorable it is.Excellence in a noble cause makes you a king: praises are heard everywhere, and everyone's heart aspires to it. 62．Use the tools to get the best Some people use poor tools and want people to think they have special skills.This is a dangerous kind of self-satisfaction, and it is reasonable to suffer a big setback.The greatness of being a king will never be diminished by the ability of the prime minister.On the contrary, all the credit for success is usually given to the master of the undertaking, just as the fault of failure is also to the master of the cause.Those who achieve success and fame are the top people.People never say that someone "has a good job or a bad craftsman", but that someone is "highly skilled or low-minded".So you have to carefully select and inspect your subordinates.On them you will entrust your immortality.

63．be the first to strike first If you're truly exceptional, it's better to start first, which will give you the benefit of a double loan.Assuming other conditions are equal, whoever makes the first move must first have the upper hand.Some people could have taken the lead in the industry they are engaged in, but they let others who are not as good as them take the lead.The one who takes the lead is the eldest son of fame (has the right of inheritance - the translator's note), and the one who arrives later is the second son (without the right of inheritance - the translator's note).No matter how diligent the latter is, it is always inevitable to follow in the footsteps of others.Subtle geniuses always succeed by inventing new paths, taking care not to make mistakes in their ventures.Smart people are good at being unconventional, and eventually they can become a forest of heroes.Some people would rather be at the top of the second-rate than the second-rate (or: rather be the mouth of a chicken than the queen-translator's note).

64．avoid worry It is both wise and beneficial to try to stay away from troubles and scourges.Acting cautiously will save you from many troubles, so prudence can be said to be the goddess Nusina who brings you luck and peace of mind.Don't bring irrevocably bad news to others, let alone receive such bad news yourself.Some people have heard too much sweet flattery, and it is difficult for their ears to distinguish between good and bad; It's difficult to survive without a dose of poison.Nor is it good policy to spend your whole life miserable in order to please someone else (even if he is your close friend).Some people have advised you, but he has not taken any risks in doing so, so you don't have to take your own happiness seriously in order to please him.When giving pleasure to others means giving yourself pain, remember this lesson: It is better to let someone else suffer a little now than to let yourself suffer irreparably later.

①Nusina, the Roman goddess of childbirth.Juno and Diana also use this surname. ②King Pontus, fearing the enemy's poison, took a little poison every day to make his body resistant to poison. 65．taste must be elegant Refined taste, like wit, can be cultivated.A thorough understanding of things can open your appetite and increase your desires, so that when you get what you want afterward, you will feel twice as happy.You can judge the quality of a man's intelligence by looking at what he is after.The higher the intellect, the greater the goals it pursues.Open your mouth wide, and the things you bite down will also be large; those with lofty minds must engage in noble careers.In the presence of the refined and refined tastes, even the greatest and most eminent men are awed, and the most perfect lose their self-confidence.There are few things that can be perfected to the highest level, so when you appreciate it, don't be too demanding.The acquisition of interest has to do with connecting with other people.Through continuous practice, you finally form your own appreciation taste.If you can associate with those who appreciate the perfection of taste, you are in luck.However, don't claim to be dissatisfied with everything, this is a stupid extreme psychology.It would be all the more abominable if this extremeness were due to affectation rather than natural disposition.Some people hope that God has created another world and other perfect things, just to satisfy their own unrealistic imaginations.

66．act well Some people pay attention to whether they follow the rules and conform to the rules, but they don't pay attention to whether they can achieve the final goal.Therefore, no matter how hard they work, once they fail, they will lose face in the end.Winners are never asked to explain why they won.Most people don't pay attention to the specific process, but only judge heroes by success or failure.As long as you can achieve your goals as you wish, you will definitely gain fame.No matter how unpleasant your means may be, all is well in the end.If you need to be unscrupulous to get things done, then unscrupulous is precisely the real means.

67．do whatever line of work gets you compliments Most things are good or bad depending on other people's satisfaction.Perfection needs praise and help like delicate flowers need spring breeze: life depends on breathing.There are some professions that everyone likes, but there are also some professions that are more important, but are not easily noticed by ordinary people.The former is obvious to all, and everyone likes it; the latter is relatively rare and requires deeper attainments, but it is a pity that it is subtle and difficult to show, although it is respectable, it is especially respectable.The most famous kings are those who are victorious, so the kings of Aragorn are universally praised for being great conquerors and heroes of the field.A great man should favor those most prestigious occupations, those which are known to all, and which can be practiced by all.If he can win everyone's praise, he can achieve immortal fame.

68．let people understand you It is better to be understood than to be remembered, for intellect is greater than memory.There are times when you should remind others and other times when you should advise them about the future.Some people don't do what they should have done when the time came, simply because they simply forgot about it.You should offer advice in a friendly manner, pointing out the pros and cons.It is a great talent to be sensitive to the situation.Once you lack this talent, you will lose many opportunities for success.Let those who have insight explain the confusion to others; let those who lack insight pursue this wisdom.You must be cautious when pointing out people's doubts, and you must be cautious when making people pursue the ability to point out doubts.Special care must be taken especially if the confidant himself is in danger of being involved.When hints aren't enough, it's best to show your good taste and appear more open.If the other party has blatantly said the word "no", then you have to pursue the word "yes" cleverly.In most cases, you didn't get something because you didn't go after it.

69．Don't give in to every common impulse A great man is not immediately moved by the slightest thought.Prudence lies in self-reflection: knowing or predicting your temperament, and doing the opposite, so as to balance people's scheming and nature.Self-examination begins with self-knowledge.Some people are born mad and always act according to their temper, and any disturbance will affect their emotional changes.At the mercy of this vicious imbalance, they act in contradictory ways.This excessive madness not only destroys their will, but also impairs their judgment, and disturbs their desires and understandings.

70．Refuse politely You can't give everything to everyone. Giving and refusing are equally important, especially for those who give orders. The key to the problem is how to say no.Some people's refusals are more valuable than others' promises: sometimes a gilded "no" is more satisfying than a court promise.There are many people who always say "no" and make a mess of things.They may back down after the fact, but others will not like them because they are a disappointment in the first place.Say no to people, don't say no too hard, let people feel their disappointment bit by bit, and never say no once and for all: that way, people don't count on you anymore.There should always be an aftertaste of hope to sweeten the pain of rejection a little.Even if you cancel the previous benefits, you must be very polite. Even if there is no compensation in action, you might as well use lip service to make up for it. "Yes" and "No" are very short to say, but it is really painstaking to say them properly.

71．Don't be inconsistent because of your temper or coquettishness It is in this that the prudent man shows his mastery by being consistent in all things pertaining to perfection.Only the fundamental reasons of the matter and the relative interests and gains and losses can change his behavior.In matters of prudence, capriciousness is the most taboo.Some people change every day, their luck changes every day, and their will and understanding change every day.Yesterday they were only concessions, today they have turned backwards.It's baffling that they've tarnished their own reputation.

72．be decisive Errors in enforcing the law do less harm than indecisiveness.Things that are stationary are more likely to be damaged than things that are in motion.Some people always can't make up their minds and need to be urged by others.Many times this is not due to their lack of judgment, but to their procrastination, for they are actually quite sensible people.They are shrewd if they can see the difficulties, but they are really shrewd if they take refuge well.There are others who will never be hindered by anything, and who possess superior judgment and strong determination.They are born to do noble things, and their good judgment makes it easy for them to succeed.They always do what they say, and there is still room for things to be done.They are very sure of their luck, so they can achieve greater glory with greater confidence. 73．Retreat wisely Retreating in a proper way is a clever way for a prudent person to overcome difficulties.Even in the most perplexing mazes, they manage to get themselves out of danger with one of the most elegant jokes.This is the source of the courage of the greatest soldier, Gonzalo.You can be kind to him and say the opposite, the purpose is to change the subject.The smartest way to do this is to pretend that the subject is not you but someone else. 74．be kind The wildest animals live in cities.One of the vices of the ignorant is making people inaccessible.They use honor to change tempers.Getting angry at every turn is by no means a recipe for fame.When you think about it, this kind of person is nothing more than a bad-tempered monster, ready to act wild and rude at any time.When the unfortunate servant approached him, as if approaching a tiger, he carefully protected himself with a whip.This kind of person once groveled and flattered everyone in order to seek high positions; now, once he is in power, he wants to make everyone feel unhappy, so as to clear up his old shame.In fact, because of his current high position, he should have become a figure that everyone wants to be close to and admire, but because of his meanness, rudeness and vanity, everyone shuns him.The most polite punishment for such a person is to ignore him at all.If you are truly wise, use your wisdom to benefit others. 75．Learn from heroes Choose a hero to be your role model, but you're better off competing with him than copying him.There are great men of every description in the world, who take as their model one of the top men in their profession, not to follow him mechanically, but to surpass him.Alexander wept secretly in front of the tomb of Hercules, but he was not crying for Hercules, but for himself, crying that he had no chance to enjoy a great name like Hercules.Of all things in the world, the reputation of others can most arouse one's own ambition.The reputation of others is like a clarion call to encourage people to forge ahead, which can make people forget their pure jealousy and rise up to do a noble cause. ①According to Plutarch's account, Alexander wept at the tomb of Hercules because of jealousy, because the latter had the honor of becoming a hero and being recorded in Homer's epic and left his name in history. 76．don't keep kidding The key to prudence is that it is serious, and seriousness is easier to gain respect than being clever.People who are always joking are rarely perfect and easy to become a laughing stock.We see him as a liar and never believe him.On the one hand, we are afraid of being deceived by him, and on the other hand, we are even more afraid of being ridiculed by him.One never quite knows when a jester is talking seriously, which is almost as if he has nothing serious to say.There is no worst kind of humor than the kind that never ends.There are people who gain a reputation for being funny and lose it in the end.Of course there should be jokes, but other times it should be serious. 77．Align yourself with others Be a Proteus who is fickle and decent in words and deeds.When you communicate with scholars, you should show your knowledge in your conversation; when you communicate with saints, your behavior should be noble.This is a great way to gain goodwill.Because of similar habits, it is easy to have a good impression, and then they will be congenial.You should first observe the other person's temperament and temperament, and then determine how to get along with it.No matter whether he is unsmiling or lively and funny, you should be aware of it, so that you can go along with the flow and give courtesy to others.This is even more important if you want something from the other person.Even if you're just trying to be a steady person, adjusting yourself to fit in with others is a useful principle in life.Of course, this is not something ordinary people can do.But for people who are well-educated and have a wide range of interests, this is also difficult for him. ① Proteus is a figure in Greek mythology, known for being good at deformation. --Translator's note 78．Doing things skillfully is exploring Foolish people are always in haste, because most of them are foolish.They are too simple-minded to foresee danger or worry about their reputation being ruined.But the prudent are wary.They think carefully, conduct on-the-spot investigations, and then act to ensure safety.A wise man knows that reckless actions will always fail, though sometimes fate will spare them.If you don't know the depth, I advise you to walk slowly, you might as well keep your eyes wide open, your ears straight, be cautious, and grope forward, so that you can keep your feet on the ground.In today's world, when interacting with people, there are cakes everywhere.It is really the best policy to observe and think more. 79．light-hearted personality If it can be tempered, this will not be a defect, but a great advantage.Maybe wit would have icing on the cake.The greatest men succeed in winning crowds with grace and humor.But they also place great value on prudence and never make a faux pas.Others see banter as a quick way to get out of trouble.Some things should be laughed at, even those that others take seriously.This will show a considerable degree of easy-going and easy-going, which will have a wonderful charming effect on others. 80．Be cautious about being well-informed Life is alive, and most of it is used to gain knowledge.But there are very few things that I personally see, and the rest depends on others to know.Our ears are the back door to truth and the front door to falsehood.Most of the truth often depends on seeing, rarely relying on hearing.The truth that the eyes and ears come into contact with is seldom absolutely genuine, and the so-called truth that comes from afar is even more impure.Once it is spread by people, it will often mix with the emotions of the spreaders.As long as emotions act on things, they will add a layer of color, make them disgusting or pleasing, and make us biased towards a certain impression.The praisers deserve our attention more than the critics.We must see through his intentions, where he is going, and what he is planning.Beware of hypocritical people and people who often make mistakes.