Chapter 7 Maxims 81~100

81．renew your splendor This is the secret to Phoenix regeneration.Excellence will eventually fade away, and fame will last forever.After a long time, even the greatest respect will be eroded, and even the most outstanding achievements will be defeated by mediocrity in old age.Therefore courage, talent, happiness and everything else should be constantly renewed.Dare to reappear your splendor, like the scorching sun, which shines again and again.Convergence is intended to make people miss it even more; replaying the glory is to make them applaud and cheer. 82．Nothing is perfect A wise man sums up all wisdom as a mean.Overregular error.Squeezed orange juice will only be bitter.Even when you are happy, you should not go to extremes. If you abuse your talents, you will be exhausted; if you milk the cows like a tyrant, you will only get blood.

83．allow yourself to be forgiven Being flippant is sometimes the best way to help others see your talents.Jealousy is usually manifested as rejection of people, and the more civilized the jealousy is, the greater the crime.The reason why envy indicts the perfect is precisely that perfection cannot be tolerated; absolute perfection is condemned.Jealousy turns man into Argos, the hundred-eyed giant who seeks out flaws in perfection for the sole purpose of comforting himself.Criticism is like lightning, always striking the highest places.It is for this reason that even Homer is bound to fall short, and so you have to pretend that you have wisdom or courage—but not prudence—and careless mistakes.Only in this way will the maliciousness calm down and no more poisonous foam will fly around.It's like waving your red cape in the face of a jealous bull so you can escape and become immortal.

①A man with many eyes in Greek mythology. It is said that he has a hundred eyes. --Translator's note ②The reference to Horace's "The Art of Poetry" means that even a great poet like Homer has some unsatisfactory writing. -- Ze Zhe Note 84．To know how to use the enemy When grabbing things, don't grasp the blade, the blade will hurt you; but if you grasp the handle, the knife can protect you.This principle also applies to competitions.A wise man finds more use in his enemies than a fool finds use in his friends.The mountain of difficulty that is regarded as daunting by good intentions is often easily leveled by malice.The greatness of many men is largely due to their enemies.Flattery is more sinister than hatred, because hatred corrects the wrong that flattery conceals.The prudent find a mirror in the evil eyes of others.It is truer than a loving mirror, making one lessen one's faults or correct them.Everyone becomes extra cautious when coming face to face with a malevolent opponent.

85．don't change cards Great things are easily abused.Everyone covets something, and it is easy to worry about it.To be useless is a bad thing, but to be useful to everything is worse.Some are as contemptuous as they were once desired to be at once because of their victories and their defeats.This change of cards exists in every kind of perfection.They lose the reputation they initially gained for being unique and are dismissed as mediocre.The cure for extremes lies in a moderate display of talent.Perfection should be pursued extremely, but the display should be measured.The brighter the torch, the more it consumes and the shorter its duration.To be truly respected, you must be perceived as rare.

86．stop rumors The crowd is a many-headed monster, with many eyes for malice, and tongues for slander.Sometimes rumors arose that wiped out the best of names.If it sticks to you like a nickname, your good name will disappear.The masses are usually interested in a glaring weakness, or some ridiculous blemish - because those are good subjects for whispers.Sometimes these imperfections are cunningly created out of thin air by our jealous adversaries.Bad mouthed jokes ruin reputations faster than brazen lies.Acquiring a bad reputation is fairly easy, because bad things are easy to believe and hard to erase.Let the prudent man avoid these, and heed those vulgar and insolent words and deeds, for prevention is better than cure.

87．culture and upbringing Man is born a barbarian.Culture raises man above animals.Culture makes us truly human -- and the more cultured we are, the greater we are.The Greeks used this view to refer to other people in the universe as "barbarians".Ignorance equals rudeness and foolishness.Nothing is more enlightening than knowledge.But wisdom itself becomes rough without grinding.Not only the understanding, but our desires, and especially our conversation, need to be cultivated.Some show a natural upbringing in their inner and outer gifts, in their concepts, words, and bodily ornaments (like the bark), and in their spiritual gifts (like the fruit).Others are so vulgar that they stain everything, even their good qualities, with their unbearably rough slovenliness.

88．treat others generously Aim high.Great people are never petty.When talking to someone, especially when the subject is unpleasant, you don't have to go into all the details.Be mindful of something, but be casual.It's not good to turn a conversation into trivial inquiries.Show a courteous, noble magnanimity.That's a style, and one of the keys to dominance is pretending to be indifferent to things.Learn to ignore most things that happen to your friends, acquaintances, and especially your enemies.Excessive caution is unpleasant.If it's part of your personality, you're pretty annoying.Worrying about unpleasant things is tantamount to being insane.Remember, people usually do what they are: with their heart and their abilities.

89．Self-awareness Be aware of your character, wisdom, judgment, and emotions.If you do not know yourself, you cannot control yourself.A mirror can be used to look at one's face, but the only thing that can be used to observe one's own mind is wise self-reflection.When you stop worrying about your external image, try to fix and improve your inner image.To do things wisely, take an accurate estimate of your prudence and intelligence, judge how you will meet challenges, measure your depth and wit. 90．The art of living long and living well Two things lead to a premature end of life: stupidity and depravity.Some die because they do not know how to save their lives; others die because they do not want to save them; as virtue is its own reward, and vice its own punishment.He who spends his life in evil, his life is doubly short; but he who does good has eternal life.The power of the spirit is passed on to the flesh, and the good life has both good intentions and extensions.

91．Think twice If a man does something with a presentiment of failure, the spectator sees it clearly; when the spectator is the enemy, he sees it even more clearly.When your judgment wavers in the heat of emotion, cool down and find that foolishness.It is very dangerous to undertake a thing when you doubt its wisdom.The safer approach is to do nothing.Prudence does not stake its bets on probabilities, it is always under the control of the most powerful reason; how can something come to a good end when it is condemned by prudence while it is being conceived?Even well-scrutinized and unanimous resolutions can go awry, and what can we expect from matters that are met with intellectual skepticism and disapproval?

92．Must have extraordinary intelligence in any situation This is the highest rule of conduct, and the higher your position, the more necessary it is.An ounce of prudence is worth a pound of wit.Steady progress is more important than vulgar applause.A reputation for prudence is the highest praise you can earn.It is enough if you please the prudent man, whose approval is almost the touchstone of success. 93．generalist Perfect in every way, he was like many others, and he made every moment of life fun and passed it on to his friends.Variety and perfection make life full of joy.Knowing how to love beautiful things is an art.Since nature makes man the essence of the whole natural world, let art make a universe by training man's taste and intelligence.

94．unfathomable genius A prudent man should not let others see his wisdom and courage if he wants to be respected by others.Let others know you, but don't let them know you; no one sees the limits of your genius, and no one is disappointed.Letting others guess how great your genius is, or even doubting your genius, will win you more admiration than showing your genius-no matter how great your genius is. 95．keep expectations alive Constantly cultivate other people's expectations of you, let the expectations increase, let people expect greater performance because of your great performance.Don't start by showing everything you have.Concealing your strength and knowledge is your knack, and you work your way slowly to success. 96．good judgment Good judgment is the element of reason, the cornerstone of prudence, with which you can easily succeed.It is a gift from heaven, it is first and best.Good judgment is our armor without which we are said to be insane; without it we have much to lose.All actions in our lives depend on its direction and sanction, for all depend on the intellect.It is naturally inclined to whatever is most reasonable and decency. 97．become famous and keep your fame We like fame, but fame is hard to come by because it comes from excellence, and excellence is rare, just as mediocrity is common, and once earned it is easy to keep.It has many promises to fulfill, and it has many deeds to do.If it comes from noble birth and noble behavior, it has a majestic appearance.Genuine fame is really lasting fame. 98．hide your intentions Passion is the gate of the spirit.The most useful knowledge lies in disguising.Whoever shows their cards may lose.Don't let other people's attention get the better of your prudence and caution.When your adversary peeps at your thoughts like a lynx, cover it like a squid spews ink, and let no one discover your intention, foresee it, hinder it, or boast of it. 99．truth and appearance Things in the world, their appearance and reality are often different.Few people see the truth through appearances, and most of them are only satisfied with superficial appearances.How can it work if you want to be a gentleman with a fierce face on your face! 100．Do not indulge in illusions and deceptions He who is not immersed in illusion and deceit is a virtuous and wise gentleman, a noble philosopher.But don't be superficial, and don't flaunt your virtues.Philosophy is no longer respected, even though it is the main way of pursuing wisdom.People no longer respect the science of prudence.Seneca introduced it to Rome, and for a time the aristocrats emulated it, but it was now found useless and obnoxious.Not being hypocritical, however, is the chief element of prudence, and the joy of the upright.