Down-to-earth and unremitting efforts-biography of Zeng Guofan
As an ordinary person, I regard Zeng Guofan as an example for my life. There are too many spirits worth learning.
Zeng Guofan has a stubborn grandfather. He doesn't believe in Feng Shui, doctors, monks and Taoist priests, but only believes that man can conquer nature. The rise of the Zeng family actually began with his grandfather. Through his efforts and changes, his family changed from a middle peasant to a small landlord, and spent a lot of money to let his children and grandchildren study, which opened the Zeng family's dream of imperial examination. He worshipped his grandfather since he was a child.
Zeng Guofan was the top scholar in seven subjects, and his father failed again and again. It was not until he was in his forties that he was admitted to the scholar. But they never give up on the road of reading. The "elevator criticism" in the sixth scientific research was the first major setback in his life. It is conceivable that he not only failed the exam many times, but also was criticized as a negative textbook in public, and how much blow and pressure he suffered.
This setback became a major turning point in his life. Instead of being defeated, he made greater progress. Small setbacks, small achievements, big setbacks. The past is like yesterday's death, and the future is like today's life. This adversity quotient, which faces setbacks, makes constant efforts and starts over, is what we need.
Of course, he can make a breakthrough from setbacks, and another important ability is the adaptability I am learning.
After being criticized in public for failing the sixth exam, Zeng Guofan deeply reflected on himself.
First, have a clear understanding of yourself and find corresponding solutions. The foundation is thin, the ambition is high, and the strength is endless. I don't know if it can't be far away. Admit that you are stupid, ambitious but incompetent. And know that there is only one way to solve the gap between ambition and mind, and that is superman's efforts. Like my grandfather, I have a tenacious spirit.
Second, comprehensive analysis, find out the reasons why I failed repeatedly in previous exams. You can't go back to the old ways. We must break through the past learning ideas and seek changes.
He compared his examination papers over the years with the model essays he read repeatedly and found his own problems. The style of writing is too formal, focusing on local polishing, lacking a sense of overall situation and overall momentum. Then I know that my most important task is to work hard on the overall situation and overall momentum of the article.
Like myself, I have been repeating the same old road, and I rarely find my real problems before specifying the next action. If I don't change, I will get the same result.
In the future, we should think of six steps to guide our actions, and we should not cut corners at the beginning.
People today are still smart. The smarter you are, the less effort you have, and the more shortcuts you take, the better. I am no exception. I want to be lazy and opportunistic.
Zeng Guofan said: "The world is the most clumsy, and it can beat the ingenuity of the world." Why?
First, clumsy people have no intellectual capital, so they are more open-minded and willing to pay than others.
Second, clumsy people always fail, because they have received a lot of frustration education since childhood. Therefore, the "adversity quotient", that is, the adversity quotient is relatively high, and the ability to resist blows is particularly strong.
Third, clumsy people don't know how to play tricks, don't take shortcuts, and only know how to get into a dead end when encountering problems.
Why did Zeng Guofan succeed in scientific research after breaking through the scholar? Because he laid a solid foundation and didn't take shortcuts on his feet.
Like Zuo and Li Hongzhang, they had superior intelligence in the early stage and walked fast, but their achievements in the later stage were far less than Zeng Guofan's.
As an ordinary person, I am not very smart. I should lay a solid foundation, make extreme efforts and learn from Mr. Zeng Guofan's "clumsy" spirit.