A famous saying by Wang Chong of the Han Dynasty

A famous saying by Wang Chong of the Han Dynasty is as follows:

1. Live in pleasure but never let go of desire; live in poverty but never tire of ambition.

2. Those who are not good in virtue cannot be far-sighted, and those who are not talented cannot be broad-minded.

3. A gentleman is not afraid of tigers, but is afraid of the slanderous mouth of his husband.

4. Don’t seek wealth if you work hard, wealth will come to you.

5. If the chisel continues, the trench will be deep; if the ax continues, the salary will increase.

6. The words that are unique are not given up by the nobles, but the common people are not good at them; the books that confuse the public are praised by the fools, but the sages flee.

7. If you are a farmer, you will win in the field; if you are a businessman, you will be a good person.

8. The heart of etiquette and righteousness is born; the plentiful etiquette and righteousness are important, and the foundation of peace is established.

9. Rewards are given based on merit, and punishments are given based on crime.

10. It is beneficial to transformation, but it cannot be eliminated even if it is small; it is not helpful to politics, but it cannot be eliminated even if it is big.

The relevant deeds of Wang Chong are as follows:

1. Wang Chong was a famous thinker and educator in the Eastern Han Dynasty. He was born in a poor family. He was smart, studious and good at thinking since he was a child. In his early years, he studied at Taixue in Luoyang, the capital, under the famous scholar Ban Biao, and mastered rich knowledge of Confucian classics.

2. He was not satisfied with the constraints of traditional Confucian classics. Instead, he read a wide range of books and conducted in-depth research in philosophy, history, literature and other fields, forming his own unique ideological system. Wang Chong's ideological system takes materialism and atheism as its core, emphasizing rational thinking and empirical research. He believed that the world was composed of matter, and human consciousness and spirit were also the result of material movement.

3. He opposed superstition and mysticism and advocated exploring the nature and laws of things based on facts and experience. Wang Chong's educational thoughts are also quite unique. He believes that the purpose of education is to cultivate talents with independent thinking ability and moral character. He advocates teaching students in accordance with their aptitude, emphasizing practice and application, and emphasizing the cultivation of students' practical abilities and social responsibility.

4. He also advocates diligent study and practice, believing that only continuous learning and practice can improve one's abilities and qualities. In addition to being a thinker and educator, Wang Chong is also an outstanding litterateur.

5. His work "Lunheng" is a philosophical work with high literary value and an important carrier of his ideological system. His articles are sharp, profound, and highly persuasive and infectious.