Zeng Guopan’s famous aphorisms

A summary of Zeng Guofan’s famous sayings are as follows

1. Putting understanding of talents first.

2. Start from scratch and reopen the world.

3. When the heart is extremely miserable, things are extremely prosperous.

4. Why choose a location? Why choose the time? But ask yourself if your determination is true!

5. The first is ambition, the second is knowledge, and the third is perseverance.

6. I do my best to listen to God. I just need to be cautious every day.

7. It must be more clumsy than clever, and then it can last.

8. The rice has become rice and the wood has become a boat, so we have to let it go.

9. If you don’t think deeply, you can’t create the Tao. What is gained without deep thought will be easily lost.

10. If you treat your relatives with love for your wife, you will never be unfilial. If you blame yourself with the same intention of blaming others, you will make few mistakes. If you forgive others with the same heart that you forgive yourself, then you will be friends with everyone.

11. Light wealth is enough to gather people, self-discipline is enough to convince others, broad-mindedness is enough to win people, and being proactive is enough to lead people.

12. Only by rectifying yourself can you transform others, and only by doing your best can you serve others.

13. When encountering a deceitful person, he will be unpredictable and changeable. If I treat him with sincerity, my skills will be exhausted.

14. If you do things faster than you think, it will be worse than when you do it, and if your intentions are not as good as calmness.

15. When people are in trouble, there is only one solution. After completing the conspiracy, you must take it calmly.

16. The heroes of entrepreneurship in prosperous times take open-mindedness as their first priority.

17. Avoid big words and be pragmatic.

18. Those who learn and give up are worse than those who do not learn and give up. Those who fail to learn will be arrogant because of their learning, and arrogance will lead to humiliation. Those who fail to learn and give up will feel ashamed of themselves and feel inferior. If they are humble, they are more courageous than what others call violent, and more talented than what others call monsters.

19. Saving trouble is the way to clear your mind, and reading is the way to save trouble.

20. Don’t keep your merits alone, and don’t shirk your faults.

21. The more painful the wisdom, the brighter it becomes.

22. Always mention the vitality.

23. There is nothing in the world that does not come from hardship, but it can be great and lasting.

24. Don’t criticize the ancients lightly.

25. Let go, be bold, and stop looking forward and backward.

26. What is learned from the outside and obtained from the inside is called Ming; what is learned from the inside and combined with the outside is called sincerity. Sincerity and Ming are the same.

27. In all matters in the world, consideration is more important, detailed execution is more important, hard planning is more important, and decision-making by others is more valuable than independence.

28. No small gain.

29. Don’t change what you say today because of small interests tomorrow.

30. Blame yourself for being thick and blame others for being thin.

31. Being troubled and worried is the time to hone your heroes.

32. There are two types of bad virtues that lead to failure: those who are proud and talkative.

33. A loss of reputation creates doubts far and near.

34. The more you use your spirit, the better it will come out. Don’t be too protective of your body because of your weak body.

35. Those who enjoy great fame without reality are bound to be in trouble.

36. When encountering difficulties, you must work hard with patience.

37. Don’t follow the crowd to be happy and fearful.

38. When dealing with things, it is important to think carefully and deal with them slowly. If you think carefully, you will get the feeling, and if you deal with it slowly, you will get it right.

39. One spirit has two eyes.

40. To have a broad mind, you must learn from the word plain.

41. It is better not to start a war for several days than to start a war without any arrangements and calculations.

42. To fight without panic, seek stability first and change secondly; do things quietly and odorlessly, and be precise and simple at the same time.

43. When God is right, people are right; when God is evil, people are evil.

44. People must be sincere, and then their careers will be great and long-lasting.

45. All mortals can be sages, and it has nothing to do with how much they read.