The literal meaning of this sentence is that if you want to achieve great success without understanding Zeng Guofan, it will be useless even if you read hundreds of books.
Qing history expert Zhang Hongjie once said in his book "The Front and Side of Zeng Guofan": "The greatest significance of Zeng Guofan to future generations is that he used his own practice to prove that a middle-aged man, through edification and change, can You can become a superman. In other words, if a person sincerely devotes himself to self-improvement, his ability can increase tenfold, his knowledge can become tenfold, his mind can expand tenfold, and his temperament can be purified tenfold."
So-called. Since ancient times, sages can be admired but not learned. Only Zeng Guofan can be admired and learned. Why is this?
As the commander-in-chief of the Hunan Army, Zeng Guofan holds great power. His annual military expenditure exceeds hundreds of thousands of taels. It is simply too easy to make a fuss about military expenditure. But after Zeng Guofan died, his family had no money left.
In his decades of military service, he should be the most honest governor in the Qing Dynasty. Zeng Guofan had a wide network of contacts. Almost all the frontier officials in the thirteen provinces were recommended by him, and he often received gifts of thanks. He didn't want to reject people thousands of miles away and offend others, so he picked the most inconspicuous gift from everyone and accepted it.
Bao Chao once gave him sixteen packages of gold and silver jewelry. He picked out a small felt hat and accepted it, then asked Bao Chao to take it back intact. Over time, everyone looked at Zeng Guofan in a different light, and were willing to work with him and obey his commands.
Extended information:
Since ancient times, the right time, right place, right people and the right people are indispensable for achieving great things. But in addition to these factors, your own mentality is also very important. Zeng Guofan was mediocre in talent but extremely popular, and was known as the only saint in modern times. His success is of great significance for us ordinary people to learn from.
Zeng Guofan recorded in his diary the three mentalities necessary for those who achieve great things, study them calmly, and learn the wisdom of saints.
1. No love for the past
Zeng Guofan believes that if you dwell on the achievements of the past, you will stop moving forward and achieve great things. If you are satisfied with your past cognition, you will not be able to accept new perspectives and knowledge, making yourself short-sighted. If you regret your past mistakes, it will make you timid, but it will not help.
People should abandon past achievements, maintain a humble attitude, and embrace unknown knowledge. Although Zeng Guofan held a high position, he never used his power to dominate and treated his colleagues with humility and courtesy. Zeng Guofan's way of dealing with others has always been highly praised by others. When others commented on Zeng Guofan, they said that interacting with him was like a spring breeze.
2. The present is not complicated
The past cannot be changed and the future cannot be predicted. The only thing that can be done is to live in the present and focus on everything now. Zeng Guofan believes that when doing things, you must stay focused and have no distracting thoughts in order to do your best. Build the pagoda to the top and ferry people to the river. The most taboo thing about doing things is half-heartedness. If you don’t have perseverance, you will end up doing nothing and accomplishing nothing.
Zeng Guofan had a habit of reading. If he didn’t finish reading one page of the book, he would never read the next page. If he didn’t finish reading one book, he would never read another one. He knows that his talent is not high, so he can only work harder to make up for the gap with others. Facts have proven that ordinary people can achieve great results even if they work hard.
3. The future is not welcome
Zeng Guofan’s purpose in life is to “don’t ask about harvest, but about hard work”, which is a reflection of his heart. He warned his children to concentrate on doing things and not think about how much gain it can bring. As long as you try your best, there is nothing to regret even if you fail in the end.
When many people do something, they get distracted halfway through and cannot accept it when they fail in the end. Anyone who has achieved great things knows one truth - people plan things, and God makes things happen. Do your part well, don’t force success, just let nature take its course.
The past is not loved, the present is not mixed, and the future is not welcomed. If you do these three things, success will not be far away from you.
Reference: Baidu Encyclopedia-Zeng Guofan