人生的上半段注重获取，下半段注重维持。

原文英文

In mathematics, there is a curve called the bell curve, which rises from low to high and then gradually descends, returning to its original level, resembling a bell, a hat, or a small hill.

Recently, I came across a humorous depiction of success in life, represented as such a bell curve:

At four years old, success is not wetting your pants. At twelve, success is having a group of friends. At seventeen, success is having a driver's license. At thirty-five, success is being wealthy. This represents the upper half of the curve.

At fifty, success is having wealth. At seventy, success is still having a driver's license. At seventy-five, success is still having a group of friends. At eighty, success is not wetting your pants. This is the lower half of the curve.

It can be seen that the upper half of life is about striving to “gain,” while the lower half is about striving to “retain.”

Unfortunately, striving to “gain” is relatively easier than striving to “retain,” because the upper half depends on human effort, while the lower half often depends on fate. Aging and decline are inevitable parts of life.

Looking at this bell curve, for ambitious young adults eager to achieve something, it may serve as a reality check: after all the scheming and fierce struggles, in the end, growing old means that the so-called success is like that of a four-year-old child—being able not to wet your pants is already something to be grateful for.