Interactions among gentlemen are pure and noble, devoid of any utilitarian motives. They do not leverage their professional status or power to secure benefits for their relatives. Their relationships, though seemingly plain like water, are characterized by deep intimacy. In contrast, interactions among petty people are often goal-oriented, involving the exchange of benefits to achieve personal gains. Their relationships are sticky like honey, often leading to ruptures due to excessive sweetness and ulterior motives.
Once the human heart is controlled by fame and profit, the consequences can be disastrous. A person of wisdom views glory and wealth as fleeting as clouds, dreams, or dew on grass within their brief lifetime. In contrast, the foolish are often deluded by power, status, and material gain.
Enlightenment education should be implemented early, targeting children's flaws with a proactive approach to correction. One should not wait until a child's problems have fully manifested before educating them; instead, prevention must take precedence over cure. Young children have limited abilities to distinguish right from wrong, good from evil, or beauty from ugliness. However, precisely because of their young age, they possess great plasticity and are more receptive to education. Therefore, children should be guided with righteousness, patient inspiration, and gentle persuasion. They need to understand what they should and should not do, how to act correctly and what constitutes improper behavior. By adhering to rules and laws, they learn self-restraint, discernment, and avoid straying into wrong paths.
Parents universally hope their children are healthy, intelligent, and benevolent. In today's rapidly developing society, there is an even stronger desire for children to possess superior intellect and exceptional talents, ensuring they remain competitive in the future. However, cultivating a child is not a short-term task. Besides postnatal guidance, prenatal education (taijiao) must not be overlooked.
A person with good judgment always considers the order of priority when handling affairs, completing the most important tasks first and secondary ones later. One must never prioritize tasks simply because they are easy or enjoyable, as this may delay critical work and cause unnecessary losses. How, then, should one determine the priority of work? Generally, this can be judged based on the deadline, the level of importance, and the nature of the task. Therefore, before starting any work, a tight and feasible process should be established.
