For all things difficult to acquire, the intelligent man works with perseverance.
Interpretation
Intelligent individuals achieve success through hard work and persistence.
This quote by Laozi emphasizes the importance of perseverance in overcoming challenges. It suggests that intelligence alone is insufficient for success; rather, it is the combination of intelligence and relentless effort that leads to the acquisition of difficult goals or accomplishments.
In practice
In a motivational speech about achieving goals despite setbacks.
If you understand others you are smart._x000D_ If you understand yourself you are illuminated._x000D_ If you overcome others you are powerful._x000D_ If you overcome yourself you have strength._x000D_ If you know how to be satisfied you are rich._x000D_ If you can act with vigor, you have a will._x000D_ If you don't lose your objectives you can be long-lasting._x000D_ If you die without loss, you are eternal.
When nothing is done, nothing is left undone.
A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.
Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is enlightenment.
In the world there is nothing more submissive and weak than water. Yet for attacking that which is hard and strong nothing can surpass it.
Rule your mind with serenity rather than with force and manipulation.
Destiny grants us our wishes, but in its own way, in order to give us something beyond our wishes.
To whom God will, there be the victory.
Things always become obvious after the fact
Where does it all lead? What will become of us? These were our young questions, and young answers were revealed. It leads to each other. We become ourselves.
There is no man, however wise, who has not at some period of his youth said things, or lived in a way the consciousness of which is so unpleasant to him in later life that he would gladly, if he could, expunge it from his memory.
What I've noticed is that almost no one who was a big star in high school is also big star later in life. For us overlooked kids, it's so wonderfully fair.
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