When a piece of writing reaches the acme of perfection, it is not because it contains some miraculous ingredient, but because it is written in exactly the right way.
When a man refines his moral character to the point of perfection, he does so not with the aid of any magic formula, but by letting his pure inborn nature shine forth.
文章作到极处，无有他奇，只有恰好；人品做到极处，无有他奇，只是本然。
Notes
This passage from Cai Gen Tan articulates that true excellence is never a “performance deviating from one’s nature,” but a “return to natural essence.”
- In writing: Expressing core truths in the most fitting way.
- In character: Living one’s life as the most authentic self.
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