If out of ten utterances, nine are correct others will not necessarily call you a genius. They will, however, throw all the blame on you for the one utterance that proved incorrect.
If you make ten plans and nine of them succeed, others will not necessarily praise you for your acumen. They will, however, excoriate you for the one plan that went wrong.
Therefore, a real gentleman preserves his silence and eschews rash action, and prefers to seem stupid rather than wise.
十语九中未必称奇，一语不中则愆尤骈集；十谋九成未必归功，一谋不成则訾议业兴，君子所以宁默毋躁，守拙无巧。
Notes
Cruel asymmetry of human judgment
People tend to scrutinize others’ faults while belittling their merits, yet apply the opposite standard to themselves.
- Success (9/10 correct statements or plans) would be dismissed as unremarkable
- Single Failure (1 miss or foiled plan) would cause intense blame/criticism
This also reflects the deep-rooted “loss aversion” — humans weigh failures heavier than successes.
Noble defense: Strategic restraint
In low-tolerance environments:
- Silence over haste — Prevents verbal missteps that erase past accuracy.
- Clumsiness over cunning — Avoids ambitious risks inviting disproportionate blame.
Not weakness, but wisdom in self-preservation.
Ultimate Insight
- In a world punishing the slightest stumble, withholding words is armor; rejecting cleverness is shield. True mastery lies not in seeking praise for hits, but in denying critics easy targets.
- On the contrary, as a manager, you must allow subordinates to learn from mistakes, fostering a culture where errors are viewed as learning opportunities rather than triggers for punitive measures. This approach encourages innovative thinking and reduces fear of failure.
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