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A life of hardship, frustration and penury is a furnace and anvil upon which outstanding men are shaped.
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The true hero does not neglect small details; nor does he commit trickery even though he is hidden from men’s sight; nor does he slacken his efforts even when beset by seemingly insuperable difficulties.
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When you face trying circumstances, everything that you encounter has the effect of bitter medicinal herbs and the stone needles used in acupuncture. These needles and medicines serve to refine your character and conduct, although you do not realize it.
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If Heaven has not granted me enough happiness I keep increasing my store of virtue to supplement this small portion.
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If you are able to keep quiet in a noiseless place, that kind of quietness does not count for much; only the quietness that is obtained from hard work accords completely with man’s nature.
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The poor man sweeps his floor until it is spotless. The poor woman combs her hair until it is neat and tidy. Neither produces a wonderful sight, but these actions bespeak a sensibility of elegance.
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An unruly horse can still be ridden after taming. Melted metals from the smelting furnace are returned to the mould.
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To constantly hear words that grate upon the ear and to always encounter matters that unsettle the heart—this is the whetstone for cultivating virtue.