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A man must be tolerant and broad-minded, but not unfettered and freewheeling. His thoughts must be meticulous and careful, but not trifling and cluttered.
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Once greed and selfishness dominate a man’s mind, his previously steel-like nature will become soft and weak; his intelligence will become blocked and dulled; his benevolent nature will become vicious; his pure spirit will become muddied; and the virtue he has accumulated over a lifetime will become dissipated.
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Self-conceit and arrogance are the result of evil influences from outside oneself. Such influences must be suppressed; only then can healthy trends be encouraged.
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When your good reputation goes hand in hand with your high morals, you should not treat these achievements exclusively as your own, but share them with others. That way you preserve yourself from distant dangers. Shameful conduct and unsavoury reputation should not be foisted off entirely onto others, but some should be taken on…
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No matter how earth-shaking one’s achievements, self-conceit will cancel them out. No matter how horrendous one’s sins, repentance will atone for them.
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Those who preserve their moral integrity suffer only fleeting loneliness. But eternal wretchedness awaits those who toady to the powerful.
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Strange Tales from Liaozhai Studio’s “The Fox’s Daughter Wedding” recounts the journey of Yin, an impoverished scholar from Licheng, Shandong, famed for his audacity.