Page 130 - Gan's Family History
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cultivating character, study enables "I am serious. Why are you
you to improve your overall ability joking?"
and to master specific skills to make "I am not, Your Majesty. A
a living. Your skill will stand you in young man fond of studying is like
good stead especially in times of the morning sun. He has a bright
uncertainty when no permanent future. A middle-aged man is like the
employment and no family support noonday sun. He still has half a day's
are available. Your survival depends good time ahead. An old man who
on your education. A useful skill is has knowledge is like the light of a
better than money. Whether you are candle. He is still better than a blind
bright or dumb, you must study. It is man like me who has to grope in
always good to have more knowledge darkness."
and know more people.
The best time to study is when Learning is like growing plants. You
you are young and your mind is reap what you sow. You have to aim
fresh. What is learned in the cradle high. If you do not set a high goal for
lasts until the tomb. As you grow up, yourself, you may fall below average.
you will be distracted by many other To learn something really well, you
things. Concentration becomes more have to study the classics in your
difficult. That is why you should not chosen field and learn from experts
squander your youth. I still at the same time. Respect authorities
remember what I learned when I was but do not treat them as gods.
a seven-year-old boy. But what I Otherwise you will never surpass
learned after twenty, I tend to forget them. Only by using their
after only a month. achievement as your starting point,
Due to circumstances, some can you hope to surpass them. In
people were not able to devote every field, there are great masters.
themselves to studies when they But the chances are that you may not
were young. In that case, they have meet them. Most people can only
to receive adult education and learn from those who are not experts.
redouble their efforts. Adult Do not let them limit your potential.
education is of course one step late,
as adults cannot compete with young In every professional field there
people. But they must never write are certain guiding principles to
themselves off as hopeless. Let me follow. If you do not grasp them, you
tell you a story. cannot make great achievement. So
Shi Kuang was a blind don't just concentrate on technical
musician (in the sixth century B.C.). skills.
One day the king of Jin said to him: I am not against being well read.
"I want to study, but I am afraid I'm But you have to choose your
too old. I am already seventy. It's too profession. The prerequisite of being
late.” a learned man is that you are already
Shi Kuang said: "Too late? Why well versed in your own field. It is
not light some candles." difficult enough for most people to
