Zeng Guofan: Talent Loses to ‘Pride,’ Mediocrity Loses to ‘Laziness’

July 28, 2025, 3:20 p.m. Essays

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Confucius once said countless classic words, he once said in his ‘Letter from Home’:,‘The most failed people are more arrogant and lazy, the most wicked two words are arrogance and laziness. ’

“In the past and present, we have different eras and different ways of life, and different humanistic concepts, but people's good qualities and bad habits are always the same. Born as a human, we are both good and evil, diligent and lazy, always full of ambition in one moment, but deadbeat in the next. Day after day, many people become mediocre due to endless entanglement. Finally, they regret their wasted youth.

Why do talented people lose to pride?

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At the deepest level of human nature, everyone desires recognition. Just like when you were in school, you were praised by teachers every day and scolded by teachers every day, children’s hearts are completely different.

Those children who were recognized by teachers and parents always gain a sense of existence and admiration in front of other children, so even if they are mischievous in class, teachers may not punish them. In the end, they may still be good students, but they gradually cultivate a disregard for rules.

After entering the society, they may suffer a lot because of disregarding rules. They may be talented, but because they disregard the efforts of others, even disregard social rules, they will eventually get along badly with colleagues and waste a good career.

Talented people lose to pride because they magnify their advantages while magnifying their disadvantages.

Therefore, some people may be excellent, but they constantly crush others and look down on others. Such people will not be treated kindly by colleagues.

Whether in daily social interactions or in work, there are very few people willing to work with arrogant people, because one arrogant person, if the two sides cannot generate a strong sense of progress and encouragement, the other side must compromise and flatter.

For most 90-year-olds, being treated equally by rules, doing things properly, not flattering, and not being arrogant is what they pursue. Moreover, friendship should be with people who are comfortable with you. If you have to flatter someone every day, then that friend is not good.

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Why do mediocre people lose to laziness?

Now our society has basically reached a minimum of fairness. If you have the ability, you can earn more and more in this society.

It’s scary to be full of ambition one moment and deadbeat the next.

As Laozi said, ‘The most important thing in life is often just a few steps, especially when you are young. Life paths are not always straight. Some crossroads may affect a period of your life or your entire life.’ So, if you don’t strive to fight for it, you may miss a choice, and you will eventually be closer to ‘mediocrity.’

Talented people lose to pride, and mediocre people lose to laziness. To become a successful person, you must learn to be modest and diligent. Only through diligence and modesty can you slowly sharpen yourself and surprise everyone.