A high achiever and a low achiever

Post 86 Foresight and hindsight

I like the following proverb which is also a tongue-twister since my secondary school days:
“He who knows not and knows not he knows not: he is a fool - shun him.
He who knows not and knows he knows not: he is simple - teach him.
He who knows and knows not he knows: he is asleep - wake him.
He who knows and knows he knows: he is wise - follow him.”

Laozi (老子) said, "He who knows others is learned; he who knows himself is wise." The wise has foresight while the fool, the simple and the sleeping may only know the mistakes they made with hindsight. The former is a leader and the latter, followers.

Sunzi (孙子) in his Art of War said,
“If you know thy enemy and know thyself, you will be ever-victorious in a hundred battles.
If you know thyself but not thy enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat.
If you know neither thy enemy nor thyself, you will lose in every battle.”

A high achiever is wise and self-made.

15 March 2011