The Valpo Core Reader
 

Document Type

Origins Essay

Publication Date

10-20-2011

Excerpt

Throughout the development of human wisdom, people have been continually summarizing life experiences from their daily lives and putting them into proverbs. Most of the principles we believe in have been learned from our ancestors, and they have influenced and shaped our behavior. So because we follow the wisdom handed down from our ancestors in the past, we know how to act during different situations in the present. There is one proverb that I think has the most influence on me, “Modesty helps one go forward, whereas conceit makes one lag behind.” This was said by our great leader of China, the first chairman, Mao. What this means is, as a human being, we have to learn for ourselves. Everyone can be our teacher, and when we learn how to be modest, we can succeed.

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Copyright © 2011 by Valparaiso University and the Author. Use with permission.

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