Do Not Be Too Serious, Be Broad-Minded When It Is Time (4)

A surgeon, after years of clinical practice, discovered a series of strange phenomena: patients with heart valve blockages often have hearts that grow remarkably larger, as if striving to compensate for their heart’s defects; kidney disease patients who have had their left kidney removed often find their right kidney’s vitality greatly enhanced. The same pattern appears in surgeries involving the eyes, lungs, and other organs.

So, the doctor delved deeper, expanding his research from pathology to psychology. He surveyed students at an art academy and found that 70% had poor eyesight. He also investigated 100 individuals with assets over ten million and discovered that more than 70% of them came from humble backgrounds.

These phenomena once puzzled the doctor, but while studying Beethoven’s life, he finally discovered the secret. Beethoven had hearing problems from childhood; by age twenty, it affected his daily life, and by twenty-eight, his deafness was severe. Yet, he loved music from an early age, and his most brilliant period of creativity coincided with the gradual loss of his hearing. When he became completely deaf, Beethoven composed works such as the "Eroica Symphony," "Moonlight Sonata," and "Fifth Symphony" in succession.

The doctor concluded that when a person has a defect, a compensatory mechanism and mindset inevitably emerge. If someone discovers their weakness early in life and is not completely defeated by it, these weaknesses may fundamentally change their life, helping them reach heights others cannot. The greater the defect, the more one must mobilize the hidden "troops" within, awakening them and gathering astonishing power, sparking wisdom unattainable by most. There is no absolute good or bad in the world; the key lies in transformation. The greatest talent of the wise is to turn waste into treasure, make gold from stone, and transform decay into wonder.

On November 6, 2007, the results of the mayoral election in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, were announced: Susan Huang, a 28-year-old Asian woman, became the city’s first Asian mayor in its 243-year history, winning with an impressive 72% of the vote.

In August 2007, the new mayoral election began in Fitchburg. One day, Susan Huang’s father encouraged her to sign up for the race. Susan thought he was joking and listed all her disadvantages.

First, she was Asian, and Asians made up only about half the city’s population, with even fewer Chinese residents. In over 200 years, Fitchburg had never had an Asian mayor.

Second, she was only 28 years old and had been working for less than five years; citizens would surely doubt her abilities.

Third, she didn’t know many people and had a limited network, while her opponent, Donnelly, had served four terms as a city councilor and had built a deep network in the city.

In response, her father offered a penetrating analysis: disadvantages, when reframed, are actually advantages.

First, in over 200 years, Fitchburg has never had an Asian mayor, and citizens are eager to see a new face.

Second, being 28 means she is young, and the ancient city of Fitchburg is in need of youthful energy.

Third, Susan Huang is currently a civil servant in Fitchburg’s city government, consistently working to help citizens create job opportunities—the issue that matters most to residents.

Her father’s analysis enlightened Susan Huang. The next morning, she signed up for the mayoral race. Later, during her campaign speeches, Susan skillfully turned her disadvantages into strengths. She said: “First, I am Asian. For over 200 years, Fitchburg has never had an Asian mayor; the citizens should give an Asian a chance. Second, I am 28 years old—very young, but youth means hope. Our ancient city needs new blood and youthful vitality. I will devote my passion and energy to my work. Third, since joining the city government, I have always worked to promote employment. I believe solving the employment issue is the most urgent task for the entire city government, and I will do my utmost to help everyone in need.”

In the end, Susan Huang unexpectedly won the mayoral election by a large margin and was formally sworn in on the afternoon of January 6, 2008.

At the start of the election, Susan Huang not only lacked any advantages but was in a highly disadvantaged position. Yet she ultimately won by a landslide, mainly because she transformed disadvantages into advantages.

3. Master Advantage Focus to Win by Surprise

In today’s world, where information and news can spread globally in an instant, messages and works bombard us to the point of visual and auditory saturation. To carve out a place in people’s minds, the only way is to focus your strengths, concentrate on one point, and win by surprise.

Xuecun’s singing is quirky, his appearance is quirky, and his behavior is quirky, yet his songs are wildly popular.

Dao Lang’s name is quirky, and his singing voice is hoarse, but what people love most is precisely that hoarse quality, because it is fresh and unique.

In today’s world, if a product or work isn’t novel or distinctive, it’s a dead end. That’s why focusing your strengths, highlighting your unique features—turning flaws into features, features into selling points, creating novelty, and winning by surprise—is a true secret to success.

Even geniuses need ten years of accumulation and tempering—just as the saying goes, it takes ten years to forge a sword. Edison was a master of experimentation and a genius inventor, but before his success, he experienced thousands of failures. Such tests are unimaginable even for those with extraordinary willpower. Edison’s genius and talent were built up through countless failures, accumulating until a qualitative leap brought great achievement.

Su Qin wore the prime ministerial seals of six states and could shift the balance of the world with his words. Such extraordinary persuasive power was closely tied to his talent for language, but without diligent study and accumulation, he could not have developed such excellence.

How did Su Qin accumulate his strengths and develop them to the fullest?

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After failing to persuade the state of Qin and returning home in disgrace, Su Qin was ridiculed by family and neighbors. He threw himself into study, famously pricking his thigh with an awl to stay awake. Through studying his teacher Guiguzi’s work, The Book of Master Ghost Valley, Su Qin discovered the secret to learning: chuaimo—deeply gauging others.

What is chuaimo? To persuade someone, you must first gauge their psychology and understand what they think and desire; only then can your words hit the mark. Clearly, this is difficult. Why did Su Qin fail at first? Because he was too much the bookish scholar—what he said did not interest the King of Qin.

Su Qin’s brilliance lay in recognizing his shortcomings and addressing them directly. He shut himself away, studying hard, pondering the principles and strategies in books, considering the psychology of the feudal lords, and analyzing the broader situation and each state’s most urgent needs. At last, he had a breakthrough: the six states’ greatest need was to resist the predatory Qin. So he advocated the vertical alliance—uniting the six states to resist Qin’s aggression. In the end, he succeeded, wearing the seals of all six states and founding a kind of ancient "United Nations."

Even more remarkable, Su Qin secretly created a rival to sustain the alliance: Zhang Yi, a fellow student who became Qin’s prime minister. Qin was the mortal enemy of the six states—wasn’t Su Qin strengthening his opponent? Yes, but here’s the secret: only with Zhang Yi as Qin’s chancellor could Su Qin use him as a buffer whenever Qin tried to sabotage the alliance. He achieved exactly this; even Zhang Yi admitted he could not match Su Qin’s insight. Together, they kept the world at peace for over twenty years—a miracle in the war-torn Warring States era.

Su Qin’s extraordinary persuasive power was forged in three key stages. First, he and Zhang Yi studied the art of persuasion under Guiguzi. Second, he began lobbying the feudal lords, seeking high office, but his skills were not yet mature, so he faced rejection everywhere. Forced to retreat home, he immersed himself in classics like The Scripture of the Hidden Talisman, reflecting on himself and contemplating the broader situation. In just one year, he had a breakthrough and found the key to success. Third, he reemerged, using his "three-inch tongue" to persuade the rulers of Yan, Zhao, Han, Wei, Qi, and Chu. In each state, his message was similar: he discussed the country’s geography, the struggle among the seven states, the reality of Qin’s strength and the others’ weakness, and finally proposed an alliance against Qin—the vertical alliance. After weighing their options, the six states agreed and joined forces. Su Qin became their chief coordinator and prime minister of six states; for fifteen years, Qin’s armies dared not approach the Hangu Pass. By then, his persuasive skills were truly masterful.

Among his siblings, Zeng Guofan was considered the slowest. As a child, he struggled to memorize poems and essays that others learned easily. Yet he refused to be discouraged and persisted until he succeeded. This led him to discover a secret that shaped his life: the power of being 'dull.'

The character for 'dull' (ben) contains the character for 'root' (ben). To achieve anything, you must be willing to put in the dull, foundational work—grinding an iron rod into a needle, letting water wear through stone, sawing through wood with a rope. This quality is extraordinary; it is the most essential trait for accomplishing great things.

After entering government, Zeng Guofan’s early career was smooth, but when he organized local militias and founded the Xiang Army, he met constant resistance. In his forties, he disciplined himself by keeping a diary and practicing relentless self-reflection, forging his character until he was "reborn from the ashes" and achieved great success. He established a model of success in his mind and spirit. This was a key reason he ultimately defeated the powerful Taiping forces and became the last highly respected statesman of the imperial era.

The secret behind this 'dullness' is imagination; the method is to replay scenes in your mind over and over, especially in reverse—like rewinding a movie.

As commander of the Xiang Army, Zeng Guofan transformed from a bookish scholar to a military leader. At first, he was repeatedly defeated, but on the bloody battlefield, as he summoned the hidden troops within his heart, he found the secret to turning defeat into victory: to keep fighting after every loss. His greatest wisdom was his clear understanding of his own strengths and weaknesses: he excelled at strategy and overall command but was poor at battlefield tactics. Whenever he led troops directly, he often failed, but when he focused on grand strategy and delegated battlefield command, he excelled. Ultimately, by concentrating on strategy, he defeated the Taiping forces.

Once you have correctly focused and accumulated your strengths, the eruption of your power will come naturally. Jiang Taigong was over eighty when King Wen recognized his talent; he then helped overthrow the Shang and found the Zhou dynasty. Minister Baili was over seventy when Duke Mu of Qin discovered him; he helped Qin become a dominant power. In their later years—when most people are resigned to decline—they unleashed astonishing energy. This volcanic eruption of wisdom, talent, and skill was the result of a lifetime of tempering on a difficult path.