A Disappointed Young Man Seeks Success: A Sage Gives a Peanut and Says, ‘Squeeze It’

1 Master asked: 'If you were boiling a kettle of water, and you found the firewood was running out halfway through, what would you do?' Some disciples said to quickly find more, some said to borrow, and some said to buy. The master said, 'Why not pour some water out of the kettle?'

Insight: You can't always get what you want; you need to be willing to give up something.

2 A discouraged young man was searching for success. A philosopher gave him a peanut and said, 'Squeeze it.' The young man squeezed it hard, and the peanut shell broke, leaving only the kernel. The philosopher then asked him to rub it, and he peeled off the red skin, leaving only the white kernel. The philosopher then asked him to squeeze it again, no matter how hard he squeezed, he couldn't break the kernel. The philosopher said, 'Although you've suffered many setbacks and lost much, you must have an unyielding heart.'

Insight: When you choose a direction, you must persevere and maintain a persistent spirit.

3 A wealthy man presented a young man with three melons of different sizes: 'If each melon represents a certain benefit, which one should you choose?' The young man replied, 'The largest.' The wealthy man handed the largest melon to the young man, while he himself ate the smallest. Soon, the wealthy man finished the smallest melon and started eating the last one on the table. The young man understood: 'The wealthy man's melons may be small individually, but together they are greater than those of the young man.'

Insight: Only by learning to give up immediate benefits can you gain long-term gains.