Wang Yangming: Five Signs of an Unmature Person

1

Unclear goals

Immature people are like a ship without sails; they follow the wind wherever it blows, going here and there, wasting their lives and never reaching their destination.

Wang Yangming said, 'Without a determined will, there is no achievement in the world.' Everything requires a definite goal and direction. Without a target, you'll drift aimlessly, and your life will be a collection of scattered pieces.

2

Like drinking water, it's cold or warm depending on the person who drinks it. Life is for oneself to experience; it's not for others to judge. As long as you feel at ease with yourself, don't care too much about what others say. The ancients said, 'Achieve through silence, and gain credence through silence.' You don't need to explain anything; just do things well, and people will naturally stop criticizing. Focusing too much on what others think can easily lead you astray.

Wang Yangming once said, 'Regardless of whether people laugh at you, criticize you, or praise you, don't be concerned about their opinions. As long as you continue to practice, your achievements will make progress.' In those early days of Wang Yangming's thought, many people criticized it as heresy. However, Wang Yangming remained unperturbed, continuing to teach, ignoring the criticisms. Later, Wang Yangming's thought separated from the Cheng Zhu School of Thought, and these people naturally fell silent.

3

The greatest enemy of emotions. Psychologists say that when a person is angry, their thinking ability is zero, and they are completely out of control. At this time, saying and doing things will only hurt themselves and others. Controlling emotions requires high cultivation and skill.

Wang Yangming calmed the chaos caused by Ning Wang. Many old generals were dissatisfied in the military camp and made trouble. However, Wang Yangming remained unaffected. Wang Yangming said, 'Anger and other biased emotions are always present in people's hearts. They just shouldn't be there. When people are angry, they lose control of their emotions and overreact, which is not the true nature of public righteousness.'

Regularly practicing and refining oneself in small matters, controlling emotions over time, you won't be so biased when considering problems, and you'll develop a calm and peaceful temperament. Don't accumulate emotions; pay attention to communicate. Or, when angry, temporarily avoid the situation, take deep breaths, and wait for the emotions to subside before making a decision.

4

One cannot eat a fat man in one bite. Immature people always set unrealistic goals and immerse themselves in fantasies without putting in effort. They haven't done things at hand, and they fantasize about achieving their aspirations and reaching the pinnacle of life.

Wang Yangming said, 'When pursuing knowledge, we only seek to reduce it, not increase it. Reducing one point of selfish desires is equivalent to regaining one point of moral principles. How light and simple it is, how easy it is.'

We gain one insight today, and build on it tomorrow. This is the way to learning. Just as you water a small seedling at first, you use less water; as the seedling grows, you can use more water; when the seedling grows into a sapling, you can use a bucket of water.

If you pour a bucket of water on a small seedling, it will surely drown. All achievements take time to develop. Eat one bite at a time, walk one step at a time, and do things step by step until you keep improving and progressing.

5

Now, buy-now-pay-later, installments, and similar schemes are rampant. So many people start to buy luxury items they cannot afford. Immature people always want to decorate themselves with material possessions, thinking that the more they have, the happier they are. But life is not about adding; it's about subtraction.

Wang Yangming said, 'We work hard, only to reduce our desires, not increase them. Reducing one point of selfish desires is equivalent to regaining one point of moral principles.'

It's enough to have enough money; be filial to parents; be friendly with friends; love nature; these don't require much material wealth. This is the true happiness of life. Don't value gains and losses too much; go with the flow, and maintain inner peace.