The wise man shows weakness and the fool shows off his strength. This means that there are wins and losses, and winning is also a loss. Therefore, smart people will know how to show weakness at the right time to solve the problem.
When Zeng Guofan was studying, he met a troublesome classmate. But when Zeng Guofan was reading in front of the window, the classmate said: "You are blocking my light, go away." Zeng Guofan did not argue with him, so he moved the book to the bed. At night, the classmate said again: "Your reading late at night has affected me." Zeng Guofan put down the book without saying a word and went out to read early the next morning.
Once, their teacher wanted Zeng Guofan to invite an official. In order to be in the limelight, that classmate volunteered. But the teacher deliberately asked Zeng Guofan to get to know the official. When the teacher was embarrassed, Zeng Guofan said to let the classmate go, while he read quietly. Later, Zeng Guofan won the imperial examination. The classmate said that Zeng Guofan had taken away his luck in Feng Shui. From beginning to end, Zeng Guofan never competed with that classmate. It was this kind of mind that allowed Zeng Guofan to achieve a great career and leave his name in history.
In life, when you compete for superiority, you are the one who loses; in relationships, when you compete for victory or defeat, you are also the one who gets hurt. No matter what you fight for, you will lose in the end. Not fighting and knowing how to show weakness is a strategy of keeping a low profile and a kind of wisdom.