[有片]人間處世立於不敗的江湖法則-2

On choosing a spouse and marriage:

A smart man won't marry a woman who is too beautiful. This is not to say that beauty is a flaw, but rather to remind people that when choosing a partner, they should not only focus on appearance. Inner compatibility, shared values, and a stable life often last longer than stunning looks.
Women should not choose stingy men when looking for a partner. This highlights the essential difference between "being frugal" and "being stingy." The former means being good at managing money, while the latter means being overly calculating in both emotional and material matters, making one unreliable.

On interpersonal relationships:

Don't constantly complain about not having money or time. Constantly complaining about a lack of resources can easily leave others with a negative and incompetent impression.
When chatting, don't always try to be better than others: Communication is about exchange, not competition. Always trying to outdo others will only drive friends away.
When you're unsure whether you should say something, it's best to keep quiet. The ancient proverb "Silence is golden" suggests that when unsure, remaining silent is often the safest course of action than making rash statements.
Asking for help makes things much easier if you bring along someone the other person knows. This utilizes the logic of a "familiar society," where a shared and trustworthy third party can effectively shorten the distance and increase trust.

On family and kinship:

As parents get older, please don't turn off their phones when they go to sleep at night. This is a responsibility and concern of being a child, so that when parents are in urgent need, one can be their first source of support.
Married women visiting their parents' home should remember to bring some gifts. Your role has changed from host to guest: This is a subtle observation. After marriage, the role of the bride's family does indeed undergo a subtle change. Bringing gifts is not only a sign of filial piety but also a way of showing respect to the new family members, such as the bride's brother and sister-in-law, which helps maintain harmonious relationships.

On judging people and social interactions:

If someone you haven't contacted in a long time suddenly reaches out to you, it's either because they need something from you or they want to borrow money from you. It points out the utilitarian side of interpersonal relationships and reminds people to remain sober about sudden enthusiasm.
Someone who invites you to dinner for no apparent reason definitely wants something from you, either now or in the future. Similar to the previous point, it emphasizes that "there is no such thing as a free lunch."
The art of knowing when to invite someone to dinner:
- Let me meet you one day in advance: This is a sincere invitation; they consider you an important guest.
- I'll schedule this meeting half a day in advance: They might just be there to make up the numbers, to have you keep them company.
- I only invited you after the food was served: Extremely disrespectful; they were just brought in temporarily to join in the fun.

In summary, the core of this passage is to teach people... "Be reasonable, know your limits, understand human relationships, and be aware of the consequences." It integrates insights into human nature, wisdom on maintaining relationships, and wisdom on self-protection, making it a very practical philosophy of life in Chinese society.