From Learning to Earning
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Having knowledge alone is not enough—— Another old gentleman has passed away. I attended his memorial service, and this brought about a sense of sadness. This Mr. Deng was a scholar. Throughout his life, he never served as an official nor engaged in trade. He relied on a meager salary to support two sons and a daughter, which was arduous. Mr. Deng could write beautiful calligraphy, yet he seemingly never used it to make money. Mr. Deng once served as a secretary to a certain official, yet he did not pull strings to help his children find jobs. Some say this was pride, but actually, being of humble station with little influence, scholars are often self-aware and afraid of being rejected. It is said that the old gentleman’s wish was to survive for one more year to see which university his bright granddaughter would enter, but it was not to be. Scholars like Mr. Deng, who remained poor all their lives, have existed since ancient times. Such people might have lived well in the past, but not today. Knowledge and skills must be market-oriented—that is, they must bring in money. One must be wealthy before being honorable. To walk through life with fewer bumps, one needs philosophical thought and mathematical thinking——Change!