Note: Master Chi’s long-form writings on the art of mind are meant to be absorbed in quiet contemplation. Before reading, ensure you have at least ten uninterrupted minutes — and save this for future reference.
On the path of personal advancement, Master Chi has one crucial principle he wants you to carry with you always: every person who has risen to the heights of power and glory — without exception — carries within them some deeply flawed and unsightly imperfections.
But we must never allow the knowledge of those flaws to make us dismiss them entirely.
And yet, many weak-minded people do exactly this, habitually and eagerly.
Whenever they learn someone’s gossip or discover their dark history, they instantly feel that this person is “nothing special” — and from that moment, they feel superior, suddenly brimming with unearned confidence.
They have no choice. It is the only method they have for feeling their own existence matter.
This is not merely low. It is stupid.
Understand this clearly: that kind of character belongs to them — not to you. And it should never belong to you.
We must remember: a strong person with weaknesses is still a strong person. A wealthy person with failures is still wealthy. What you can learn from them still vastly exceeds what you can learn from ordinary people.
The flaw does not obscure the gem — absorb what is valuable. These eight words contain the only core philosophy you need.
And it is only through this philosophy that, while the world busies itself mocking and ridiculing others, you are quietly absorbing and studying the lives of those who have risen above — transforming their experience into your own internal strength.
Master Chi has written many articles, and he often sees certain readers ask in the comments: “Master Chi, I want to reach a certain net worth, I want a certain kind of status — what should I do? Who should I learn from?”
His usual answer: go and research the growth stories of the top ten figures on the wealth rankings over the past few years. Look up how the rising stars in your own industry made their fortunes. That will tell you everything.
But many of these readers respond with something that never fails to astonish: “Oh, you mean those people — the ones with all the gossip and the scandals? Don’t you know about their shady side?”
Every time he sees this kind of response, Master Chi has no desire to reply. The words “beyond saving” were made for people like this.
After all, if the most accomplished people of our era are not worth learning from in your eyes, then you had better possess world-class abilities of your own.
Otherwise, endlessly criticizing and belittling others will never make you strong. It will only make you look like a clown driven mad by envy.
To speak frankly: Master Chi, owing to a reasonably comfortable upbringing and the nature of his work, comes into contact quite frequently with both “old money” and “new wealth” circles.
And if you look carefully, you will find that many of these people are, in plenty of ways, quite ordinary.
They get controlled by their emotions. They get deceived. They act impulsively. Some are not particularly well-read or cultured.
And yet — does that mean they are “nothing more than lucky beneficiaries of good timing”?
That is laughable. Whatever foolishness or weakness of theirs you happened to witness — you were merely seeing the parts exposed to you. Their real capabilities simply were not in your line of sight.
It is like watching workers who habitually mock their bosses, listing out all the ways their boss is incompetent or foolish.
If that is truly the case — why not step up and run things yourself?
Because they cannot. They lack the capability. They cannot manage it. They cannot pull it off.
So today, Master Chi wants to share four principles for rising through life — each one, if truly practiced, is sufficient to let you hold your head high and build both wealth and standing.
These are the refined insights he has drawn from years of encountering the truly accomplished:
Composure and Serenity · Boundless Magnanimity · See Things Through · Shared Prosperity
Composure and Serenity#
Many of the children from established families whom Master Chi has known were raised with certain deliberate priorities. Their parents may have neglected other aspects of their education, but on one thing they were unwavering: cultivating the bearing of a great commander — what Master Chi calls composure and serenity.
What does this mean? It means that when anything happens, you do not expose a rushed, frantic, snap-judgment reflex.
You must develop the habit of thinking three times before acting on ordinary matters — and ten times before deciding on important ones.
In this world, it is always the desperate and the low who prize speed above all. Manual work can be fast. But great matters must never be rushed.
Because rushing means your judgment is being driven by urgency, agitation, fear, or greed. And which of those four states is actually good for you?
A person’s ultimate outcome in life is, at its core, the sum total of their decisions.
If every decision you make in your life is sound and correct — you are destined for wealth and high standing.
So then: what is the rush?
Take the time to settle your thoughts properly. You will not go wrong — or at least not badly wrong.
Master Chi has observed something quite interesting: people worth tens of millions tend to be bold, fast-moving, charge-ahead types — fierce commanders. Those worth hundreds of millions begin to carry a certain unhurried ease, a “do things my own way” quality. But once someone’s wealth reaches into the billions — the “Buddhist nature” begins to emerge.
What is this “Buddhist nature”?
The biggest crisis in the world — no panic, no alarm, no rush, no chaos. Just steady, measured action. If we win and survive, that is our fortune and our destiny. If we lose and fall, that too is fate and its trials.
And this is precisely how things work within a destiny framework (格局). Some obstacles you are destined to clear in a single leap. Others you are destined to lose and walk away from.
As the player, the commander, the master of your own fate — you cannot lose yourself in a favorable wind, nor scatter in an unfavorable one.
Win with discipline. Lose with dignity.
Boundless Magnanimity#
“I will never let this go as long as I live!!” “If I ever speak to you again, call me lower than a dog!!” “Just you wait — I will destroy you!!”
Can you imagine these words coming from someone of genuine social standing?
Setting aside the complete absence of emotional intelligence and wisdom — just hearing these words, you picture a desperate, frothing stray dog in a blind rage.
This is not behavior befitting your level. Do you understand?
One thing that people who remain at the bottom never grasp: letting go of others on life’s path is, most of the time, letting go of yourself.
Because as your standing rises, you will gradually realize that the things you must tolerate do not decrease — they multiply.
Competing interests and conflicts from all directions — you must endure. Dissatisfaction and complaints from subordinates — you must endure. Suspicion and rebuke from allies and superiors — you must endure.
Now, Master Chi could, like certain irresponsible fools, tell you: “What are you afraid of? Push back hard! Let them know you are not to be messed with!”
But this is a classically low-level approach. In theory, yes — you can lash out at anyone, anytime.
But the result is that people learn your limits and your character. And then they leave. One by one.
Why? Because you show no sign of someone who can build things. Too emotional, too volatile — “hysterical” written all over your face.
A foot soldier, a henchman, a low-level runner — provoke him and he charges at you, blood rushing to his head, ready for a fight.
A big brother, a mountain, a powerful backer — provoke him and he smiles at you, lifts his glass, offers a toast.
Which one is truly dangerous? Which one can build something lasting?
Those who climb to the top — man or woman — invariably possess extraordinary breadth and magnanimity.
And this is also one of the key tests that those at higher levels apply to those below. Think about it: if a person cannot settle the various complications at their own level — if every difficulty erupts into chaos — how could they possibly be capable of rising further?
The meaning of a person’s life, at its deepest, comes down to three words: settle the situation.
Without magnanimity and breadth, you are condemned to forever fixating on petty day-to-day irritations.
Only by using endurance to free yourself from that wasted energy do you gain the real capacity to handle major matters. And once the major matters are settled, coming back to handle the minor ones feels as easy as autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves.
See Things Through#
Someone who can take something from 50 to 60 points has value — but limited value.
Someone who can take something from 0 to 80 points? Invaluable. Because no amount of money can truly buy them.
After all, most people with that ability will choose to build their own enterprise — not pour their blood and creativity into someone else’s venture.
What is their secret?
Four words: see things through.
It means they deeply understand how to take something from absolute zero and move it, step by step, to a solid 80 points. Even if the result is imperfect — it is enough.
They know how to begin. They know how to conclude.
That alone — for investment, for enterprise, for business — is sufficient to stand entirely on their own.
And yet, most ordinary working people can never escape what can only be called a “small life pattern.”
The accountant believes that improving calculation and bookkeeping skills is advancement. The programmer believes that improving coding ability is advancement. The chef believes that improving knife skills and cooking technique is advancement.
And are they advancing? Absolutely — genuinely and solidly.
But their advancement, at its root, is only worker advancement. It is not sufficient to overturn or transform their destiny.
Because everything they are busy with is ultimately just one segment of something larger — merely one part of a bigger whole.
This means they can always be replaced. It is simply a matter of cost and price.
That is the fate of a component part.
So what does a large life pattern actually mean?
Not the “big dreams and open horizons” preached in motivational content. It means genuinely placing your focus on eight words: “The whole thing — how does it actually work?”
A business: from the initial concept, to finding people, money, and resources, to distributing returns and replicating success once it is built. Do you understand every step of the full process?
An investment: from the first spark of interest, to examining the project, identifying flaws, building your thesis, to the final irreversible decision. Do you know every stage inside and out?
Making a great dish and running a great restaurant are two completely different things — root to branch, entirely different.
What most people lack is not a skill. It is the complete, overarching view of the whole.
Shared Prosperity#
Never go into partnership with someone who has been poor their entire life. This applies to everything — business and marriage alike.
Because there is a 99.99% chance they will disappoint you profoundly.
The reason is simple: people like this generally do not understand shared prosperity — which is, in fact, a fundamental quality for anyone who intends to rise.
When Master Chi reads someone’s destiny chart to help them identify their noble benefactors (贵人, Gui Ren) and favorable fortune cycles, it is always the moment that reveals a person’s true level of understanding.
Because 90% of people, the moment they learn they have a noble benefactor or a favorable cycle, immediately light up and ask: “What will I get? What will I gain?”
These people — though the noble benefactor and the fortune cycle are genuinely present — will not sustain them for long. Because they are too selfish.
Others give you opportunity. Others bring you wealth fortune. Your own effort plays a part, certainly — but no one in this world owes you anything.
When you hope that others will add the final, defining brushstroke to your life, you should also carry the grace and gratitude to return the favor in kind.
What kind of person shows genuine quality at first glance?
The one who asks: “Master Chi, how can I show gratitude and sustain this noble fortune?”
That single question is enough. Trust that this person’s future standing will be high.
Consider the marriage question that many women ask about.
You may have noticed: a certain type of woman — a self-styled princess from humble origins — loves to fantasize that some well-born, prosperous young man will be so captivated by her that he will condescend to make her his wife.
During one rare occasion, a friend brought this kind of woman to a dinner gathering.
Upon learning who Master Chi was, she immediately widened her eyes and asked him to read her fortune.
He obliged. And as it turned out, her romantic fate did contain a genuine and promising connection. The moment she heard this, her eyes went wider — and every question that followed was drenched in unmistakable vulgarity.
“How wealthy is he?” “What’s his background?” “What level are his parents?” “How much wealth fortune will he bring me?”
What could anyone say? Only well-wishes and pleasantries.
Because that very mindset seals her fate: yes, she will have an encounter with someone of that caliber. But whether it leads to marriage — whether it truly comes to fruition — is extremely unlikely.
Why? Self-serving, endlessly calculating, insatiably greedy.
In all his years — in business circles, social gatherings, and matters of the heart — Master Chi has genuinely never seen a worthwhile outcome built on taking without giving.
And yet, look at those who complain loudest about being wronged and overlooked — are they not, almost without exception, precisely the type who calculate every move, seek only to receive, and want everything for free?
Why would anyone give them opportunity? Why would anyone give them wealth? Why would anyone grant them noble fortune?
Who owes them that?
This world is full of people who understand reciprocity — who return kindness with kindness, who respond to generosity with genuine gratitude. Their actions and character make this unmistakably clear.
And for us — the same principle applies. What you give to others does not have to be money. Time, energy, knowledge, connections, resources — all of it counts.
Learn to practice shared prosperity. It is the decisive entry ticket to every higher level you will ever seek to reach.
Because you are needed — and that is precisely why you will be valued and trusted.
This is the key that most people never understand. The key they will never understand for their entire lives.
Closing note: As the year draws to a close, Master Chi wanted to write one substantial piece as the final long-form article of this year — from here on, content will shift primarily to shorter pieces and year-end summaries.