持而盈之，不如其已；揣而銳之，不可長保。金玉滿堂，莫之能守；富貴而驕，自遺其咎。功遂身退天之道。
My translation of Chapter 9 of Tao Te Ching:
Rather than holding a bowl filled with water to the rim for any length of time
better put it down
Rather than carrying a sharp weapon for long term protection
better quit and save your life
A house full of gold and jade
cannot be protected forever
A rich person who thinks himself invincible
creates his own downfall
Mission accomplished, step down!
Tao of the Universe
Paul's inspiration: "Mission accomplished, step down!" is probably one of most significant pieces of traditional Chinese wisdom that survives even today in the mind of many Chinese. That reminds me of Peter's principle which states that "Employees tend to rise to their level of incompetence." Unfortunately, most of us educated in Western culture with a positive thinking mentality often believe that Peter's principle applies to our fellow colleagues but never to us!
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