“People of superior character don’t put themselves in high-risk situations for inconsequential reasons, but rather only risk everything for the good of the world, while living exemplary lives that others will strive to emulate.”
The same logic applies universally. Trivial people choose to quarrel over minor issues, harming others and themselves amidst self-neglect. For instance, if they go to see cherry blossoms and consuming alcohol may lead them to quarrel over the tiniest things with others, irrespective of the other party’s absence of ill will or connectivity to themselves.
Alternatively, substantive people see it as futile and harmful to place themselves in a position of disadvantage over minor things, so they don’t get dragged in by inconsequential people. It’s like a big Tosa dog choosing to ignore a small dog, no matter how much the smaller dog barks.
In the same vein, lions and tigers won’t bother with mice or sparrows that come into their cages in search of food. However, if a large animal comes into their cage, they’ll rise up in a fierce show of strength and repel the intruder. The same can be said to be true in hammering nails. A small hammer, while fine for small nails, won’t be able to pound in a large nail.
The same is true if trying to sharpen a pencil with a big, versus small, knife. There is a proper way to do everything, and only when you do so do you achieve value and effectiveness.
When people of sterling character avoid mundane things, it may look to the other side that they have no courage. But this is a matter of balance given the risk associated with putting yourself in danger for something trivial.
So, even if you have the ability to play an important role, you must always be careful not to get carried away by the lure of instant gratification, making bad decisions, and ruining your life. In the face of such situations, you must look deep into your heart, assess the opportunity versus the risk, and select the loss-minimizing path.
To the common man, this risks seeming like an absence of courage, but you must not risk creating a larger mistake by being too easily swayed in the moment.
The more you understand your own great worth, the less likely you will put yourself in danger over mundane matters. The same truth spans personal matters through to international relations.
Thus, those of exemplary character will not get caught up in petty things, but will give their lives on behalf of the nation and its society without sacrificing core beliefs.