非宁静无以致远

非寧靜無以致遠
fēi níngjìng wú yǐ zhì yuǎn
quotation

Meanings

  1. 1 without tranquility, one cannot reach far
  2. 2 only in serenity can one achieve distant goals

Examples

HSK 7-9
Fēidànbówúyǐmíngzhì, fēiníngjìngwúyǐzhìyuǎn.
Without detachment from fame and gain, one cannot clarify one's aspirations; without tranquility, one cannot reach far.
HSK 7-9
Zuò xuéwèn yào nài de zhù jìmò, fēiníngjìngwúyǐzhìyuǎn.
Scholarship requires enduring loneliness - without tranquility one cannot achieve distant goals.

Tips

history
From Zhuge Liang's 《诫子书》 (Three Kingdoms, ~234 CE), a letter of advice to his son: 非淡泊无以明志,非宁静无以致远。 One of the most-quoted passages in Chinese parenting literature - Zhuge Liang, known for strategic genius, tells his son the road to greatness begins with inner quiet.
usage
非…无以… is a classical double-negative pattern: 'without X there is no means to Y'. Always quoted alongside 非淡泊无以明志 - the two clauses are a fixed pair.

Stroke Order

fēi
níng
jìng
zhì
yuǎn