才高难入俗人机，时乖不遂男儿愿
Advanced talent won’t in vulgar places fill; a noble man in troubled times can’t do his will.
The proverb indicates that people with talent and noble minds prefer to suffer difficulty rather than compromise.

 

才以用而日生，思以引而不竭
Talent is refreshed daily when in active use, and thinking is not exhausted by positive function.
The proverb stresses that people should keep using their talent and skills so they don’t fall into disuse.

 

才有大小，故养有厚薄
Just as talent may be great or small, pay may be high or low.
The proverb emphasizes how the principle of distribution should be based on one’s abilities.

 

操千曲而后晓声，观千剑而后识器
An understanding of music comes from playing a thousand tunes, and the ability to judge fine weapons comes after seeing a thousand swords.
The proverb means that genuine knowledge comes from practice.

 

不出户，知天下；不窥牖，见天道
Without leaving his door, he knows everything under heaven; without looking out of his window, he knows all the ways of heaven.
The proverb is frequently used to emphasize the importance of reading.

 

博见为馈贫之粮，贯一为拯乱之药
Experience and learning are food for overcoming poor ideas; a sense of unity is medicine for disorder.
The proverb originally comes from The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons by Liu Xie, a literary theorist during the Northern and Southern Dynasties. It means that people should accumulate knowledge and experience and cultivate moral integrity so that they can overcome any difficulty.