Is it true that deep scheming can't beat high spirituality? I’m well into my forties and I realize that scheming really isn’t that useful.

When I was young, I thought being deeply scheming was impressive. Having enough depth in scheming meant maximum wisdom and manipulation ability, capable of dominating the adult world effortlessly. But deep scheming isn’t a high-end skill; what’s called high emotional intelligence and deep scheming is actually a defensive mechanism forced upon us in interpersonal relationships. It can’t help in conquering and expanding; only spiritual insight can. High emotional intelligence and deep scheming are the basic foundation, while spirituality is the icing on the cake, an airy castle.
If you want to develop and improve, dreaming of elevation, what you need is never high emotional intelligence and deep scheming. That’s just basic skills—protect yourself, live well, and avoid being easily consumed or eliminated early. Defensive mechanisms can be consciously cultivated and trained over time.
I remember a few years into my career, drinking with my boss at night, when his hospital car accidentally hit a person who was pretending to be hit. The young leader on night shift took me to support. At the scene, the young leader comforted the senior boss, while I went over, joking and hugging the “pretender,” directly lifting him up and running away, soothing with words and exerting force with my hands, calling him “brother, brother” in a friendly manner. Ignoring his struggles, I pressed his head to the registration desk, calling the local police station’s instructor to ask if they had a professional pretender. The old man pulled my hand away from the phone, earnestly pleading for a little mercy, since he hadn’t made a dime all night and was under pressure. Seeing his sincerity, I gave him a pack of Furongwang cigarettes and added a hundred yuan, saying “Go your way, let’s pretend we never saw each other.” The whole thing was resolved in less than ten minutes.
The senior boss adjusted his glasses, looking emotional, saying, “Our iron rod really works, huh? You’ve got good soldiers.” The young leader blushed, quite satisfied.
So we kept drinking. Back then, my alcohol tolerance wasn’t developed yet; I’d get drunk after a few sips. Drinking with superiors, especially their superiors, requires psychological preparation: this drinking session isn’t for self-entertainment, nor for getting drunk happily; secondly, don’t try to show off your drinking capacity—no matter if you can drink straight from the bottle, don’t do it. Why do people applaud? Out of what psychology? Cruelly speaking, it’s like watching monkeys.
What if you can’t handle alcohol? Then you have to be good at talking. Never just hold your cup and sip foolishly, pretending to be bold and straightforward, “Boss, I’ll drink as you please.” Not to mention whether you can finish a round, even if you do, in the boss’s eyes, it’s actually self-deprecating, thinking you’re embarrassing yourself and not worth much. The main point is, if you drink too much, your tongue will become big, and your consciousness will become reckless. Your behavior will be wild, and you won’t know which words might hit someone’s sore spot, because you’re already high or collapsed.
Workplace drinking is never just about drinking; alcohol is just a vehicle, a means of communication and self-presentation. How to properly present yourself is the real goal. Show yourself through body language and speech. Pour the drinks proactively; when everyone is eating, never be the one to pass dishes around—only when you don’t pass dishes will you avoid mistakes.
In speech, focus on key points and revolve around the main idea, which is to show loyalty. Remember, in any organization or company, ability isn’t the top priority; loyalty is. Whether young people can be used by me is what every leader cares about most. Of course, leaders hope you are both loyal and capable. But what is loyalty? Basically, it’s just a performance. True loyalty? That’s just acting. If you’re truly loyal, you’re just a fool. Leaders will eventually leave. So, performative loyalty is actually always about loyalty to your own pursuits and feelings. This requires spiritual insight and control.
Deep scheming isn’t a good thing; having scheming doesn’t mean you’ll win every battle—at best, it’s self-preservation. To develop, often, sincere timing is the ultimate weapon. And what is high spirituality? It’s sincere timing.