Is it better to be in a high position than at the bottom? It's easy to get up but not easy to get down! It's like riding a tiger but it's hard to get off. People in high positions always have all kinds of troubles, and it's not easy to figure them out once you get into that circle.
This sentence originated from Liu Erxin, a Jinshi in Lanzhou in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, and was inscribed on Wuquan Mountain. Because Liu Erxin became a Jinshi at the age of 26, served as an official in Beijing for three years, and then resigned and returned to his hometown, this work was inspired by his thoughts! It's best for people to be ordinary, which means they will fall miserably when they fly high!
Extended information:
Liu Erxin, also named Youkuan, also named Xiaolan, also named Guozhai, also named Wuquanshan, was born in the third year of Qing Tongzhi (1864 AD) , died in the 20th year of the Republic of China (1931 AD), a native of Lanzhou, Gansu Province. In the 5th year of Guangxu's reign in the Qing Dynasty (1879), he entered Pan as a student at the age of 16.
Ranked sixth in the provincial examination in the 11th year of Guangxu's reign. At the age of 26, he became a Jinshi and was awarded the title of Shujishi of Hanlin Academy. In the 20th year of Guangxu's reign, he served as editor of the Hanlin Academy. Three years later, he resigned and returned to Lanzhou, where he concentrated on his studies, founded a society, studied in an academy, and did many useful things for the local area.
In terms of scholarship, he valued practical learning and opposed empty reading. Students are required to “push to the bottom of their studies and comprehend them thoroughly” when reading.
He devoted most of his life to the development of local cultural undertakings in Lanzhou and trained many talents. Wang Huogen, Yang Juchuan, Zhao Yuanzhen, etc. all came from his disciples. Shortly after his death, some social groups established "Zhiguo Middle School" (now Lanzhou No. 2 Middle School) as a profound memorial to him.
Baidu Encyclopedia—Liu Erxin