This sentence was said by Confucius, from the fourteenth question of The Analects: "Confucius said: the ancient scholars are for themselves, and today's scholars are human beings."
The ancients in this sentence are not what we usually call the ancients, but the ancients in the Confucius era, including the ancients and the ancient sages of Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties. Modern people in this sentence, of course, do not refer to us modern people, but to people in the Confucius era, that is, people in the Spring and Autumn Period. Although Confucius didn't mean us modern people, this sentence still holds true for us modern people, and it still does.
Confucius said that "ancient scholars are for themselves", and ancient sages and scholars learn the way of sages for themselves. The word "Wei" here is practiced. It is a verb, which means "walking by shoes". We should not only study, but also practice, and apply our knowledge to our own lives and words and deeds. Learning is a kind of practice. You can correct your mistakes and shortcomings by learning the way of sages, reflect on yourself, and then actively turn over a new leaf. This is called "doing it for yourself".
But now people's attitude towards learning from the ancients is completely opposite-"today's scholars are also." Nowadays, people don't study for self-cultivation, self-reflection and self-correction, and they don't want to be saints, but tell people what they have learned and show off their intelligence. I, on the other hand, am an empty talk, and I can't do it at all. I can't implement it in real life, and I can't do it after I have said it. I have only learned a little and I can't get actual benefits.
In fact, it's not just people in the Confucius era. Today, two thousand years later, most of us still have such a learning attitude. The purpose of our study is not to improve ourselves and transform ourselves, but for others. For who? For parents, for teachers, for exams, for finding a good job, for earning more money, there is another kind, as Confucius said, for preaching to others and showing off to others. For example, many parents like to show off their children in front of others. They are smart and capable. She let her children learn those things as the capital for them to show off to others. This learning attitude is problematic.
Let's talk about myself, if not others. In fact, people don't really understand the meaning of learning until they are 40 years old, and they realize that learning is for themselves, for correcting mistakes, not for others. But since childhood, from school to society, I have always studied for others. I went to school for exams when I was a child. In order to get a good school, I found a stable job and didn't have to go home to farm. Studying after entering the society is purely to broaden your horizons, increase your knowledge and let you have something to say when chatting with others. Moreover, I often use what I have learned to judge others and teach others, and I can't see my shortcomings and problems at all.
It was not until recent years that I really understood the meaning of "the ancient scholars are for themselves". Laozi once said, "He who conquers others is powerful, and he who conquers himself is powerful". Only those who overcome themselves are truly strong. Learning is to conquer and improve yourself, not to defeat others, not to show off to others.