Things that are easy to punch, ugliness, unevenness, inconsiderateness, or just a narrow world view, one can get some kind of random ugly victory by continuously punching these things down (like in a muddy puddle), although the point is you get muddied. But the more difficult or the more effortful thing, and perhaps the more important thing to adorn time with is to live up to the beautiful, to keep the illustrious virtue in gaze, and to figure out your next step according to that distant mountain top. And then walk, then look again at that top, and re-determine your next step. And so, between the goal (the excellent, the true and the beautiful), and the first step, or a next step, perhaps a life is lived.
"What the great learning teaches, is to illustrate illustrious virtue; to renovate the people; and to rest in the highest excellence.
The point where to rest being known, the object of pursuit is then determined; and, that being determined, a calm unperturbedness may be attained to. To that calmness there will succeed a tranquil repose. In that repose there may be careful deliberation, and that deliberation will be followed by the attainment of the desired end."