The meaning of 智（zhì）
Becoming wise is the goal of many people in traditional Chinese culture.
A wise person always faces the difficulties in life with a peaceful mind. They always try to be positive and think optimistically about the things that happen around them. Happy or sad, rich or poor, in prosperity or in adversity, they always keep calm.
There are lots of examples in Chinese literature that demonstrate this.
Fan Zhongyan (989-1052), a statesman of the Song period, wrote:
“不以物喜，不以己悲”（bù yǐ wù xǐ ，bù yǐ jǐ bēi）
"Not pleased by external gains, not saddened by personal losses." (Translation quoted from online)
This is one of the core values that had a huge influence on ancient Chinese scholars. They sought to remain peaceful regardless of whether the outer world changed or not, trying not to be influenced by it and instead focusing on their inner serenity.
How did ancient Chinese people try to become wise?
Perhaps you want to know, “How did ancient Chinese people try to become wise?” They can achieve this in many different ways.
The most significant and common method is reading. They read a lot of books to learn from other scholars, both past and current.
They also took advise from teachers, parents, and other moral authorities.
Additionally, the traditional Chinese culture related to the divine; most people also followed a religion, such as Daoism or Buddhism, which helped them to think and act wisely in their lives.