For Zhu, the wisdom contained in the Four Books took a lifetime to master, in both an academic sense and in applying them to daily life. Zhu had always opposed the exam system, arguing that it misled men of learning. He preferred to dig into his own purse and to raise funds to set up an academy and publish books independently.
對朱熹而言，不論在日用間的修養、或學術考證工作上，《四書》都是一輩子的功夫，他一生最反對「考試制度」，認為科舉制度誤盡天下學子，寧可自掏腰包、募款設立書院、自行印刷書籍。