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The dictionary defines 修养 as:
accomplishment / training / self-cultivation
However many examples in context seem to have the sense of the development of being a gentleman / lady, or being cultured.
I would like to know what kind of personal development 修养 implies. In western bookshops, for example, there is often a "self help" section. Is this 修养? What about religious practice?
From Baidu Baike:
指人的行为和涵养，与人的性格、心理、道德、文化等有着紧密的联系，即为人综合素质的表现。
Simple Translation:
修养 refers to a person's behavior and conservation, which is closely linked with his personality, psychological state, moral view, cultural knowledge and things. It is the overall quality of a person.
So it is a big word. It can refer to how much a person knows in a particular area, or how a person treat the others, or many things else.
