The Master replied, “Reprove your friend when dutifulness requires, but do so gently. If your words are not accepted then desist, lest you incur insult.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
Zigong asked how to deal with friends. The Master said, Advise them in a loyal manner; lead them with goodness. But if you get nowhere, then stop. No use to bring shame on yourself.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
Fan Chi still did not understand, so the Master elaborated: “Raise up the straight and apply them to the crooked, and the crooked will be made straight.”
Fan Chi retired from the Master’s presence. Seeing Zixia, he said, “Just before I asked the Master about wisdom, and he replied, ‘Raise up the straight and apply them to the crooked, and the crooked will be made straight.’ What did he mean by that?”
Zixia answered, “What a wealth of instruction you have received! When Shun ruled the world, he selected from amongst the multitude, raising up Gao Yao, and those who were not Good then kept their distance. When Tang ruled the world, he selected from amongst the multitude, raising up Yi Yin, and those who were not Good then kept their distance.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
Fan Chi asked about humaneness. The Master said, Love others. Fan Chi asked about understanding. The Master said, Understand others.
When Fan Chi failed to grasp the meaning, the Master said, Promote the straight, and let them oversee the crooked. That way, you can cause the crooked to be straight.
After Fan Chi had left the Master, he met Zixia. A while ago, he said, I met the Master and asked him about understanding. He said, Promote the straight, and let them oversee the crooked—that way you can cause the crooked to be straight. What does that mean?
Zixia said, How rich in meaning—these words! When Shun ruled the empire, he chose Gao Yao from among the multitude—and those who lacked humaneness were kept at a distance. When Tang ruled the empire, he chose Yi Yin from among the multitude—and those who lacked humaneness were kept at a distance.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
Fan Chi was on an excursion with the Master, wandering below the Rain Dance Altar, when he asked, “May I ask what it means to, ‘Accumulate Virtue, reform vice, and resolve confusion’?”
The Master replied, “A noble question indeed! Put service first and reward last—is this not the way to accumulate Virtue? Attack the bad qualities in yourself rather than the badness in others—is this not the way to remedy vice? To forget yourself in a moment of anger and thereby bring ruin upon both you and your family—is this not an example of confusion?”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
Fan Chi was accompanying the Master in an outing to the rain altars. He said, If I may, I would like to ask how to uphold virtue, remedy badness, and detect faulty thinking.
The Master said, An excellent question! Think of the work first and the gains afterward—this is how to uphold virtue, isn’t it? Attack the evils in yourself, not the evils in others—this is how to remedy badness, isn’t it? Because of one morning’s anger, to forget your own safety and even endanger those close to you—this is faulty thinking, isn’t it?
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
Zizhang inquired, “What must a scholar-official be like before he can be considered accomplished?”
The Master replied, “What do you mean by ‘accomplished’?”
“Sure to be renowned, whether serving the state or a noble family.”
The Master said, “That is merely being ‘renowned,’ not being ‘accomplished.’ Someone who is accomplished is upright in his native substance and fond of rightness. He examines other people’s words and observes their demeanor, and always takes the interests of his inferiors into account when considering something—no matter whether serving the state or a noble family. Someone who is renowned, on the other hand, adopts the appearance of Goodness but violates it in his actual conduct, all the while never doubting that he deserves to be called Good. Thus, he is sure to be renowned, whether serving the state or a noble family.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
Zizhang asked, What does a man of station have to do to be known as accomplished?
The Master said, What do you mean by accomplished?
Zizhang replied, In the domain, invariably well reputed; in the family, invariably well reputed.
The Master said, That is reputation, not accomplishment. The accomplished man is solid, straightforward, a lover of right. He weighs people’s words, observes their attitude, and is careful to defer to others. In the domain, he is invariably recognized for his accomplishments; in the family, invariably recognized for his accomplishments. The man of reputation pretends to adhere to humaneness but acts quite differently and never shows any doubt in what he’s doing—so in the domain, he is invariably well reputed; in the family, invariably well reputed.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
Ji Kangzi asked Confucius about governing, saying, “If I were to execute those who lacked the Way in order to advance those who possessed the Way, how would that be?”
Confucius responded, “In your governing, Sir, what need is there for executions? If you desire goodness, then the common people will be good. The Virtue of a gentleman is like the wind, and the Virtue of a petty person is like the grass—when the wind moves over the grass, the grass is sure to bend.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
Ji Kangzi asked Confucius about government, saying, If I kill those who don’t follow the Way, and thereby encourage those who do follow the Way, how would that be?
Confucius replied, Your task is to govern. What need is there for killing? If you desire goodness, the common people will be good. The virtue of the gentleman is like the wind; the virtue of the petty people like the grass. When the wind blows over the grass, surely it will bend.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
Ji Kangzi was concerned about the prevalence of robbers in Lu and asked Confucius about how to deal with this problem.
Confucius said, “If you could just get rid of your own excessive desires, the people would not steal even if you rewarded them for it.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
Ji Kangzi was troubled by thieves and asked Confucius for advice. Confucius replied, If you had no desires, then, even if you offered prizes, no one would steal.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
Confucius responded, “To ‘govern’ means to be ‘correct’. If you set an example by being correct yourself, who will dare to be incorrect?”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
Ji Kangzi asked Confucius about government. Confucius replied, To govern is to put to rights. If you lead in the right direction, who will dare do what is not right?
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
The Master said, “A gentleman helps others to realize their good qualities, rather than their bad. A petty person does the opposite.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
The Master said, The gentleman brings out what is most admirable in people; he does not bring out what is bad in them. The petty man does the opposite.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
The Master said, “Someone who is broadly learned with regard to culture, and whose conduct is restrained by the rites, can be counted upon to not go astray.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
The Master said, Acquire broad learning in cultural matters, focus it through ritual, and you are hardly likely to go far astray—isn’t that so?
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
