Acquisitive

Original Text:

孔子曰君子有三戒少之时血气未定戒之在色及其壮也血气方刚戒之在斗及其老也血气既衰戒之在得

Translation:

Other Translations:

Confucius said, “The gentleman guards against three things: when he is young, and his blood and vital essence are still unstable, he guards against the temptation of female beauty; when he reaches his prime, and his blood and vital essence have become unyielding, he guards against being contentious; when he reaches old age, and his blood and vital essence have begun to decline, he guards against being acquisitive.”

Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.

Confucius said, The gentleman has three things to beware of. When he is young and his energies are not fully controlled, he bewares of sexual attraction. When he is mature and his energies are at their height, he bewares of aggressiveness. When he is old and his energies have waned, he bewares of avariciousness.

Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.