The Master said, “There is no one who is my equal when it comes to cultural refinement, but as for actually becoming a gentleman in practice, this is something that I have not yet been able to achieve.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
The Master said, In cultural matters I believe I do as well as others. But as for personally enacting the role of the gentleman—that I am not yet up to.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
The Master said, “A sage I will never get to meet; if I manage to meet a gentleman, I suppose I would be content. An excellent person I will never get to meet; if I manage to meet someone with constancy, I suppose I would be content. [Yet all I see around me is] nothing masquerading as something, emptiness masquerading as substance, limitation masquerading as grandness. I think even constancy will be hard to find.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
The Master said, A sage I have never managed to see. If I could see a true gentleman, that would be enough.
The Master said, A truly good person I have never managed to see. If I could see a person of constancy, that would be enough. With nothingness pretending to possession, emptiness pretending to fullness, want pretending to affluence, true constancy is hard to find.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
Zai Wo asked, “If someone lied to a Good person, saying ‘a man has just fallen into the well!’, would he go ahead and jump in after him [to save the supposed man]?”
The Master replied, “Why would he do that? The gentleman can be enticed, but not trapped; he can be tricked, but not duped.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
Zai Wo asked, If you were to tell a humane person that there was a humane person in a well, would he go to the rescue?
The Master said, Why would he do that? The gentleman can be made to go somewhere but not to fall into a trap. He can be deceived but not completely hoodwinked.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
The Master said, “When native substance overwhelms cultural refinement, the result is a crude rustic. When cultural refinement overwhelms native substance, the result is a foppish pedant. Only when culture and native substance are perfectly mixed and balanced do you have a gentleman.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
The Master said, Where solid qualities outweigh refinement, you have rusticity. Where refinement outweighs solid qualities, you have the clerkly style. Refinement and solid qualities beautifully balanced—then you have the gentleman.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
When Zihua went on an official mission to the state of Qi, Ran Qiu requested a stipend of millet for his mother.
The Master said, “Give her a fu .”
Ran Qiu asked that the stipend be larger.
The Master said, “Give her an yu then.”
In the end, Ran Qiu gave her five bing.
[Upon hearing of this], the Master commented, “When Zihua left for Qi he was riding a fat horse and wearing light furs. I have heard it said that the gentleman aids the needy but does not help the rich to become richer.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
Zihua went on a mission to the state of Qi. Ran Qiu asked that Zihua’s mother be given an allowance of grain. The Master said, Give her a peck. When Ran Qiu asked for more, the Master said, Give her a bushel. Ran Qiu in the end gave her five large measures of grain.
The Master said, When Chi (Gongxi Zihua) set off for Qi, he had a team of fat horses and was wearing light furs. The way I’ve heard it, the gentleman helps out the needy but does not contribute to the upkeep of the rich.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
The Master said, “The gentleman cherishes virtue, whereas the petty person cherishes physical possessions. The gentleman thinks about punishments, whereas the petty person thinks about exemptions.”
Confucius, & Slingerland, E. (2003). Analects: With selections from traditional commentaries. Hackett Publishing.
The Master said, The gentleman has his mind fixed on virtue; the petty man has his mind fixed on land. The gentleman has his mind fixed on penalties; the petty man has his mind fixed on bounty.
Confucius, & Watson, B. (2007). The Analects of Confucius. Columbia University Press.
