Vice

Analects 17.8

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Original Text:

子曰由也女闻六言六蔽矣乎对曰未也居吾语女好仁不好学其蔽也愚好知不好学其蔽也荡好信不好学其蔽也贼好直不好学其蔽也绞好勇不好学其蔽也乱好刚不好学其蔽也狂

Translation:

Other Translations:

The Master said, “Zilu! Have you heard about the six [virtuous] words and their six corresponding vices?”

Zilu replied, “I have not.”

“Sit! I will tell you about them.

“Loving Goodness without balancing it with a love for learning will result in the vice of foolishness. Loving wisdom without balancing it with a love for learning will result in the vice of deviance. Loving trustworthiness without balancing it with a love for learning will result in the vice of harmful rigidity. Loving uprightness without balancing it with a love for learning will result in the vice of intolerance. Loving courage without balancing it with a love for learning will result in the vice of unruliness. Loving resoluteness without balancing it with a love for learning will result in the vice of willfulness.”

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

The Master said, You (Zilu), have you heard of the six terms and the six flaws attending them?

Zilu replied, No, not yet.

Sit down, said the Master, and I will tell you. Love of humaneness without love of study invites the flaw of foolishness. Love of understanding without love of study invites the flaw of recklessness. Love of trustworthiness without love of study invites the flaw of injurious behavior. Love of uprightness without love of study invites the flaw of bluntness. Love of bravery without love of study invites the flaw of riotousness. Love of firmness without love of study invites the flaw of irrational action.

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

Analects 12.21

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Original Text:

樊迟从游于舞雩之下曰敢问崇德修慝辨惑子曰善哉问先事后得非崇德与攻其恶无攻人之恶非修慝与一朝之忿忘其身以及其亲非惑与

Translation:

Other Translations:

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.