The Analects of Confucius by Confucius and Burton Watson

Summary

An ancient Chinese book with aphorisms on how to conduct yourself, lead/govern others and live a good life. Has some traces of Stoicism, minus the spirituality. Don’t read it hoping for enlightenment, it’s not that kind of book.

Key Takeaways

• Master Zeng said, Each day I examine myself on three matters.
  • In making plans for others, am I being loyal to them? 
  • In my dealings with friends, am I being trustworthy? 
  • Am I passing on to others what I have not carefully thought about myself?
• Don’t worry about whether other people understand you. Worry about whether you understand other people.
• Be thoroughly versed in the old, and understand the new—then you can be a teacher.
• Learning without thought is pointless. Thought without learning is dangerous.
• When you know, to know you know. When you don’t know, to know you don’t know. That’s what knowing is.
• Hear much, put aside what’s doubtful, and in your speech apply the rest with caution—then you’ll make few mistakes. Observe much, put aside what’s suspicious, and in your actions apply the rest with caution—then you’ll have little to regret.
• 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.
• Don’t worry that you have no position—worry about how you can qualify for one. Don’t worry that people don’t know you—look for some reason to become known.
• The gentleman desires to be hesitant in speech but prompt in action.
• Why didn’t you tell him that he’s the kind of person who in bursts of enthusiasm forgets to eat, in his delight forgets to worry, and doesn’t even realize that old age is coming on? (Jim note: use this “test” to identify your passion or calling)
• The Master observed four prohibitions: 
  • no willfulness
  • no obstinacy
  • no narrow-mindedness
  • no egotism
• Zigong asked about government. The Master said, You need enough food, enough weaponry, and the trust of the common people. If you can only choose 1, choose trust. Without the trust of the common people, you get nowhere.
• Think of the work first and the gains afterward—this is how to uphold virtue.
• When those close by are happy, those from far away gather around.
• The gentleman is easy to serve but hard to please.
• The firm, the bold, the simple, the slow in speech are near to humaneness.
• The gentleman is an expert in important matters; the petty man, an expert in trivial ones.
• Formerly people studied to improve themselves; now they do so to impress others.
• The person who fails to take far-reaching precautions is sure to encounter near-at-hand woes.
• Lack patience in minor matters, and you may disrupt larger schemes.
• Day by day understanding what is beyond you, month by month never forgetting what you can do—you may be called a lover of learning.
• Broad in learning, dedicated in will, acute in questioning, reflecting on things close at hand—look for humaneness there.

What I got out of it

The Analects of Confucius is a great book (and reminder) with aphorisms on how to conduct yourself and lead others. It’s not a spiritual text (unlike the Tao Te Ching) so don’t expect enlightenment or an increased understanding of how life and the world work.

I especially loved Confucius’ use of gentleman-vs-petty-man contrast.

Some things that stood out:

• Don’t learn random things – be thoughtful in what you invest time in to learn.
• A reminder that “history repeats itself,” so learn about history and learn the fundamentals. Get those down cold. Then use that knowledge to understand the modern and new.
• Be considerate and deliberate in what you say, write or talk about AND let actions speak louder than words. 
  • The gentleman desires to be hesitant in speech but prompt in action.
  • The firm, the bold, the simple, the slow in speech are near to humaneness. 
  • Those who have virtue invariably have something to say, but those who have something to say do not invariably have virtue.
  • The gentleman is ashamed to let his words outstrip his actions.
• Think of the work first and the gains afterwards.

Summary & Quotes

Introduction

Confucius grew up in considerable poverty, an experience that seems to have made him particularly sensitive to matters of wealth and class. At an early age, as he tells us, he devoted himself to learning, and the importance of education is a major theme in the Analects.

The Chinese have shown a marked fondness for pithy sayings and the belief that the most important truths can best be expressed, or at least conveniently summed up, in aphoristic form, a conviction that clearly permeates the wording of the Analects.

Moreover, they have believed, as evidenced by their abiding concern with the keeping and study of historical records, that ideas are best understood and remembered in the form of events tied to actual historical times and personages. In the Analects, therefore, the reader will find no lengthy discussions of terminology or expositions of ideas. Instead, moral and political concepts are presented in terms of particular individuals, the teacher Confucius and the disciple or other person with whom he is conversing, and the particular circumstances under discussion.

This “ceding” principle, the belief that wisdom and moral stature rather than birth alone are what qualify one for rulership, seems to underlie much of Confucius’s thinking in the Analects. Nowhere does he actually advocate such acts of ceding or openly challenge the idea of hereditary rule. But in discussing the ruler’s ministers, he makes clear that, in his view, it is moral standing rather than birth that qualifies one for official position; he stresses that in matters of education there should be no class distinctions; and he indicates that as a teacher he is ready to give instruction to anyone, regardless of the person’s social background, who sincerely desires to learn.

Confucius frequently employs the term Dao. In Confucius’s pronouncements, it refers specifically to the characteristics of peaceful, benevolent, and culturally distinguished government typical of the periods of ideal rule, particularly that of the early years of the Zhou dynasty.

The ideal rulers of the past are customarily described as sheng, or “sages.”

Ancestor worship played a vital role in ancient China, and the Analects makes frequent mention of sacrifices and other rites performed for the spirits of the dead, as well as for nature deities of the mountains and rivers.

Chinese religion at this time, particularly among the upper classes, revolved mainly around veneration of the family ancestors, expressed through periodic sacrifices to them in an ancestral temple or at a family altar. Moreover, the family was envisioned as the inculcator of moral values in the young: one learned first how to pay proper respect to parents and ancestral spirits and how to live in harmony with siblings and other kin. Only after these patterns of behavior had been mastered in the circle of the family could they be extended to the other members of society.

Confucius’s thinking centers mainly on questions of politics, education, and human relations, the vast majority of his pronouncements and those of his associates remain of vital interest to readers today. Indeed, the very vagueness of the wording has allowed the text to be reinterpreted or readily adapted to fit the changed circumstances of later ages.

Book One 

Studying, and from time to time going over what you’ve learned—that’s enjoyable, isn’t it?

Master Zeng said, Each day I examine myself on three matters. 

• In making plans for others, am I being loyal to them? 
• In my dealings with friends, am I being trustworthy? 
• Am I passing on to others what I have not carefully thought about myself?

The Master said, Young people should be filial at home, brotherly with others, circumspect, and trustworthy. Let them act kindly toward the populace in general and befriend those of humane character. If, after that, they have energy left over, let them study the arts.

When the Master goes to a particular state, he is certain to learn about its government. Does he seek such information? Or do others just give it to him?
Zigong said, The Master goes about it by being cordial, forthright, respectful, modest, and deferential. The Master’s way of seeking is different from that of others.

The Master said, A gentleman when he eats doesn’t try to stuff himself, when he chooses a dwelling is not overly concerned about comfort. He is attentive to affairs, careful of his words, and looks to those who have the Way to correct himself. He’s the kind who can be called a lover of learning.

The Master said, Don’t worry about whether other people understand you. Worry about whether you understand other people.

Book Two 

The Master said, Conduct government in accordance with virtue, and it will be like the North Star standing in its place, with all the other stars paying court to it.

The Master said, Guide them with government orders, regulate them with penalties, and the people will seek to evade the law and be without shame. Guide them with virtue, regulate them with ritual, and they will have a sense of shame and become upright.

The Master said, At fifteen I set my mind on learning; by thirty I had found my footing; at forty I was free of perplexities; by fifty I understood the will of Heaven; by sixty I learned to give ear to others; by seventy I could follow my heart’s desires without overstepping the line.

The Master said, Be thoroughly versed in the old, and understand the new—then you can be a teacher.

Zigong asked about the gentleman. The Master said, First he puts his words into action. Only later does he follow up with explanations.

The Master said, The gentleman is fair-minded and not partisan. The petty man is partisan and not fair-minded.

The Master said, Learning without thought is pointless. Thought without learning is dangerous.

The Master said, You (Zilu), shall I teach you what it means to know something? When you know, to know you know. When you don’t know, to know you don’t know. That’s what knowing is.

Zizhang was studying to gain an official position. The Master said, Hear much, put aside what’s doubtful, and in your speech apply the rest with caution—then you’ll make few mistakes. Observe much, put aside what’s suspicious, and in your actions apply the rest with caution—then you’ll have little to regret. Making few mistakes, having little to regret—the way to official position lies in this.

Ji Kangzi asked, How can I make the common people respectful, loyal, and diligent in their work?
The Master said, If you are strict in overseeing them, they will be respectful. If you are filial and compassionate, they will be loyal. If you promote persons of goodness and teach those who are incompetent, then the people will be diligent.

Zizhang questioned the Master, saying, Can we know how things will be ten generations from now?
The Master said, Yin followed the rites of Xia, and we know in what ways it added to or subtracted from them. Zhou follows the rites of Yin, and we know in what ways it added to or subtracted from them. Whoever carries on from Zhou, we can know how things will be even a hundred generations from now.

Book Three

The Master said, Zhou surveyed the two dynasties that went before, its ways are refined and elegant. I follow Zhou.

When the Master heard of this, he said, Completed affairs one does not comment on; things done one does not carp over; what is past one does not criticize.

The Master said, Standing above others but without tolerance, carrying out rites but without reverence, conducting funeral proceedings but without grief—how can I bear to view such as these?

Book Four 

The Master said, A person lacking in humaneness cannot endure straightened circumstances for long, nor can he enjoy favourable circumstances for long. The humane person rests in humaneness, the wise person profits from humaneness.

The Master said, I have never seen a person who really loved humaneness or a person who really hated the lack of humaneness.
A person who really loved humaneness would have no one who surpassed him. A person who really hated the lack of humaneness would conduct himself humanely, never allowing those who lack humaneness to affect his behaviour.
Is there someone who for a whole day is willing to use all his strength to achieve humaneness? I’ve never seen anyone who lacked the strength to do so—there may be such a person, but I’ve never seen one.

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.

The Master said, Act only with profit in mind, and you face much rancour.

The Master said, Don’t worry that you have no position—worry about how you can qualify for one. Don’t worry that people don’t know you—look for some reason to become known.

The Master said, The gentleman is alert to what is right. The petty man is alert to what is profitable.

The Master said, When you see a worthy person, think about how you can equal him. When you see an unworthy person, reflect on your own conduct.

The Master said, In serving your father and mother, you may gently admonish them. But if you see they have no intention of listening to you, then be respectful as before and do not disobey them. You might feel distressed but should never feel resentful.

The Master said, The gentleman desires to be hesitant in speech but prompt in action.

The Master said, Virtue is not alone. It invariably has neighbours.

Book Five 

Zigong asked, Why was Kong Wenzi given the posthumous name Cultured (Wen)?
The Master said, Clear-sighted and a lover of learning, he was not ashamed to ask questions of his inferiors. Therefore he was given the name Cultured.

The Master said of Zichan, He exemplified the Way of the gentleman in four respects. 

• In conducting himself, he was prudent. 
• In serving his superiors, he was respectful. 
• In looking out for the common people, he was caring. 
• And in employing the common people, he followed what was right.

Ji Wen Zi thought three times before he acted. When the Master heard of this, he said, Twice is enough.

The Master said, Bo Yi and Shu Qi did not dwell on old wrongs—so they had few feelings of rancour.

Book Six 

Ran Qiu said, It’s not that I don’t delight in the Master’s Way, but I don’t have sufficient strength for it.
The Master said, Those whose strength is insufficient go at least halfway before giving up. But now you are setting limits for yourself.

Fan Chi asked about wisdom. The Master said, Work to lead the people toward what is right. Respect the gods and spirits but keep them at a distance—this can be called wisdom.

When he asked about humaneness, the Master said, Humaneness means tending to difficulties first and leaving benefits for later—this can be called humaneness.

The Master said, The wise delight in water; the humane delight in mountains. The wise move; the humane are still. The wise are happy; the humane live long.

The Master said, If the gentleman acquires broad learning in cultural matters and focuses it through ritual, he is hardly likely to go far astray, is he?

The Master said, The virtue embodied in the doctrine of the Mean is of the highest order. But it has long been rare among people. (Zhongyong, or “the doctrine of moderation,” an important concept in Confucian thought. But it is mentioned only this once in the Analects.)

The humane person wants standing, and so he helps others to gain standing. He wants achievement, and so he helps others to achieve. To know how to proceed on the analogy of what is close at hand—this can be called the humane approach.

Book Seven 

The Master said, To be silent and understand, to learn without tiring, never to weary of teaching others—this much I can do.

The Master said, Virtue not sufficiently practiced, learning not sufficiently digested, to hear what is right and not be able to do it, to have shortcomings and not be able to remedy them—these are the things that I worry about.

The Master said, If they’re not eager to learn, I don’t enlighten them; if they’re not struggling to put it into words, I don’t assist them. I hold up one corner to show them, and if they can’t come back with the other three, then I don’t go on.

The Master said, If one could get rich just by trying, then although it meant being a herald with whip in hand, I would go along with that. But if one can’t get rich just by trying, I prefer to follow my own desires.

The Master exercised great care with regard to the following: preparations for a sacrifice, warfare, and illness.

The Master said, Eating simple food, drinking water, a bended arm for a pillow—there’s happiness in these things too. Wealth and eminence gained by unrightful means are to me mere drifting clouds.

The Master said, Give me a few more years—if I have fifty years to study, then perhaps I, too, can avoid any great errors. [Or, according to the more widely accepted Ku text:] if I have fifty years to study the Book of Changes, then perhaps I, too, can avoid any great errors.

The Master said, Why didn’t you tell him that he’s the kind of person who in bursts of enthusiasm forgets to eat, in his delight forgets to worry, and doesn’t even realize that old age is coming on?

The Master said, I was not born understanding anything. A lover of antiquity, I have diligently worked to acquire understanding.

Subjects the Master did not discuss: strange occurrences, feats of strength, rebellion, the gods.

The Master said, When I walk with two others, I’m bound to find my teacher there. I single out their good points and pursue them, note their bad points and make my corrections.

The Master taught four things: culture, behaviour, loyalty, trustworthiness.

With nothingness pretending to possession, emptiness pretending to fullness, want pretending to affluence, true constancy is hard to find.

The Master said, There are those who do not have knowledge and yet make things. I’m not that way. I hear much, choose what is good and follow it, see much and keep it in mind. This is the next best thing to knowledge.

The Master said, The gentleman is composed, at peace with things. The petty man is constantly fretting, fretting.

Book Eight

The Master said, Courtesy without ritual becomes laboured; caution without ritual becomes timidity; daring without ritual becomes riotousness; directness without ritual becomes obtrusiveness.
If the gentleman treats those close to him with generosity, the common people will be moved to humaneness. If he does not forget his old associates, the common people will shun cold-heartedness.

When Master Zeng was ill, Meng Jing Zi asked how he was.
Master Zeng spoke these words: When a bird is about to die, its cries are sad. When a man is about to die, his words are good.
With regard to the Way, there are three things the gentleman prizes: 

• in his actions and manner, that he be far from harshness or arrogance; 
• in ordering his appearance, that he stick close to trustworthiness; 
• in his utterances, that they be far from crude or unseemly. 
• As for the sacrificial baskets and stands, there are experts to tend to such matters.

Master Zeng said, Able but consulting those who lack ability, of many talents but consulting those with few, possessing but seeming to be without, full yet seeming to be empty, offended against but never retaliating—in the past I had a friend who always tried to be like that

The Master said, Get your start with the Odes; acquire a firm standing through ritual; complete the process with music.

The Master said, The common people can be made to follow a course, but cannot be made to understand why they should do so.

The Master said, Where there is love of daring and hatred of poverty, disorder will result. And if people lack humaneness and their hatred is extreme, disorder will result.

Book Nine 

The Master observed four prohibitions: 

• no willfulness
• no obstinacy
• no narrow-mindedness
• no egotism

The Master said, Do I have knowledge? I have no special knowledge. But if an uneducated fellow comes to me with a question, I attack it with all sincerity, exploring it from end to end until I’ve exhausted it.

The Master said, I have never seen the person who loved virtue the way he loved physical beauty.

The Master said, It’s like building a mound. If the mound needs one more basketful of dirt for completion and I stop work, then the stopping is mine. Or it’s like the case of level ground. Although it may be only one basketful of dirt, if I heap it up, then the progress is mine.

The Master said, Put prime value on loyalty and trustworthiness, have no friends who are not your equal, and, if you make mistakes, don’t be afraid to correct them.

The Master said, The wise are never perplexed; the humane, never anxious; the brave, never afraid.

The Master said, You may study alongside a person but can’t agree with him how to pursue the Way. You may pursue the Way with him but can’t agree where to take your stand. You may agree where to take your stand but not how to adapt to circumstances.

Book Eleven 

Jilu asked how one should serve the gods and spirits. The Master said, When you don’t yet know how to serve human beings, how can you serve the spirits?
Jilu said, May I venture to ask about death? The Master said, When you don’t yet understand life, how can you understand death?

Zizhang asked about the way of the truly good person. The Master said, Unless you follow in others’ footsteps, you cannot enter the inner room.

Book Twelve 

Yan Yuan asked about humaneness. The Master said, To master the self and return to ritual is to be humane. For one day master the self and return to ritual, and the whole world will become humane.
Being humane proceeds from you yourself. How could it proceed from others?
Yan Yuan said, May I ask how to go about this?
The Master said, If it is contrary to ritual, don’t look at it. If it is contrary to ritual, don’t listen to it. If it is contrary to ritual, don’t utter it. If it is contrary to ritual, don’t do it.

Zhonggong asked about humaneness. The Master said, 

• When you go out the door, behave as though you were going to meet an important guest. 
• When you employ the common people, do so as though you were conducting an important sacrifice. 
• What you do not want others to do to you, do not do to others. 
• In the domain, let there be no grievances against you; in the family, let there be no grievances against you.

Sima Niu asked about humaneness. The Master said, The humane person is cautious about how he speaks of it.

Sima Niu, troubled, said, All men have elder and younger brothers, but I alone have none.
Zixia said, The way I’ve heard it, life and death are a matter of fate; wealth and eminence rest with Heaven. If a gentleman is respectful and free of error, if he is considerate of others and treats them according to ritual, then all within the four seas are his elder and younger brothers. Why should a gentleman be troubled that he has no elder or younger brothers?

Zizhang asked about clear-sightedness. The Master said, Someone who is unmoved by insidious slander or hurtful and persistent accusations—he may be called clear-sighted. Someone who is unmoved by insidious slander or hurtful and persistent accusations may be called a person of far-reaching perception.

Zigong asked about government. The Master said, You need enough food, enough weaponry, and the trust of the common people.
Zigong said, If you had to do without one of these, which of the three would you do without first?
Do without weapons.
And if you had to do without one of the other two, which would it be?
The Master said, Do without food. From times past, everyone has to die. But without the trust of the common people, you get nowhere.

You Ruo replied, If the people have enough, what ruler will be left without enough? But if the people don’t have enough, how can the ruler hope to have enough?

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?

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

Book Thirteen 

Zilu asked about government. The Master said, Do it by leading, and by rewarding.
Anything further, may I ask?
The Master said, Never be neglectful.

Zhonggong, who was serving as steward to the Ji family, asked about government.

The Master said, Your first concern should be the officers in your employ. Excuse minor shortcomings, and promote those of outstanding talent.
How can I know those of outstanding talent in order to promote them?
The Master said, Promote those you know to be worthy. As for those you don’t know, will others fail to mention them?

Zilu said, If the ruler of Wei were waiting for you, Master, to take charge of government affairs, what would you do first?
The Master said, If I had to name my first action, I would rectify names.
If names are not rectified, then speech will not function properly, and if speech does not function properly, then undertakings will not succeed. If undertakings do not succeed, then rites and music will not flourish. If rites and music do not flourish, then punishments and penalties will not be justly administered. And if punishments and penalties are not justly administered, then the common people will not know where to place their hands and feet.
Therefore, when the gentleman names a thing, that naming can be conveyed in speech, and if it is conveyed in speech, then it can surely be put into action. When the gentleman speaks, there is nothing arbitrary in the way he does so.

The Master said, If the person himself is correct, then although you do not order him to do so, he will act. But if the person himself is not correct, then although you order him, he will not obey.

The lord of She asked about government. The Master said, When those close by are happy, those from far away gather around.

When Zixia became steward of Jufu, he asked about government.
The Master said, Don’t try to hurry things; don’t go after petty gain.
Try to hurry, and you accomplish nothing. Go after petty gain, and the big undertakings won’t succeed.

Fan Chi asked about humaneness. The Master said, 

• In private life, be courteous;
• In handling affairs, respectful; 
• In dealings with others, loyal.

The Master said, The gentleman is easy to serve but hard to please.
Try to please him with what does not accord with the Way, and he will not be pleased. But when he employs others, he thinks of their particular capabilities.
The petty man is hard to serve but easy to please. Try pleasing him with what does not accord with the Way, and he will be pleased.
But when he employs others, he expects them to be able to do anything.

The Master said, The gentleman is self-possessed but not arrogant. The petty man is arrogant but not self-possessed.

The Master said, The firm, the bold, the simple, the slow in speech are near to humaneness.

Book Fourteen 

The Master said, Those who have virtue invariably have something to say, but those who have something to say do not invariably have virtue. Those who are humane are invariably courageous, but those who are courageous are not invariably humane.

The Master said, A gentleman but not humane—there are some like that, are there not? But there’s never been a petty man who was humane.

The Master said, If you love people, can you fail to reward them? If you are loyal to them, can you fail to admonish them?

The Master said, To be poor but not resentful is difficult. To be rich and not arrogant is easy.

Zilu asked about the complete person. The Master said, Zang Wuzhong’s understanding, Meng Gongchuo’s freedom from desire, the valor of Zhuangzi of Pian, the arts of Ran Qiu—embellish them through rites and music, and you have what may be termed the complete person.
And he said, But the complete person of our times need not necessarily be like this. If when he spies gain, he remembers what is right; when he spies danger, is ready to risk his life; when faced with old promises, does not forget his past words; then he can be termed a complete person.

The Master questioned Gongming Jia about Gongshu Wenzi, saying, Is it true that your master never spoke, never laughed, and never accepted things?
Gongming Jia replied, Whoever told you that was exaggerating.
My master spoke only when it was time to do so—thus others did not object to his speaking. He laughed only when he was happy—so others did not object to his laughter. He accepted things only when it was right to do so—thus others did not object to his accepting.

The Master said, He who speaks irresponsibly will find it hard to put his words into action.

Zilu asked how to serve the ruler. The Master said, Never deceive him; oppose him openly.

The Master said, The gentleman is an expert in important matters; the petty man, an expert in trivial ones.

The Master said, Formerly people studied to improve themselves; now they do so to impress others.

The Master said, The gentleman is ashamed to let his words outstrip his actions.

The Master said, Don’t worry about others’ not understanding you. Worry about your own lack of ability.

The Master said, Do not be overly wary of deception; do not suspect others of bad faith. But he who is first to perceive the true situation is the wise one!

Zilu asked about the gentleman. The Master said, He trains himself to be respectful.
Is that all?
The Master said, He trains himself in order to give ease to others.
Is that all?
The Master said, He trains himself in order to give ease to all men and women. But training himself in order to give ease to all men and women—even the sages Yao and Shun found that hard to do.

Book Fifteen 

The Master said, If it’s someone you ought to speak to and you fail to speak, you waste a person. If it’s someone you ought not to speak to and you speak, you waste words. The wise man doesn’t waste people and doesn’t waste words either.

Zigong asked how to practice humaneness. The Master said, A craftsman who wants to do his job well must first sharpen his tools.
Whatever country you are in, be of service to the high officials who are worthy and become friends with the men of station who are humane.

The Master said, The person who fails to take far-reaching precautions is sure to encounter near-at-hand woes.

The Master said, Be hard on yourself; go lightly when you blame others—that way you stay clear of resentment.

The Master said, The gentleman makes rightness the substance, practices it through ritual, displays it with humility, brings it to completion with trustworthiness. That’s the gentleman.

The Master said, The gentleman is troubled by his own lack of ability. He is not troubled by the fact that others do not understand him.

The Master said, The gentleman makes demands on himself. The petty man makes demands on others.

The Master said, The gentleman is proud but not contentious; he joins with others but is not cliquish.

The Master said, The gentleman does not esteem a person merely because of his words, nor does he disregard words merely because of the person.

Zigong asked, Is there a single word that can guide a person’s conduct throughout life?
The Master said, That would be reciprocity, wouldn’t it? What you do not want others to do to you, do not do to others.

The Master said, Clever words are the disrupters of virtue. Lack patience in minor matters, and you may disrupt larger schemes.

The Master said, When everyone hates someone, look into the matter carefully. When everyone likes someone, look into the matter carefully.

The Master said, To make a mistake and not correct it is to make a mistake indeed.

The Master said, You might have sufficient knowledge to gain a position, but if you do not have the humaneness needed to hold on to it, then although you gain it, you will surely lose it. You might have sufficient knowledge to gain a position and the humaneness needed to hold on to it, but if you do not administer it with dignity, the common people will not respect you. You might have sufficient knowledge to gain a position, the humaneness needed to hold on to it, and may administer it with dignity, but if your actions do not accord with ritual, the results will be less than good.

The Master said, The gentleman is firm but not stubbornly unbending.

The Master said, In matters of instruction, there should be no class distinctions.

Book Sixteen 

Confucius said, The gentleman hates someone who won’t say outright that he favours a course and yet keeps offering reasons to support it. I have heard that a nation or a family does not worry that it has little but that that little is unevenly apportioned, does not worry that it is poor but that it is unstable. Because with equitable distribution there is no real poverty, with harmony, no real scarcity, with stability, no real peril. When such a situation exists, if neighbouring people do not submit to your ruler, then enhance your culture and virtue and draw them to you, and once you have drawn them to you, offer them stability. Now you, Qiu and You, in assisting your lord to deal with neighbours who do not submit, are not following a course that will draw them to you. Instead, the state threatens to break apart, to collapse, and you cannot hold it together. And now you propose to resort to armed conflict within the state itself. I fear that the threat to the Ji family lies not in Zhuanyu but in what is taking place within its own walls!

Confucius said, Three kinds of friends are beneficial; three kinds are harmful. Straightforward friends, sincere friends, well-informed friends—these are beneficial. Hypocritical friends, sycophantic friends, glib-talking friends—these are harmful.

Confucius said, Three kinds of delight are beneficial; three kinds are harmful. The delight of regulating oneself with rites and music, the delight of speaking of others’ good points, the delight of having many worthy friends—these are beneficial. Delight in extravagant pleasures, delight in idle wanderings, delight in the joys of the feast —these are harmful.

Confucius said, In one’s relations with a gentleman, there are three errors to avoid. 

• To speak of something before the time is right—this is called boorishness. 
• To fail to speak when it is time to do so—this is called secretiveness. 
• To speak without first observing the face of the person one is addressing—this is called blindness.

Confucius said, Those born with understanding rank highest. Those who study and gain understanding come next. Those who face difficulties and yet study—they are next. Those who face difficulties but never study—they are the lowest type of people.

Confucius said, The gentleman has nine things he thinks of. 

• He thinks—is my vision clear? 
• He thinks—is my hearing acute? 
• He thinks—is my expression genial? 
• He thinks—is my manner courteous? 
• He thinks—are my words loyal? 
• He thinks—am I respectful in the way I serve? 
• He thinks—when in doubt, do I seek advice? 
• He thinks—when angry, do I think of the troubles that may ensue? 
• He thinks—when I spy gain, would I be right to take it?

Book Seventeen 

Zizhang asked Confucius about humaneness. Confucius said, A person who can exercise these five in his dealings with the world is acting humanely.
When Zizhang asked what “these five” were, Confucius said, 

• Courtesy, tolerance, trustworthiness, diligence, and kindness.
  • Be courteous, and you avoid disrespect. 
  • Be tolerant, and you win over the multitude. 
  • Be trustworthy, and you are trusted by others. 
  • Be diligent, and your work will go well. 
  • Be kind, and you will be able to employ others.

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 behaviour.
• 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.

The Master said, Young people, why do none of you study the Odes? The Odes train you in analogy, allow you to observe customs, teach you to be sociable, teach you to express anger. Close at hand, you learn how to serve your father; in more distant terms, how to serve the ruler.

The Master said, Women and petty persons are the hardest to look after. Treat them in a friendly manner, and they become impertinent; keep them at a distance, and they take offence.

Book Nineteen 

A disciple of Zixia asked Zizhang about personal relations. Zizhang said, What does Zixia say? The disciple replied, Zixia says, Associate with those who are fit to be associated with; reject those who are not.
Zizhang said, That’s different from what I’ve heard. The gentleman honors worthy persons and tolerates the multitude. He applauds good men and sympathizes with those who lack ability. Am I myself a person of great worth? If so, why shouldn’t I tolerate others? Am I a person who lacks worth? If so, others will reject me. What need is there for me to reject others?

Zixia said, Day by day understanding what is beyond you, month by month never forgetting what you can do—you may be called a lover of learning.

Zixia said, Broad in learning, dedicated in will, acute in questioning, reflecting on things close at hand—look for humaneness there.

Zixia said, The hundred craftsmen stay in their workshops in order to accomplish their tasks. The gentleman studies in order to perfect his Way.

Zigong said, The gentleman speaks one word and shows that he is wise, speaks one word and shows that he is unwise. Therefore, he must be careful how he speaks. Our Master can no more be equaled than one can mount a stairway to the sky. If our Master were to preside over a state or a powerful family, then, as the saying has it, If he raised them, they would stand; if he led, they would go forward; if he chose peace, they would flock around; if he moved, they would move in harmony. In life he is glorious; in death, deeply mourned. How, then, could he be equaled?

Book Twenty 

Zizhang questioned Confucius about government, saying, How should one proceed in order to govern effectively?
The Master said, Honor the five desirables, avoid the four evils— then you can govern effectively.
Zizhang said, What are the five desirables?
The Master said, 

• The gentleman is bountiful but not extravagant
• Exacts labor but rouses no resentment
• Has desires but is not covetous
• Is self-possessed but not arrogant
• Dignified but not oppressively so.

Zizhang said, What do you mean by bountiful but not extravagant?
The Master said, In bestowing benefit, go by what benefits the people—is this not what is meant by bountiful but not extravagant?
Select those appropriate for the task and exact labour from them— then who can feel resentment? Desire humaneness, and you will achieve humaneness—how can you be called covetous? The gentleman does not discriminate between the many and the few, the little and the big, and would never be overbearing—is this not what is meant by self-possessed but not arrogant? The gentleman straightens his clothing and cap and is careful how he looks at others, so that just viewing him from a distance, people are impressed—is this not what is meant by dignified but not oppressively so?
Zizhang said, What are the four evils?
The Master said, 

• To execute people without first instructing them —this is called tyranny. 
• To demand to see results without first giving warning—this is called unreasonableness. 
• To be lax in issuing orders and then suddenly call for results—this is called brigandage.
• When something has to be allotted anyway, to be stingy in allotting it —this is called the habit of government clerks.