The Master said, “The noble person helps others fulfill their good intentions and does not assist them in doing wrong. The petty person does the opposite.”
Note
This saying from the Analects of Confucius contrasts the moral orientation of the junzi (noble person) and the petty person through their attitudes toward others’ actions. The junzi (Confucian gentleman) actively supports virtue—encouraging, enabling, and celebrating others’ moral choices—because he values ethical growth and social harmony. He refrains from participating in or enabling wrongdoing, even if it brings short-term gain. In contrast, the petty man, driven by self-interest, envy, or moral indifference, either ignores goodness or subtly undermines it, while readily joining in or amplifying others’ faults—perhaps to feel superior, gain advantage, or avoid being held to a higher standard. This teaching underscores a key Confucian principle: morality is relational. Virtue isn’t just about personal purity; it involves actively fostering goodness in the community. By “completing others’ beauty”, the junzi contributes to a culture of mutual moral uplift—a vision central to Confucian ethics, where individual cultivation and collective well-being are inseparable.
Further Reading
The Master said, “Only the humane person can truly love others and truly dislike others.” Analects 4.3 (Li Ren)
Both emphasize that moral judgment must be grounded in benevolence (humaneness)—loving what is good and rejecting what is harmful, not out of bias but ethical clarity.
子曰：「君子成人之美，不成人之惡。小人反是。」
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