Zilu spent the night at the Stone Gate. At dawn, the gatekeeper asked him, “Where do you come from?”
Zilu replied, “From Master Kong’s.”
The gatekeeper said, “Ah – is he not the one who knows it’s impossible, yet still does it?”
Note
This brief exchange from the Analects (Lunyu) vividly captures Confucius’ spirit of “knowing it is impossible, yet still acting,” and reflects how widely recognized his mission was in society at the time.
“Knowing it is impossible, yet still acting” is not blind stubbornness, but a conscious moral commitment. Confucius fully understood that during the chaotic late Spring and Autumn period – with collapsing rites, warring states, and self-serving rulers – implementing benevolent governance and Zhou ritual was nearly hopeless. Yet he still traveled among states, taught disciples, and advised rulers, persistently promoting his ideals. His actions were not driven by utility or success, but by loyalty to the Way (Dao) and a sense of duty.
Though the gatekeeper was a humble figure, his remark instantly identified Confucius’ defining trait – showing that this “untimely” persistence was already famous, even iconic. The comment carries both admiration and a hint of bewilderment: most people avoid futile efforts, so few could grasp why someone would dedicate their life to an impossible cause.
Yet it is precisely this spirit of “acting despite impossibility” that forms the core of the Confucian ideal: “The scholar sets his heart on the Way” (Analects 15.9). True worth is not measured by success or failure, but by fidelity to moral principle. Even in defeat, such a person leaves a legacy of moral inspiration.
This passage resonates with Analects 18.6: “If the world were ruled by the Way, I would not be trying to change it.” Precisely because the world lacks the Way, someone must step forward. Confucius’”impossible mission” is, in truth, a moral necessity.
In short, this line crystallizes Confucius’s sense of vocation: he acts not because success is likely, but because it is right.
Further Reading
Chang Ju and Jie Ni were plowing together… They said, “The world is flooded with chaos – who can change it? Rather than follow a man who avoids bad people, wouldn’t it be better to follow one who avoids the world entirely?” … The Master sighed and said, “One cannot live with birds and beasts. If I do not associate with fellow humans, then with whom should I associate? If the world were ruled by the Way, I would not be trying to change it.” Analects 18.6 (Wei Zi)
Both highlight Confucius’s refusal to withdraw completely; his activism stems from moral necessity in a disordered world.
The Master said, “The most virtuous withdraw from the world entirely; the next withdraw from a state…” Analects 14.37 (Xian Wen)
Contrasts reclusion with Confucius’ active stance – though others withdraw, he chooses engagement despite futility.
子路宿於石門。晨門曰：「奚自？」子路曰：「自孔氏。」曰：「是知其不可而為之者與？」
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