The Master said, “They spend the whole day together in groups, yet their conversation never touches upon righteousness; they delight in displaying petty cleverness – how difficult they are!”
Note
This statement from the Analects – Lunyu is Confucius’s sharp critique of the superficial social habits among the literati of his time, reflecting the Confucian emphasis on the relationship between speech, conduct, and righteousness or moral principle.
“Spending the whole day together in groups” depicts a common social scene: people enjoy gathering and chatting but lack spiritual or ethical purpose. “Their conversation never touches upon righteousness” means their talk is empty – avoiding fundamental values such as humaneness, justice, ritual propriety, and public good. “Delighting in petty cleverness” refers to showing off witty remarks, cunning tricks, or superficial intelligence for momentary applause, rather than pursuing genuine wisdom or virtue.
Confucius laments “how difficult they are!” because such people, though seemingly lively and intelligent, are lost in triviality and vanity, straying far from the noble path of self-cultivation. Their problem is not ignorance, but using cleverness to mask moral deficiency and using social noise to avoid serious reflection on righteousness.
In Confucian thought, righteousness is the standard of moral rightness – the key criterion for judging whether words and deeds align with the Way (Dao or Tao). If group interaction entirely lacks righteousness, such socializing is not only useless but actively harmful, fostering frivolity, opportunism, and moral numbness.
This remark also carries pedagogical significance: true learning and cultivation are revealed in everyday speech. Whether someone is worth associating with depends on whether they “always speak of righteousness.” This echoes Analects 1.8: “If the noble person lacks gravity, he will not inspire awe; his learning will not be solid” – highlighting that cleverness without moral grounding is shallow.
Today, this warning is especially relevant: in the age of social media and fragmented information, people habitually “chat all day in groups,” yet content often stops at gossip, memes, or emotional venting, rarely engaging deeply with justice, responsibility, or truth. Confucius reminds us: social interaction devoid of moral substance only leads to increasing superficiality.
In short, Confucius teaches: If group association lacks righteousness as its foundation and indulges only in glib talk and petty wit, it becomes impossible to cultivate virtue or bear great responsibility.
Further Reading
The Master said, “The noble person wishes to be slow in speech but quick in action.” Analects 4.24 (Li Ren)
Both criticize empty or clever talk; true virtue lies in meaningful action, not verbal performance.
The Master said, “The noble person is ashamed when his words exceed his actions.” Analects 14.27 (Xian Wen)
Condemns excessive or boastful speech unbacked by virtue – directly related to “delighting in petty cleverness” without righteous substance.
子曰：「群居終日，言不及義，好行小慧，難矣哉！」
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