7.11
The Master said to Yan Hui, “When employed, we act; when set aside, we withdraw. Only you and I can do this!”
Zi Lu asked, “If you were to lead the three armies, whom would you take with you?”
The Master replied, “I would not take someone who recklessly fights tigers barehanded or rashly crosses rivers on foot -someone who faces death without regret. Rather, I would choose one who approaches difficulties with caution and who preferred to succeed by strategy.”
子謂顏淵曰：「用之則行，舍之則藏，唯我與爾有是夫！」子路曰：「子行三軍，則誰與？」子曰：「暴虎馮河，死而無悔者，吾不與也。必也臨事而懼，好謀而成者也。」
Notes
Confucius believed that only he and Yan Hui truly understood and could practice the ability to advance or retreat in accordance with situation. This passage from the Analects represents one origin of the Confucian principle: “When prosperous, benefit all under heaven; when humble, cultivate your own integrity” – embodying wisdom in navigating life’s transitions.
Zilu, known for his courageous and forceful character who valued action and martial prowess, heard his teacher praising Yan Hui’s wisdom. Using military command as a topic, he tested which quality the teacher valued more, implying a competitive spirit: “When it comes to bravery, I’m the one who should accompany you on the battlefield, right?” However, Confucius seized this opportunity to correct Zilu’s misunderstanding of “courage,” emphasizing that true bravery means “approaching affairs with caution and achieving success through careful planning.”
Facing significant matters with reverence rather than recklessness, this “caution” is not cowardice but respect for responsibility and reverence for life. It represents the integration of wisdom and courage — excelling in strategy, emphasizing method, and pursuing success.
This maxim, together with the philosophy of “to act when employed, to hide when dismissed”, constitutes the core expression of Confucianism’s view of timeliness and destiny. It takes “whether the world follows the Dao or strays from it” as the criterion for deciding whether to “reveal oneself in public service” or “retreat into seclusion”.
It emphasizes both the principled commitment to “upholding the Dao unto death” and the flexibility of “acting in accordance with the prevailing circumstances”.
Both tenets oppose coveting wealth and status in a world without the Dao, just as they reject withdrawing passively from public life when the world embraces the Dao.
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