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Doctrine of the Mean Chapter 7. The illusion of wisdom: Knowing without sustained practice is not enough
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The Master said:“Everyone says, ‘I am wise!’Yet when driven into nets, snares, and traps,none of them knows how to avoid them.Everyone says, ‘I am wise!’Yet even if they choose the Doctrine of the Mean,they cannot hold to it for even a month.”
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Doctrine of the Mean Chapter 5. Confucius’ lament and the call to moral perseverance
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The Master sighed:“Alas! The Way will surely not be practiced in the world.”
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Doctrine of the Mean Chapter 4. Beyond Excess and Deficiency: The Mean in Everyday Life
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The Master said:“I know why the Way is not practiced:the wise go too far, while the foolish fall short.I know why the Way is not understood:the virtuous overreach, while the unworthy do not reach it at all.Everyone eats and drinks, yet few truly discern the flavor.”
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Doctrine of the Mean Chapter 3. The supreme yet elusive Mean: Rarity of sustained moral balance
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The Master said:“How supreme is the Doctrine of the Mean!Yet among the people, few have been able to practice it for long!”
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Doctrine of the Mean Chapter 2. Timely Centrality: True Meaning of Zhong Yong
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Confucius said:“The gentleman practices the Mean (zhong yong); the petty person opposes the Mean.The gentleman’s practice of the Mean means always maintains moderate –acting with appropriateness according to circumstances.The petty person’s so-called ‘Mean’ is merely recklessness and fearlessness –having no moral restraint or reverence.”