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.”
子曰：「人皆曰『予知』，驅而納諸罟擭陷阱之中，而莫之知辟也。
人皆曰『予知』，擇乎中庸，而不能期月守也。」
Note
This chapter from the Doctrine of the Mean uses sharp irony to expose the fundamental gap between “claiming to know” and “truly knowing,” offering a profound critique of common misconceptions about wisdom.
Confucius points out that many people boast of their intelligence, yet when confronted with real crises – symbolized by “nets, snares, and traps” – they lack the awareness or capacity to avoid them. These “traps” refer not only to external dangers but also to inner delusions such as desire, bias, and habitual tendencies. True wisdom is not cleverness proclaimed in words, but the ability to recognize and embody the Way through action.
The second half directly addresses the difficulty of practicing the Mean (Golden Mean). While people may intellectually assent to the value of ‘zhong yong’ (choosing the Mean, Golden Mean), they “cannot hold to it for even a month,” revealing weak willpower and insufficient self-cultivation. As Zhu Xi notes in his Commentary on the Doctrine of the Mean: “Knowing is not difficult; acting upon it is.” The challenge intensifies when faced with emotional fluctuations, personal interests, or social pressures – maintaining the Mean demands extraordinary steadiness and sustained discipline.
This passage echoes earlier laments – “few can practice it long” and “the Way will not be practiced” – further clarifying that the obstacle lies not only in cognitive imbalance (excess or deficiency) but in a lack of perseverance and genuine practice. People often equate “knowing” with “doing,” unaware that “to know without acting is not to know at all.”
Thus, Confucius does not deny human rationality but cautions that true wisdom must be realized through continuous daily cultivation. Only through ‘shen du’ (watchfulness in solitude), vigilance, and self-reflection can one avoid falling into life’s traps and steadfastly uphold the Mean over time.
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