The Master said, “If I cannot find someone who follows the middle way to associate with, I would surely choose the bold or the principled! The bold are eager to advance; the principled refuse to do certain things.”
Zi Zhang asked, “What must a scholar-official be like to be considered ‘influential’ (illustrious, truly accomplished or genuinely influential)?”The Master asked in return, “What do you mean by ‘influential’?”Zi Zhang replied, “Someone who is well-known in the state and well-known in his family.”Confucius said, “That is merely fame or reputation, not true ‘influential’.True ‘influential’…