Zengzi said, “The noble person gathers friends through shared study of cultural texts, and uses friendship to support the cultivation of humaneness.”
Sima Niu asked about the noble person (junzi). The Master said, “The noble person has no anxiety and no fear.”He asked further, “Is being free from anxiety and fear alone enough to be called a noble person?”The Master replied, “When one examines oneself inwardly and finds no guilt, what is there to worry or…
Sima Niu asked about humaneness. The Master said, “A humane person speaks with restraint and caution.”Sima Niu asked, “Is speaking with restraint alone enough to be called humane?”The Master replied, “Since practicing humaneness is so difficult, how could one speak about it without caution?”