Mencius advocates critical reading: blind faith in classics equals having no books. He doubts the Book of Documents’ bloody battle record, arguing the supremely benevolent King Wu would face little resistance against tyrant Zhou, so only a small part of the chapter holds truth.
The Master said, “I once spent a whole day without eating and a whole night without sleeping, devoting myself entirely to thinking – but gained nothing. It is better to study than to ponder in vain.”
The Master said, “For one who never asks, ‘What should I do? What should I do?’ I, for my part, can do nothing about him.”
5.20 Ji Wen used to think thrice before acting. The Master hearing of it said, “Twice is quite enough.”
A man walking along the river bank saw someone about to throw a small boy into the water. The child was screaming with terror.