This article interprets Han‑Feizi’s “xún míng zé shí” (name‑reality checking) via the spear and shield fable. It applies this Legalist accountability principle to everyday scenarios and serves to judge whether a person deceives you.
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.”