Confucius said:“The gentleman practices the Mean (zhong yong); the petty person opposes the Mean.The gentleman’s practice of the Mean means always maintains moderate –acting with appropriateness according to circumstances.The petty person’s so-called ‘Mean’ is merely recklessness and fearlessness –having no moral restraint or reverence.”
Striving to get on in the world without keeping some distance from it is like trying to shake the dirt off your clothes while shrouded by dust, or like washing your feet in a mud puddle.
A man fond of movement is like lightning flashing through the clouds, ephemeral. He flickers like a candle flame in the wind. On the other hand, a man devoted to quietude is like dead ashes or a blighted tree stump, bereft of all vitality.