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.
Confucius condemns casually picking up roadside gossip and spreading it as forsaking virtue. He advocates rigorous thinking and cautious speech, holding that blind rumor-mongering shows superficiality and disregard for truth, contradicting a gentleman’s earnest self-cultivation.