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Confucius said, “There are three kinds of beneficial friends and three kinds of harmful friends. Friendship with the upright, friendship with the trustworthy, and friendship with the well-informed – these are beneficial. Friendship with the fawning, friendship with the insincerely agreeable, and friendship with the glibly eloquent – these are harmful.”
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The Master said with a sigh, “You, Zhong You! Truly, those who understand virtue are few indeed!”
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The Master said, “The noble person aspires upward toward the Way, virtue, and heavenly principle; the petty person sinks downward toward private gain, desire, and trivial concerns.”
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Yuan Xian asked Confucius what constituted “shame.”The Master said, “When the state is well governed, it is right to draw a salary as an official; but when the state is poorly governed, to still draw a salary is shameful.”Yuan Xian then asked, “If someone can suppress competitiveness, boastfulness, resentment, and desire, can he be…
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Zilu asked, “What must one be like to be called a ‘shi’ (a morally cultivated scholar or gentleman)?”The Master said, “One who is earnest and mutually encouraging, yet also gentle and harmonious at home—such a person may be called a shi. Specifically, friends should be earnest and supportive of each other; brothers should be…