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The Master said, “The noble person is calm and composed but not arrogant; the petty person is arrogant but not calm.”
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Zengzi said, “The noble person gathers friends through shared study of cultural texts, and uses friendship to support the cultivation of humaneness.”
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Zi Zhang asked about the way of the “good person” (one naturally virtuous but without formal learning). The Master replied, “If one does not follow in the footsteps of the ancients, one cannot enter the inner chamber of true virtue.”
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The Master said, “Hui is nearly there in moral perfection – yet he is often destitute. Ci does not accept his fate; instead, he engages in trade and commerce, and his market predictions are frequently correct.”
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Gao Chai is overly simple-minded; Zeng Shen is slow-witted; Zi Zhang is one-sided and extreme; Zi You (Zilu) is coarse and impetuous.
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The Master said, “Why is You (Zilu) playing the se [a zither-like instrument] in my school?” His disciples consequently began to show Zilu less respect. The Master then said, “You has ascended to the hall – but has not yet entered the inner chamber.”