The Master said, “How upright was Shi Yu! When the state was well governed, he was as straight as an arrow; when the state was poorly governed, he was still as straight as an arrow.What a noble person was Qu Boyu! When the state was well governed, he served in office; when the state…
Zilu said, “Duke Huan of Qi killed Prince Jiu; Shao Hu died for him, but Guan Zhong did not.” He added, “Was he not humane?”The Master replied, “It was through Guan Zhong’s efforts that Duke Huan convened the feudal lords nine times without resorting to war chariots. Wasn’t he humane! Wasn’t he humane!”
Mencius said: “A truly noble person does not always insist on keeping every promise or carrying every action to completion – what matters is whether it aligns with righteousness.”
Mencius said: “There are three forms of unfilial conduct, and the gravest is having no descendants.Shun married without informing his parents precisely to avoid this greatest unfilial act.Therefore, the noble person considers it as if he had informed them.”
4.10 The Master said, “A gentleman in his dealings with the world has neither enmities nor affections; but wherever he sees righteousness he ranges himself beside it.”