When asked where Confucius learned, Zigong replies the ancient kings’ Way lives among all people. Virtuous folks grasp its core, others its trivial details. Confucius learned widely from everyone, needing no single fixed teacher.
Confucius eliminated four faults: he did not speculate without evidence, did not insist on absolute certainty, did not cling to rigid opinions, and did not prioritize his own self.
Once in Liaodong, a swineherd’s sow farrowed a piglet with a white head, and thinking it a prodigy he decided to present it to the court.