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.”
The Master said, “Do not worry that others do not understand you; worry that you lack ability.”
7.33 The Master said, “As far as taking trouble goes, I do not think I compare badly with other people. But as regards carrying out the duties of a gentleman in actual life, I have never yet had a chance to show what I could do.”
The Master said, “(The good man) Does not grieve that other people do not recognize his merits. His only anxiety is lest he should fail to recognize theirs.”
Do not scramble for favour and profit; do not lag behind in virtue and accomplishments.
A person who shuns power, wealth and luxury is clean. But a man who comes into contact with power, wealth and luxury and still remains unsullied is even cleaner.
Chapter 63 offers timeless insights for leadership (wu wei or non-action governance), conflict resolution (gradual de-escalation), and personal growth (the power of incremental progress).