Fan Chi asked about benevolence/humaneness. The Master said, “Be respectful in daily life, diligent in your duties, and loyal in your dealings with others. Even if you go to barbarian lands, do not abandon these virtues.”
The Master said, “If one can first rectify his own conduct, what difficulty could there be in governing? If he cannot rectify himself, how can he rectify others?”
The Master said, “When a leader’s conduct is upright, people will follow even without orders; when his conduct is not upright, they will not obey even if he issues commands.”