The Master said, “The noble person worries about his own lack of ability, not about others’ failure to recognize him.”
Zigong was fond of criticizing others. The Master said, “Ci (Zigong), are you already so virtuous? As for me, I have no time for that.”
Qu Boyu sent an envoy to Confucius. Confucius invited him to sit and asked, “What is your master doing these days?”The envoy replied, “My master wishes to reduce his faults, but feels he has not yet succeeded.”After the envoy left, Confucius exclaimed, “What an excellent envoy! What an excellent envoy!”
An ode says: “The blossoms of the tang-di tree flutter back and forth. How could I not long for you? It’s just that my home is far from yours.” Confucius commented, “If one truly longed, one would have already acted – how could distance ever be a barrier?”
Confucius said, “Hold loyalty and trustworthiness as your foundation; do not befriend those who are inferior to yourself; and when you make a mistake, do not fear correcting it.”
Confucius said, “There are cases where sprouts appear but no blossoms; there are cases where blossoms appear but no fruit!”
Confucius said, “Suppose you are piling up earth to make a mountain. If you stop just one basket short of completion – that stopping is my own doing. Suppose you are leveling ground, and even if you have only dumped one basket – you are advancing, because I am moving forward.”