reputation

  • Mencius – Chapter 14.19

    Disciple He Ji grieves over widespread slander. Mencius consoles him that such gossip harms nothing, citing two Book of Songs verses: even Confucius and King Wen endured petty men’s resentment yet retained their noble reputations.

  • The Analects – Chapter 19.21

    Zigong compares a gentleman’s faults to solar and lunar eclipses. His mistakes are visible to all, yet when he sincerely amends them, people admire him greatly, highlighting honesty and courage to correct wrongs as core virtues.

  • The Analects – Chapter 19.20

    Zigong notes King Zhou’s evils were overstated by later generations. He warns gentlemen to avoid a tainted moral standing; once reputations collapse, all worldly blame will unfairly fall on them.

  • The Analects – Chapter 12.20

    Zi Zhang asked, “What must a scholar-official be like to be considered ‘influential’ (illustrious, truly accomplished or genuinely influential)?”The Master asked in return, “What do you mean by ‘influential’?”Zi Zhang replied, “Someone who is well-known in the state and well-known in his family.”Confucius said, “That is merely fame or reputation, not true ‘influential’.True ‘influential’…

  • The Analects – Chapter 9.23

    Confucius said, “Young people are to be respected – how can we know that those who come after will not surpass us? Yet if someone reaches forty or fifty and remains unheard of, such a person is no longer worthy of respect.”

  • Mencius – Chapter 7.21 Undeserved praise and Unfair blame

    Mencius said: “There is undeserved praise, and there is destructive criticism born of impossible expectations.”

  • Caigentan 112. Integrity outshines flattery

    It is better to incur hatred by one’s upright conduct than to please others by perverting your morals.

  • A Xia

    Scholar Jing of Wendeng County, Shandong Province, had already won great fame when he was still young. He was a neighbor of scholar Cheng Sheng. Their studies were separated only by a low wall.

  • Precious (Ah-Bao)

    Sun Zichu, a celebrated man of letters of Guangxi, had a sixth finger growing on one of his hands. He was unrealistic by nature, halting in speech and inclined to accept the deceitful words of others at face value.