The Master said, “The noble person is ashamed when his words exceed his actions.”
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!”
The Master said, “In ancient times, scholars studied to cultivate themselves; nowadays, scholars study to impress others.”
The Master said, “If you truly love someone, can you refrain from making him work hard? If you are sincerely devoted to someone, can you avoid instructing him?”
The Master said, “There may be noble persons (junzi) who occasionally fall short of benevolence; but there has never been a petty person who truly attained benevolence.”
Zilu asked, “What must one be like to be called a ‘shi’ (a morally cultivated scholar or gentleman)?”The Master said, “One who is earnest and mutually encouraging, yet also gentle and harmonious at home—such a person may be called a shi. Specifically, friends should be earnest and supportive of each other; brothers should be…
The Master said, “People of the south have a saying: ‘A person without constancy cannot even become a shaman or physician.’ How excellent this saying is!”He then quoted the Book of Changes: “If one does not maintain his virtue consistently, he will surely bring shame upon himself.”The Master added, “Such a person need not…
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?”