The Master said, “When the state is well governed, speak uprightly and act uprightly; when the state is poorly governed, act uprightly but speak modestly and cautiously.”
Yuan Xian asked Confucius what constituted “shame.”The Master said, “When the state is well governed, it is right to draw a salary as an official; but when the state is poorly governed, to still draw a salary is shameful.”Yuan Xian then asked, “If someone can suppress competitiveness, boastfulness, resentment, and desire, can he be…