Zi Gong asked, “What about someone whom everyone in the village likes?”The Master said, “That is not sufficient grounds for approval.”Zi Gong asked again, “What about someone whom everyone in the village dislikes?”The Master replied, “That is also insufficient. It is better if the good people in the village like him, and the bad…
The Master said, “If I cannot find someone who follows the middle way to associate with, I would surely choose the bold or the principled! The bold are eager to advance; the principled refuse to do certain things.”