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The Master said, “How upright was Shi Yu! When the state was well governed, he was as straight as an arrow; when the state was poorly governed, he was still as straight as an arrow.What a noble person was Qu Boyu! When the state was well governed, he served in office; when the state…
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Confucius asked Gongming Jia about Gongshu Wenzi, saying, “Is it true that your master never speaks, never laughs, and never takes anything?”Gongming Jia replied, “The person who told you that exaggerated. In fact, my master speaks only when the time is right – so people do not dislike his words; he laughs only when…
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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.”
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Zilu asked, “When I hear a truth, should I act on it immediately?” The Master replied, “You still have your father and elder brothers alive – how can you act on it as soon as you hear it?”Ran You asked the same question: “When I hear a truth, should I act on it immediately?”…
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Gao Chai is overly simple-minded; Zeng Shen is slow-witted; Zi Zhang is one-sided and extreme; Zi You (Zilu) is coarse and impetuous.
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Zigong asked, “Which is more virtuous – Zi Zhang or Zi Xia?” The Master replied, “Zi Zhang goes too far; Zi Xia falls short.” Zigong then asked, “Then is Zi Zhang better?” The Master said, “To go too far is just as bad as not going far enough.”
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Only the supremely sage person under Heaven possesses: