5.17
The Master said,”Yan Pingzhong is a good example of what one’s intercourse with one’s fellowmen should be. However long he has known anyone he always maintains the same scrupulous courtesy.”
子曰：「晏平仲善與人交，久而敬之。」
Notes
Confucius remarked of Yan Ying, the renowned statesman, thinker, and diplomat of Qi during the Spring and Autumn period. At that time, the State of Chu was more powerful than Qi, so King Huai of Chu intended to humiliate Yanzi, who was short in stature. With his quick thinking and sharp tongue, Yanzi repeatedly foiled King Huai’s schemes to humiliate him and Qi. The anecdote “Yan Zi’s Mission to Chu” has been passed down through generations, praising Yanzi’s extraordinary diplomatic wisdom and his courage to defend his country’s honor. It also conveys the idea that wisdom and virtue are more powerful than power and arrogance.
“Yan Pingzhong excelled in cultivating relationships. Even after long acquaintance, he would maintain profound respect for others.”
This evaluation from the Analects distills the essence of genuine relational wisdom:
True mastery in human connections lies not in transient charm, but in building time-tested bonds through unwavering respect and authentic character.
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