The Master said, “The noble person (Confucian gentleman) is easy to work with but hard to please. If you try to please him in ways that violate the Way (Dao), he will not be pleased; yet when he employs others, he uses them according to their abilities. The petty person is hard to work with but easy to please. Even if you flatter him in improper ways, he will be delighted; yet when he employs others, he demands perfection from them.”
Note
This passage from the Analects of Confucius contrasts the junzi (noble person) and the petty person in two key aspects—how they respond to being served or flattered, and how they manage others—revealing core Confucian insights on leadership, ethics, and human relations.
- The junzi values principle (Dao) over personal favor: he refuses to be pleased by insincere flattery and only accepts conduct aligned with righteousness. At the same time, he is pragmatic and fair in assigning roles, employing people “according to their capacities”—recognizing individual strengths and limitations. This reflects leadership grounded in impartiality, rationality, and inclusiveness.
- The petty man, driven by ego and desire, enjoys being flattered regardless of propriety. Yet when managing others, he lacks tolerance and imposes unrealistic expectations, demanding flawlessness. This exposes his emotional instability, selfishness, and poor judgment.
Confucius thus argues that truly virtuous leaders are easier to collaborate with in the long run because they are consistent and fair, whereas petty individuals—though superficially agreeable—are ultimately unreliable and oppressive. This teaching profoundly shaped later Confucian ideals of “knowing people and assigning them appropriately” and “prioritizing virtue in personnel decisions.” It also cautions us: to judge whether someone is worthy of trust or partnership, look not at whether they are “easy to please,” but whether they uphold principles and empower others wisely.
Further Reading
The Master said, “The noble person seeks harmony but not blind conformity; the petty person seeks conformity but not true harmony.” Analects 13.23 (Zilu)
The junzi (noble person, Confucian gentleman) holds independent views, engages in reasoned dialogue, and finds common ground without sacrificing principle, thus building authentic and lasting harmony. The petty person conforms out of self-interest or fear of conflict, masking inner resentment, envy, or discord. Such false unity inevitably leads to relational breakdown or collective dysfunction.
The Master said: “A gentleman has no fixed inclinations or aversions toward anything under heaven; he only aligns himself with what is right.” Analects 4.10 (Li Ren)
Righteousness is the sole criterion for a gentleman’s judgment and actions, transcending personal preferences.
The Master said: “A gentleman unites people in righteousness, but does not cliquish; a petty man cliquishes, but does not unite people in righteousness.” Analects 2.14 (Wei Zheng)
This saying distinguishes the gentleman from the petty man by their motives for association: the gentleman unites others based on righteousness and impartiality, caring for the common good; the petty man forms cliques out of self-interest and partiality, pursuing only the gains of a small group. It is a core Confucian view of moral character, emphasizing that genuine unity must be rooted in justice, not selfish desires.
子曰：「君子易事而難說也：說之不以道，不說也；及其使人也，器之。小人難事而易說也：說之雖不以道，說也；及其使人也，求備焉。」
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