The Analects – Chapter 138 (6.20). Confucius’ three realms of intellectual fulfillment

6.20
The Master said, “To prefer it is better than only to know it. To delight in it is better than merely to prefer it.”

子曰：「知之者不如好之者，好之者不如樂之者。」

Notes

This classic interpretation of learning’s realms reveals three progressive states: cognition, seeking knowledge, and joyful immersion. It emphasizes that “taking delight in learning” represents the highest pursuit, reflecting Confucianism’s profound insight into active learning and intrinsic motivation.

Beyond pedagogy, this is life wisdom: Whether seeking knowledge, undertaking tasks, or living fully, finding joy in the process is the ultimate state — for joy itself is the greatest reward.

“Eating coarse rice, drinking plain water, and resting my head on my bent arm – there is joy in this too. Wealth and honor obtained through unrighteous means are to me like floating clouds.”(Analects 7.16)

Even when living in poverty, Confucius could find joy in self-cultivation and the pursuit of knowledge. This is a vivid portrayal of a person who takes delight in the Dao – he regarded moral principles and scholarship as his spiritual anchor, transcending the constraints of material conditions.

The line “Wealth and honor obtained through unrighteous means are to me like floating clouds” emphasizes the purity of this joy from the opposite perspective, showing that such joy would never be swayed by external fame and fortune.

“I am so eager to learn that I forget my meals; I derive such joy from it that I forget my worries, and I do not even realize that old age is approaching.”(Analects 7.19)

Immersed in the pursuit of knowledge and moral principles, Confucius reached a state where “he was so eager to learn that he forgot his meals and so joyful that he forgot his worries”. This is the ultimate embodiment of a person who takes delight in the Dao – he integrated the pursuit of knowledge and self-cultivation into his life, oblivious to the passage of time and his own circumstances.

This kind of joy is intrinsic and enduring. It is distinct from the active pursuit of knowledge by those who like learning, and far transcends the rational grasp of knowledge by those who merely understand it.