Confucius said, “When seeing goodness, one should feel as if unable to catch up with it; when seeing what is not good, one should recoil as if touching boiling water. I have seen such people and heard their words. As for those who retreat into seclusion to preserve their aspirations and act righteously to realize the Way – I have heard their words, but I have never seen such a person.”
Note
Through contrast, this passage profoundly distinguishes levels of moral practice in Confucian thought: it affirms the basic cultivation of actively pursuing goodness and avoiding evil, while holding in higher esteem those rare individuals who consistently uphold and enact their ideals regardless of circumstance.
“Seeing goodness as if unable to catch up with it; seeing evil as if touching boiling water” depicts an acute moral sensitivity – eagerness for virtue like hunger, aversion to vice like scalding heat. This embodies the Confucian attitude of “choosing the good and holding fast to it,” representing the daily self-cultivation of the noble person.
Yet Confucius expresses greater admiration for the latter type: “retreating into seclusion to preserve their aspirations and acting righteously to realize the Way.” They do not abandon their ideals due to a corrupt age; their withdrawal is not escape but preservation of integrity (“to preserve their aspirations”). When opportunity arises, they act decisively to advance the Way through righteous means (“to realize the Way”). Such individuals achieve perfect unity between inner conviction and outward action – the true embodiment of “unity of knowledge and action.”
Confucius’ remark, “I have heard their words, but I have never seen such a person,” is not a denial of their existence but an expression of sorrow at their extreme rarity in reality. It is both a tribute to the ideal moral character and a subtle critique of contemporary scholars – many speak of righteousness but compromise in practice.
This also reflects the Confucian wisdom of engagement and withdrawal: “When employed, one acts; when set aside, one hides” (Analects 7.11). The true noble person can serve society or live in seclusion, but in either case remains anchored in the Dao (the Way).
In today’s world of plural values and eroded ideals, this teaching reminds us: true virtue lies not only in instinctive avoidance of evil and pursuit of good, but in steadfastly upholding one’s convictions and defending righteousness even in adversity.
In short, Confucius teaches: Avoiding evil and seeking good is attainable by ordinary people; preserving one’s aspiration and enacting the Way (Dao or Tao) is a rare sage-like state – easy to hear about, hard to witness.
Further Reading
The Master said, “When employed, one acts; when set aside, one hides. Perhaps only you and I can do this!” Analects 7.11 (Shu Er)
Both describe the ideal of flexible yet principled conduct – active when possible, withdrawn when necessary, always guided by the Dao.
Zengzi said, “The scholar-official must be broad-minded and resolute, for his burden is heavy and the road long. To make humaneness (benevolence) his personal responsibility – is that not weighty? To continue until death – is that not distant?” Analects 8.7 (Tai Bo)
Shares the theme of unwavering commitment to moral mission despite difficulty – echoing “preserving aspiration” and “realizing the Way.”
The Master said, “The worthiest withdraw from the world; the next withdraw from particular states; the next avoid certain demeanors; the next avoid certain words.” Analects 14.37 (Xian Wen)
Illustrates degrees of moral withdrawal; “withdrawing to preserve aspiration” aligns with the highest level – complete principled seclusion.
孔子曰：「見善如不及，見不善如探湯。吾見其人矣，吾聞其語矣。隱居以求其志，行義以達其道。吾聞其語矣，未見其人也。」
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