An ode says: “The blossoms of the tang-di tree flutter back and forth. How could I not long for you? It’s just that my home is far from yours.” Confucius commented, “If one truly longed, one would have already acted – how could distance ever be a barrier?”
Note
Through his critique of this romantic poem, Confucius reveals a profound insight into sincerity and moral agency. The poet uses “distance” as an excuse to mask his inaction, implying he desires but cannot reach the beloved. Confucius cuts through this pretense: genuine longing transcends physical separation – if the heart truly yearns, action follows inevitably. If no action occurs, the desire was never real. Though framed in terms of affection, the principle extends broadly to ethical practice: if one sincerely aspires to humaneness (benevolence) or the Way (Dao), no external obstacle – distance, hardship, or circumstance – can truly block the path. This echoes his statement in Analects 7.30: “Is humaneness far away? As soon as I desire it, it is here.” Confucius thus teaches that so-called external barriers are often mere excuses; what matters is whether one truly “thinks of it” – that is, possesses authentic intention and the resolve to act. This reflects the Confucian emphasis on self-responsibility (“seeking within oneself”) and the unity of knowledge and action.
Further Reading
Ran Qiu said, “It’s not that I don’t delight in your Way – I simply lack the strength.” The Master replied, “Those truly lacking strength collapse halfway. But you are drawing a line and stopping yourself.” Analects 6.12 (Yong Ye)
Like the poet who blames “distance,” Ran Qiu blames “insufficient strength”; both are exposed by Confucius as self-imposed limitations, not real barriers.
The Master said, “Is humaneness far away? As soon as I desire it, it is here.” Analects 7.30 (Shu Er)
Both assert that moral attainment depends on sincere will, not external conditions; “distance” is irrelevant when the heart is truly set.
「唐棣之華，偏其反而。豈不爾思？室是遠而。」子曰：「未之思也，夫何遠之有？」
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