Original text Confucius said: "Can a country be governed by etiquette? Why? Can't a state be governed by etiquette? How about etiquette?"

Translation Confucius said: "If you can use etiquette and humility, If you cannot govern a country with etiquette and humility, what is the use of external decorations? ”

My understanding

The word "courtesy" should be regarded as two words here. "Li" refers to etiquette and law, that is, the principles of the country, to differentiate between superior and inferior, and to change customs. "Rang" means humility, which is what Taoists call "non-fighting", which is the core of etiquette. Without humility and respect, etiquette is just an external form and has no power or effect at all.

Not only that, people with far-reaching wisdom will also use etiquette to achieve their own goals. This is why Taoists say, "Rites are the root of chaos."

Therefore, when Confucius said "ritual", it must include the meaning of "humility". It’s not just about admiring the form, the most important thing is the core of etiquette.

Later generations of scholars, because of their high status in reading, gradually developed a self-righteous and high-esteem mentality. This was not Confucius’ intention, let alone Confucius’ fault. This is all due to the fact that people like to learn the form of etiquette, but they are just "gentle and polite". However, the core of etiquette needs to be cultivated, which requires not only "experimenting and pondering", but also "reflecting on self-examination" and "restraining oneself and restoring etiquette". It is not easy.

Therefore, later generations often regard "gentleness" as a courtesy, which is actually a big mistake.