When I was fifteen, I became interested in learning. At the age of thirty, I can do things independently. Forty years old, I'm not confused. At the age of fifty, I obeyed God's will. At the age of sixty, I can listen to other people's opinions.

From: Chapter 12 of The Analects of Confucius

Confucius said, "I am determined to learn from five out of ten, stand at thirty, not be confused at forty, know my destiny at fifty, listen to my ears at sixty, and do what I want at seventy without overstepping the bounds."

Confucius said: "I am determined to learn nine times out of ten." By the age of 30, I know books, understand reason, and act according to etiquette. At the age of 40, I firmly believe in my words and deeds. By the age of 50, I know the natural law of world development. By the age of 60, I can understand and treat everything I hear calmly. By the age of 70, I can operate freely from my heart to my body without exceeding the proper rules. "

Extended data

The ideological achievements of the characters:

Confucius believes that ceremony and ceremony are unified, ceremony is fundamental, ceremony is subordinate, ceremony is the form of "festival" or ceremony, or ceremony is to consolidate and embody social order and system in the form of code of conduct and etiquette.

Therefore, the realization of ceremony depends on both the force of compulsion and the force of custom, which is a combination of internal and external forces, so ceremony and music are linked. The concept of "returning the courtesy to others" mentioned by Confucius actually advocates the establishment of a "ceremonial society" like the Zhou Dynasty, that is, an orderly and systematic society.

Confucius advocated the combination of ceremony and benevolence, accepting benevolence in ceremony and enriching ceremony in benevolence. This is an innovation of Confucius. "Regarding the relationship between propriety and benevolence, he thinks that benevolence is the inner spirit of propriety, and propriety is the manifestation of benevolence. Benevolence is the highest realm of ceremony, and ceremony is the way to realize benevolence.

As far as the essence of benevolence and courtesy is concerned, benevolence, in the final analysis, embodies the benevolent relationship between people rooted in blood relationship; Rites mainly regulate the political order and system of society.

In Confucius' ideological system, paying attention to the combination of benevolence and propriety is essentially paying attention to the combination of benevolence and politics, thus making a major revision of Zhou Li. Benevolence and propriety are not contradictory, because benevolence is content and propriety is form, and the combination of them is a kind of system perfection.