Original text

Confucius said: "For a gentleman, things are easy, but things are difficult to explain. If you don't explain it in a way, you don't want to explain it. If you use it to make people, use tools; for a villain, things are difficult, but it is easy." Although it is not said in a Tao manner, it is necessary to be prepared for it."

Translation

Confucius said: "A gentleman is easy to serve but difficult to please. A gentleman will not like someone who pleases someone in a wrong way. A gentleman will always use people according to their talents; a mean person will like someone who is hard to serve but easy to please. When doing something, always seek perfection and rebuke.”

Comments

“Serve”, serve, do things for others.

"Shuo" has the same sound and meaning as "Yue".

"Qi" means talent, ability, and talent. Similar usages are as follows in "Li Wangzhi": "The deaf, the lame, the broken, the dwarfs, and the craftsmen each eat them with their own utensils." It is used as a verb here, meaning to use according to one's ability.

Comments

A gentleman is broad-minded, kind-hearted, and uses people according to their talents, so they are easy to get along with and serve. A gentleman loves the Tao, so unless he has the Tao, there is no way to please a gentleman. Therefore, it is said that "it is not said in the right way". However, walking on the road is difficult and extremely difficult. In the words of Zengzi, "the task is arduous and the road ahead is long." Therefore, it is difficult for a gentleman to be pleased.

Villains are intolerant, like to fight for power and gain, seek perfection from others, and blame others, so it is difficult to get along and serve. Villains are lustful and like to gain psychological satisfaction from the compliments of others, so they are easy to please. Even if you don't follow the right path to please, the villain can still accept it, because the villain doesn't value righteousness at all.

The greatest pleasure is the "cult of personality". Who engages in a "cult of personality"? Who enjoys "cult of personality"? After studying this chapter, I believe everyone will understand it clearly.