Confucius also said: "If a person is not benevolent, what is the etiquette? If a person is not benevolent, what is the joy?" ("The Analects of Confucius·Eight Hundreds") On the surface, the provisions of etiquette and music are about jade, silk, bells, etc. However, Confucius made it clear that its essence is people's moral cultivation. The external etiquette is just a form. If people cannot do good deeds, they will lose their souls. It can be seen that benevolence and etiquette are unified, and etiquette is the external form of benevolence. Performance and benevolence are the essential requirements of etiquette. During that period, one of the most important reasons for the collapse of etiquette was that people did not abide by etiquette rules. Therefore, Confucius placed benevolence above etiquette and endowed etiquette with moral connotation. In the eyes of Confucius, human nature is kind, and the key to moral cultivation lies in acquired cultivation. In daily life, we should follow the standards of "propriety" to restrain ourselves so that we can achieve "benevolence" and earnestly Practice the requirements of "benevolence" to achieve "benevolence". "Benevolence" is a kind of cultivation. It requires us to combine "self-denial" and "recovering propriety", starting from strict requirements on ourselves, starting from small things bit by bit, being generous to others, and not being subject to external conditions. influence, and don’t ask others for everything. Confucius emphasized "self-denial" and specifically required that one should strictly comply with the norms of etiquette in the four aspects of sight, hearing, speech and movement. Only by combining "self-denial" and "restoration of etiquette" can one achieve the state of seeking benevolence.

Source: Communication Power Research