Confucius said: "A gentleman is magnanimous and magnanimous, and a villain has long-term relationships."

Original text

7·37 Confucius said: "A gentleman is magnanimous and magnanimous (1) , the villain grows up with relatives (2). "

Notes

(1) Magnanimity: broad-minded, open-minded and tolerant.

(2) Chang Qiqi: often sad and troubled.

Translation

Confucius said: "A gentleman is broad-minded, but a villain is always worried."

Commentary

"A gentleman is magnanimous, and a villain is always sad." "Everyone grows up together" is a famous saying that people have known since ancient times. Many people often write this as a banner and hang it in their room to motivate themselves. Confucius believed that a gentleman should have a broad mind and be able to tolerate others and accommodate various events, regardless of personal gains and losses. It is impossible to become a gentleman if you are narrow-minded, have difficulties with others and yourself, are often sad, and feel uneasy.

Confucius said: "It is rare to miss a promise."

Loss: make a mistake

Original text

4·23 Confucius said: "It is rare that a covenant (1) is lost (2)."

Notes

(1) Covenant: restraint. This refers to "making an appointment with courtesy".

(2) Fresh: means less.

Translation

Confucius said: "If you use etiquette to restrain yourself, there will be fewer people who make mistakes again."

Confucius said: "A gentleman wants to be restrained in his words. , and be quick in action."

Original text ("The Analects of Confucius: Li Ren")

Confucius said: "A gentleman wants to be slow in speech but quick in action."

Translation

Confucius said: "A gentleman should be cautious in his words and quick in his actions."

Ne (not annoyed) four sounds of ne: slow language and poor speech

< p>Min: Agile

Comments

Talk less and do more, which is also the principle that most people in today's society should follow.

Confucius said: "Virtue is never alone, it must have neighbors."

This sentence comes from "The Analects of Confucius·Xue Er". The original sentence is "The use of etiquette, harmony is the most valuable. The Tao of the ancient kings is the most beautiful." That is to say: the application of etiquette, harmony is the most important. This is the most valuable part of ancient monarchs’ methods of governing the country. (Original text of the entire paragraph: Youzi said: "The purpose of etiquette is to be harmonious. The Tao of the ancient kings is beautiful. If you follow it, you will not be able to do something. Knowing how to be harmonious and making peace without following etiquette will not be possible." Translation: Youzi said: "Harmony is the most important thing in the application of etiquette. This is the valuable part of ancient monarchs' methods of governing the country. But just doing things in a harmonious way, no matter how big or small, sometimes doesn't work. (This It is because) Harmony for the sake of harmony is not feasible without restraint by etiquette.") Ziyou said: "It is humiliating to have many kings, and it is too sparse to have many friends."

From "The Fourth Ren in the Analects of Confucius"

{Context}

......

Confucius said: "The words of the ancients cannot be said. , it is shameful not to catch it."

Confucius said: "It is rare to miss an appointment."

Confucius said: "A gentleman wants to be slow in words, but quick in action." ."

Zi You said: "Virtue is not alone, there must be neighbors."

Zi You said: "It is humiliating to have many friends."

Original text

Ziyou said: "It would be humiliating to serve as many kings as ①; as many as friends as to be sparse."

Comments

① Number (shuò): frequent and trivial. ② Si: Then, just.

Translation

Zi Youyou said: "Serving the monarch too frequently and trivially will lead to humiliation; interacting with friends too frequently and trivially will lead to alienation."

< p>Interpretation

Someone asked Confucius about being a minister. Confucius said: "The so-called ministers serve the king with the way, and stop if they can't." ("Advanced")

Yu Gong asked Confucius about making friends, and Confucius said: "Advice should be given in a good way, and if it is not enough, stop and do not humiliate yourself." ("Yan Yuan")

The two aspects together are exactly what Confucius said. What You said here: "The number of people you serve is humiliating; the number of friends you have is sparse."

It is true that people have their own ambitions and cannot be forced. Whether it is between monarchs and ministers or between friends, keeping a certain distance is the way to achieve full friendship. The so-called "the fragrance is far away and the smell is near"; the so-called "the friendship between gentlemen is as light as water, and the friendship between villains is as sweet as honey" actually has this meaning.

For example, as a subordinate and as a friend, you are certainly obliged to advise your superiors and your friends, but if they don't listen and don't adopt your opinions, then forget it. Your words have been fulfilled and your righteousness has been fulfilled. What can you do? If you insist on forcing them to accept your opinion, you have to show your loyalty and friendship. Every time you meet, you talk, talk, and talk urgently, giving people an aggressive feeling. The result is It's because your superiors hate you and your friends alienate you. The effect is counterproductive. If you don't do it well, you will really be humiliating yourself.

There are many examples of this in history. Even if an outstanding minister like Wei Zheng met a magnanimous emperor like Tang Taizong, didn't he almost lose his life several times because of his meritorious advice to Tang Taizong? When encountering those mediocre emperors, even if your loyal ministers try their best to remonstrate with them, it will be nothing more than a waste of their lives and will not work at all.

So, it’s better to keep a little distance. If you can do it, do it; if you can't, stop it. Don't bring shame on yourself.

Confucius said: "To be extravagant means not being generous, and to be frugal is to be solid. It is better to be solid than not to be generous."

Original text

7·36 Confucius said: "Extravagant means not being grand (1), frugal is solid (2). Rather than not being grand, it is better to be solid."

Notes

(1) Sun: Tongxun, respectful. Not Sun means dissatisfaction, which means "excessing etiquette".

(2) Solid: simple and humble. Here it means shabby.

Translation

Confucius said: "If you are extravagant, you will be more polite; if you are frugal, you will be shabby. It is better to be shabby than to be more polite."

Commentary

In the Spring and Autumn Period, the princes and officials were extremely extravagant and luxurious, and their standards of living and enjoyment and the scale of etiquette were no different from those of the Emperor of Zhou. In Confucius' view, these were all violations of etiquette, even if it was frugal. It will make people feel shabby, but rather than being too polite, it is better to be shabby in order to maintain the dignity of etiquette.

Zi is gentle but powerful, powerful but not fierce.

Zi Zi. He said: “If you are advanced in ritual and music, you are a savage; if you are late in ritual and music, you are a gentleman. If you use it, I will take the lead. ”

Confucius said: “Those who are advanced in ritual and music ① are savages ②; those who are late in rites and music ③ are also gentlemen ④. If you use it, I will take the lead. "("Advanced Eleventh")

[Notes]

① Advanced in etiquette and music: This refers to people who learn etiquette and music first and then become officials. ② Savage: This refers to simplicity Rude people, or rural people. ③ Those who learn etiquette and music first. ④ Gentleman: This refers to the ruling class.

[Translation]

< p>Confucius said: "Those who first learn rituals and music and then become officials are common people without honors; those who first become officials and then learn rituals and music are gentlemen." If you want to hire talents first, then I advocate hiring people who learn etiquette and music first. ”

[Comments]

During the Western Zhou Dynasty, people were divided into nobles, commoners and country people based on their social status and place of residence. Confucius believed here that, Those who were officials first, that is, those who already had titles and honors, did not receive systematic education in the knowledge of rituals and music before becoming officials, and they did not know how to be officials before they became officials. However, such people should not be selected. Civilians without juelu have comprehensively and systematically learned the knowledge of rituals and music before becoming officials, and then they know how to be an official and how to be a good official. ------- , How can someone with a temperament like Confucius be so boring, ignorant, and ignorant?

The following is the interpretation of Se Shisanlang-

This passage of Confucius has nothing to do with savages or being an official. I have misunderstood these few sentences for two thousand and five hundred years. I am sorry for the ancients before me and those today. Later, I was limited by the lack of opportunities and could not read Benlang's correct explanation.

Confucius here actually said that men and women should have some entertainment and sex before making love. Point out the issue of foreplay, and for women, it can also tell the level of cultivation of the man you are having sex with.

11.1 The Master said: "The savages are also advanced in ritual and music. ; He who is late in rituals and music is a gentleman. If you use it, I will take the lead.

"

[Literal Translation of Se Shisanlang] Confucius said: "A man who rushes into a woman's body without some entertainment or foreplay is a barbaric person! A man who first engages in some entertainment and foreplay, and then enters a woman's body in a formal manner, is a gentleman. However, for girls who want a little excitement, if you are pursuing the effect of use (that is, "just use it"), I still recommend that you choose an 'advanced' man. Although this kind of man is not highly civilized , you may not have decent academic qualifications or decent income, but it can bring you a sense of freshness and strangeness. (Besides, you don’t plan to marry someone who had a one-night stand, right?)"

Look, "advanced" or "backward" is the touchstone to test whether a man is civilized or barbaric. If When it comes to one-night stands, barbarians are the first choice. This is what Confucius really meant in this passage.

It can be said that Confucius's speech at that time was based on the fundamentals of human nature. Emptiness, no pretense, so Confucius is a good saint.