Meaning: Don’t worry about others not understanding you, just worry about yourself not understanding others.

Source: "The Analects of Confucius·Xueer" - Spring and Autumn Period·Confucius

Confucius said: "If you don't worry about others, you don't know yourself; when you worry, you don't know others."

Interpretation of this passage is the way of life taught by Confucius to us. The purpose of a gentleman's self-cultivation is to govern others. If you want to govern people successfully, you must let your image be recognized and accepted by others. Only in this way can you directly or indirectly control or influence the behavior of others. However, due to the influence of many factors, it is always much more difficult for people to know and understand others than to know and understand themselves.

Extended information

1. The creative background of "The Analects·Xueer"

"Xueer" is the title of the first chapter of "The Analects of Confucius". Each chapter in "The Analects of Confucius" generally uses the first two or three characters of the first chapter as the title of the chapter. One chapter of "Xueer" includes 16 chapters, covering many aspects.

2. Introduction to the author of "The Analects of Confucius·Xueer"

Confucius (September 28, 551 BC - April 11, 479 BC), surnamed Kong His surname was Qiu, and his courtesy name was Zhongni. He was a native of Zou Yi (now Qufu, Shandong Province) of the state of Lu in the late Spring and Autumn Period. His ancestral home was Li Yi (now Xiayi, Henan Province) of the Song Dynasty. He was an ancient Chinese thinker, educator, and founder of the Confucian school.