My introduction to Confucius (c.
551 – 479 B.C.) was through the cinematic lens of old Charlie Chan detective
movies, which is only slightly more respectable than the average American’s
introduction through fortune cookies at Chinese restaurants. Warner Oland and
Sydney Toler sprinkled my life with the seeds of Confucius’ aphoristic wisdom,
while they solved innumerable mysteries worthy of Sherlock Holmes. I was in
college before the Analects were opened to me.
Confucius was a Chinese
philosopher, whose philosophy emphasized morality, correctness, justice and
sincerity. His observations include:
It is not the
failure of others to appreciate your abilities that should bother you, but your
failure to appreciate theirs. Book I, 16
A man is worthy
to be a teacher who gets to know what is new by keeping fresh in his mind what
he is already familiar with. Book II,
11.
To say you know
when you know, and to say you do not know when you do not know, that is
knowledge. Book II, 17.
Faced with what
is right, to leave it undone, shows a lack of courage. Book II, 24.
One does not
explain away what is already done, one does not argue against what is already
accomplished, and one does not condemn what is already gone by. Book III, 21.
In his errors,
man is true to type; observe the errors and you will know the man. Book IV, 7.
Do not worry
that you have no official position, worry about your qualifications. Do not worry that no one appreciates your
abilities, seek to be worthy of appreciation.
Book IV, 14.
If I am walking
with two other men, each of them will serve as my teacher. I will pick out the
good points of the one and imitate them, and the bad points of the other and
correct them in myself. Book VII, 22.
A man whose
strength gives out collapses along the course, not by setting limits
beforehand. Book VI, 12.
I was not born
with knowledge, but being fond of antiquity, I am quick to seek it. Book VII,
20.
Heaven is the
author of the virtue that is in me. Book
VII, 23.
I am a
fortunate man, whenever I make a mistake other people are sure to notice it.
Book VII, 31.
The common
people can be made to follow a path, but not to understand it. Book VIII, 9
.
.
The Master
refused to entertain conjectures or insist on certainty, to be inflexible or
egotistical. Book IX, 4.
I have yet to
meet a man as fond of virtue as of the beauty of a woman. Book IX, 18; XV, 13.
There is little
to choose between overshooting the mark and falling short. Book XI, 16.
Do not impose
on others what you yourself do not desire. Book XII, 2; XV, 24
In hearing litigation,
I am no different than other men; but if you insist on a difference, it is that
I try to get the parties not to resort to litigation in the first place. Book XII, 13.
Encourage the
people to work hard by setting a good example yourself. Book XIII, 1.
Confucius unabashedly proclaimed,
“I was not born with knowledge, but being fond of antiquity, I am quick to seek
it.” Book VII, 20. He is also reported
to have observed that “there are three methods of learning wisdom: by
reflection which is noblest; by imitation which is easiest; and by experience
which is bitterest.” Though experience can be bitter; it may also be sweet, and
its lessons are hardest to forget and easiest to apply, because they are truly
one’s own.
My favorite of the sayings of
Confucius is as follows:
To put the
world in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in
order, we must put the family in order; to put the family in order, we must
cultivate our personal life; and to cultivate our personal life, we must first
set our hearts right.
Confucius advised, “Choose a job
you love and you will never work a day in your life”
It has proven true throughout my working career. The advice has also informed the counsel I have provided countless employment issue clients whose issues often arise from taking the job offered, rather than seeking the one which they could love. Underutilized interests and abilities fester and fade, joy comes from using one’s gifts.
It has proven true throughout my working career. The advice has also informed the counsel I have provided countless employment issue clients whose issues often arise from taking the job offered, rather than seeking the one which they could love. Underutilized interests and abilities fester and fade, joy comes from using one’s gifts.
Confucius also observed,
“Everything has beauty, but not everybody sees it.” This is a perpetual
challenge to seek the beauty which is easily overlooked, yet essential to
understanding, communion and joy.
Finally and perhaps as an explanation or justification of sharing
my blogs, I note that Confucius advised,
“One should
practice what one preaches; but, one should also preach what one practices.”
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