Confucius

On the company you keep:

Tara Koellhoffer — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 19:00:37 +0000

“Associating with good people is like living in a room full of orchids; associating with bad people is like living in a salted fish store. After a while neither smell is noticeable.”

On personal virtue:

Tara Koellhoffer — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 16:29:34 +0000

Confucius said:

“When you meet a man of virtue, try to be as virtuous as him; when you meet a man without virtue, examine yourself to see if you have the same defects.”

On politicians in our society:

admin — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 20:15:20 +0000

Confucius said:

“One cannot find a place in society until he is courteous, honest, and loyal.”

Reading this quotation today, in the midst of the ongoing political campaigns and primary elections, one has to wonder whether Confucius was even close to being correct in his assessment of society. Today, we rarely think of politicians—people who have a prominent place in our society—as possessing any of the traits that Confucius mentioned: courtesy, honesty, or loyalty. In fact, we tend to think of politicians as being precisely the opposite: rude, dishonest, and two-faced.

Interestingly, politicians were often viewed pretty much the same way in Confucius’s day as they are in our own time. Confucius’s insistence that only worthy people should have a place in society was probably overly optimistic. We have to wonder if our own support for the politicians of our choice and our belief that they will be honest, courteous, and loyal to their constituents is anything more than wishful thinking.

…on the Muslim-Israeli rivalry

Ari Stillman — Sun, 13 Aug 2006 18:45:36 +0000

The Master said, ‘Po Yi and Shu Ch’i never remembered old scores. For this reason they incurred little ill will.’

Book V

…on the U.S. assuming the role of World police

Ari Stillman — Sun, 13 Aug 2006 18:37:57 +0000

The Master said. ‘In his dealings with the world the gentleman is not invariably for or against anything. He is on the side of what is moral.’

Book IV

… on Bush’s veto of stem cell research and his attempt to overshadow it by focusing on the war in the Middle East

Ari Stillman — Thu, 27 Jul 2006 20:54:42 +0000

The Master said, ‘Look at the means a man employs, observe the path he takes and examine where he feels at home. In what way is a man’s true character hidden from view? In what way is a mean’s true character hidden from view?’

…on the neverending conflict in the Middle East

Ari Stillman — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 03:13:32 +0000

The Master said, ‘It is only the most intelligent and the most stupid who are not susceptible to change.’

…on the hot dog eating contest on ESPN

Ari Stillman — Thu, 13 Jul 2006 18:41:40 +0000

The Master said, ‘It is no easy matter for a man who always has a full stomach to put his mind to some use.’

…on the legitimacy of suicide bombers

Ari Stillman — Thu, 13 Jul 2006 18:40:16 +0000

The Master said, ‘He has not lived in vain who dies the day he is told about the Way.’

…on Zidane head-butting Materazzi

Ari Stillman — Wed, 12 Jul 2006 20:38:25 +0000

The Master said, ‘In his errors a man is true to type. Observe the errors and you will know the man.’