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The Superior Man
By peace | December 5, 2007
The Master said:
There are three things which the superior man guards against. In youth, when the physical powers are not yet settled, he guards against lust. When he is strong and the physical powers are full of vigour, he guards against quarrelsomeness. When he is old and the animal powers are decayed, he guards against covetousness.
Those who stand before a man of virtue and station are liable to three errors. They may speak before being spoken to; this is called rashness. They may not speak when spoken to; this is called concealment. They may speak without looking at the countenance of their superior; this is called blindness.
There are three things of which the superior man stands in awe. He stands in awe of the ordinances of Heaven. He stands in awe of great men. He stands in awe of the words of the sages. The inferior man does not know the ordinances of Heaven and consequently does not stand in awe of them. He is disrespectful to great men. He makes sport of the words of sages.
- The object of the superior man is truth, not food. Even in farming there is sometimes famine. So with learning, compensation may be found in it. The superior man is anxious lest he should not get truth; he is not anxious lest poverty should come upon him.
- He who does not anticipate attempts to deceive him or who does not presume he will not be believed yet understands these things readily when they occur — is he not a superior man?
- He whom neither slander that gradually soaks into the mind nor statements that startle like a wound in the flesh are successful may be called intelligent indeed. Yes, he with whom neither soaking slander nor startling statements are successful may be called far-seeing.
- I cannot see a sage; could I see a man of real talent and virtue, that would satisfy me.
- A good man is not mine to see; could I see a man possessed of constancy, that would satisfy me.
- The superior man cannot be known in small matters, but he may be entrusted with great concerns. The inferior man may not be entrusted with great concerns, but he may be known in little matters.
- Virtue is more to man than either water or fire. I have seen men die from treading on water and fire but I have never seen a man die from treading the course of virtue.
- When the multitude dislike a man, it is necessary to examine into the case. When the multitude like a man, it is necessary to examine into the case.
- A minister is serving his prince, reverently discharges his duties and makes his pay a secondary consideration.
- The determined scholar and the man of virtue will not seek to live at the expense of injuring their virtue. They will even sacrifice their lives to preserve their virtue complete.
- It is only the truly virtuous man who can love or hate others.
- If superior man does not, even for the space of a single meal, act contrary to virtue. In moments of haste, he cleaves on it. In seasons of danger, he cleaves on it.
- The superior man is modest in his speech but exceeds in his actions.
- The superior man wishes to be slow in his speech and earnest in his conduct.
- The way of the superior man is threefold, but I am not equal to it. Virtuous, he is free from anxieties; wise, he is free from perplexities; bold, he is free from fear.
- When a man can be spoken to, not to speak to him is to waste the man. When a man cannot be spoken with, to speak to him is to waste our words. The wise err neither in regard to their man nor to their words.
Topics: All Posts, Philosophy | 1 Comment »
December 16th, 2007 at 4:43 am
[...] is Professor Yu Dan, talking about the Superior Man and the Inferior Man. This is one of the favourite program I like to watch. She talked about The [...]