Small person

子曰，君子周而不比，小人比而不周。

The Master said, "The superior man is catholic and no partisan. The mean man is partisan and not catholic."

子曰，君子怀德，小人怀土，君子怀刑，小人怀惠。

The Master said, "The superior man thinks of virtue; the small man thinks of comfort. The superior man thinks of the sanctions of law; the small man thinks of favours which he may receive."

子曰，君子喻于义，小人喻于利。

The Master said, "The mind of the superior man is conversant with righteousness; the mind of the mean man is conversant with gain."

子谓子夏曰，女为君子儒，无为小人儒。

The Master said to Tsze-hsia, "Do you be a scholar after the style of the superior man, and not after that of the mean man."

子曰，君子坦荡荡，小人长戚戚。

The Master said, "The superior man is satisfied and composed; the mean man is always full of distress."

子曰，君子成人之美，不成人之恶，小人反是。

The Master said, "The superior man seeks to perfect the admirable qualities of men, and does not seek to perfect their bad qualities. The mean man does the opposite of this."

季康子问政于孔子，曰，如杀无道，以就有道，何如。孔子对曰，子为政，焉用杀，子欲善，而民善矣，君子之德风，小人之德草，草上之风必偃。

Chi K'ang asked Confucius about government, saying, "What do you say to killing the unprincipled for the good of the principled?" Confucius replied, "Sir, in carrying on your government, why should you use killing at all? Let your evinced desires be for what is good, and the people will be good. The relation between superiors and inferiors, is like that between the wind and the grass. The grass must bend, when the wind blows across it."

樊迟请学稼。子曰，吾不如老农。请学为圃。曰，吾不如老圃。樊迟出。子曰，小人哉，樊须也。上好礼，则民莫敢不敬，上好义，则民莫敢不服，上好信，则民莫敢不用情，夫如是，则四方之民，襁负其子而至矣，焉用稼。

1. Fan Ch'ih requested to be taught husbandry. The Master said, "I am not so good for that as an old husbandman." He requested also to be taught gardening, and was answered, "I am not so good for that as an old gardener." 2. Fan Ch'ih having gone out, the Master said, "A small man, indeed, is Fan Hsu! 3. If a superior love propriety, the people will not dare not to be reverent. If he love righteousness, the people will not dare not to submit to his example. If he love good faith, the people will not dare not to be sincere. Now, when these things obtain, the people from all quarters will come to him, bearing their children on their backs;—what need has he of a knowledge of husbandry?"

子贡问曰，何如斯可谓之士矣。子曰，行己有耻，使于四方，不辱君命，可谓士矣。曰，敢问其次。曰，宗族称孝焉，乡党称弟焉。曰，敢问其次。曰，言必信，行必果，硁硁然，小人哉，抑亦可以为次矣。曰，今之从政者何如。子曰，噫，斗筲之人，何足算也。

1. Tsze-kung asked, saying, "What qualities must a man possess to entitle him to be called an officer? The Master said, "He who in his conduct of himself maintains a sense of shame, and when sent to any quarter will not disgrace his prince's commission, deserves to be called an officer." 2. Tsze-kung pursued, "I venture to ask who may be placed in the next lower rank?" And he was told, "He whom the circle of his relatives pronounce to be filial, whom his fellow-villagers and neighbours pronounce to be fraternal." 3. Again the disciple asked, "I venture to ask about the class still next in order." The Master said, "They are determined to be sincere in what they say, and to carry out what they do. They are obstinate little men. Yet perhaps they may make the next class." 4. Tsze-kung finally inquired, "Of what sort are those of the present day, who engage in government?" The Master said "Pooh! they are so many pecks and hampers, not worth being taken into account."

子曰，君子和而不同，小人同而不和。

The Master said, "The superior man is affable, but not adulatory; the mean man is adulatory, but not affable."

子曰，君子易事而难说也，说之不以道，不说也，及其使人也，器之。小人难事而易说也，说之虽不以道，说也，及其使人也，求备焉。

The Master said, "The superior man is easy to serve and difficult to please. If you try to please him in any way which is not accordant with right, he will not be pleased. But in his employment of men, he uses them according to their capacity. The mean man is difficult to serve, and easy to please. If you try to please him, though it be in a way which is not accordant with right, he may be pleased. But in his employment of men, he wishes them to be equal to everything."

子曰，君子泰而不骄，小人骄而不泰。

The Master said, "The superior man has a dignified ease without pride. The mean man has pride without a dignified ease."

子曰，君子而不仁者有矣夫，未有小人而仁者也。

The Master said, "Superior men, and yet not always virtuous, there have been, alas! But there never has been a mean man, and, at the same time, virtuous."

子曰，君子上达，小人下达。

The Master said, "The progress of the superior man is upwards; the progress of the mean man is downwards."

衞灵公问陈于孔子。孔子对曰，俎豆之事，则尝闻之矣，军旅之事，未之学也。明日遂行。在陈绝粮，从者病，莫能兴。子路愠见曰，君子亦有穷乎。子曰，君子固穷，小人穷斯滥矣。

1. The Duke Ling of Wei asked Confucius about tactics. Confucius replied, "I have heard all about sacrificial vessels, but I have not learned military matters." On this, he took his departure the next day. 2. When he was in Chan, their provisions were exhausted, and his followers became so ill that they were unable to rise. 3. Tsze-lu, with evident dissatisfaction, said, "Has the superior man likewise to endure in this way?" The Master said, "The superior man may indeed have to endure want, but the mean man, when he is in want, gives way to unbridled license."

颜渊问为邦。子曰，行夏之时，乘殷之辂，服周之冕，乐则韶舞。放郑声，远佞人。郑声淫，佞人殆。

1. Yen Yuan asked how the government of a country should be administered. 2. The Master said, "Follow the seasons of Hsia.

子曰，君子求诸己，小人求诸人。

The Master said, "What the superior man seeks, is in himself. What the mean man seeks, is in others."

子曰，君子不可小知，而可大受也，小人不可大受，而可小知也。

The Master said, "The superior man cannot be known in little matters; but he may be intrusted with great concerns. The small man may not be intrusted with great concerns, but he may be known in little matters."

孔子曰，君子有三畏，畏天命，畏大人，畏圣人之言。小人不知天命，而不畏也，狎大人，侮圣人之言。

1. Confucius said, "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 sages. 2. "The mean 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."

子之武城，闻弦歌之声。夫子莞尔而笑曰，割鸡焉用牛刀。子游对曰，昔者偃也，闻诸夫子曰，君子学道则爱人，小人学道则易使也。子曰，二三子，偃之言是也，前言戏之耳。

1. The Master, having come to Wu-ch'ang, heard there the sound of stringed instruments and singing. 2. Well pleased and smiling, he said, "Why use an ox knife to kill a fowl?" 3. Tsze-yu replied, "Formerly, Master, I heard you say,—'When the man of high station is well instructed, he loves men; when the man of low station is well instructed, he is easily ruled.'" 4. The Master said, "My disciples, Yen's words are right. What I said was only in sport."

子曰，色厉而内荏，譬诸小人，其犹穿窬之盗也与。

The Master said, "He who puts on an appearance of stern firmness, while inwardly he is weak, is like one of the small, mean people;—yea, is he not like the thief who breaks through, or climbs over, a wall?"

子路曰，君子尙勇乎。子曰，君子义以为上，君子有勇而无义，为乱，小人有勇而无义，为盗。

Tsze-lu said, "Does the superior man esteem valour?" The Master said, "The superior man holds righteousness to be of highest importance. A man in a superior situation, having valour without righteousness, will be guilty of insubordination; one of the lower people having valour without righteousness, will commit robbery."

子曰，唯女子与小人，为难养也，近之则不孙，远之则怨。

The Master said, "Of all people, girls and servants are the most difficult to behave to. If you are familiar with them, they lose their humility. If you maintain a reserve towards them, they are discontented."

子夏曰，小人之过也，必文。

Tsze-hsia said, "The mean man is sure to gloss his faults."