The Audacious, the Scrupulous, and the False Worthy

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Original Chinese text

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Wan Zhang asked, “When Confucius was in Chen, he said, ‘Why not go home? The shi of my home district are ardent yet unpolished; they press forward without forgetting their original aims.’ Why, while in Chen, did he long for such ardent men in Lu?”

Original Chinese text

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Mencius said, “Confucius said, ‘If I cannot find people of the middle way to associate with, I must choose the ardent or the scrupulous. The ardent press forward; the scrupulous refuse to do certain things.’ Did Confucius not want people of the middle way? He could not be sure of finding them, so he sought the next best.”

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Wan Zhang asked, “What makes someone an ardent person?”

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Mencius replied, “People such as Qin Zhang, Zeng Xi, and Mu Pi were the kind of ardent men Confucius meant.”

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Wan Zhang asked, “Why call them ardent?”

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Mencius said, “Their aspirations rang out grandly: ‘The people of antiquity! The people of antiquity!’ Yet when their conduct is examined, it does not fully match their words. If even ardent men cannot be found, one may seek those who refuse to do what is unclean; these are the scrupulous, another step down. Confucius said, ‘If someone passes my gate without entering my house, I do not regret it—perhaps only the village conformist. The village conformist is a thief of virtue.’”

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Wan Zhang asked, “What kind of person is a village conformist?”

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Mencius replied, “They say, ‘Why speak so loftily? Your words do not match your deeds, yet you keep talking about the ancients. Why behave so oddly and stand apart? Since we live in this age, we should serve this age; whatever passes for good is good enough.’ They secretly flatter the world around them. That is the village conformist.”

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Wan Zhang asked, “Everyone in a district calls such a person good, and wherever he goes he is accepted as good. Why did Confucius call him a thief of virtue?”

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Mencius said, “One can criticize him but point to no obvious fault, and reproach him but find nothing readily condemnable. He follows popular currents and conforms to a corrupt age. He seems loyal and trustworthy, appears upright and honest, and is therefore welcomed by everyone. He considers himself right, yet he cannot be led into the way of Yao and Shun. That is why Confucius called him a thief of virtue. Confucius also said, ‘I detest things that resemble the right but are not right: weeds, because they may be mistaken for seedlings; flatterers, because they blur righteousness; slick tongues, because they blur trust; Zheng music, because it confuses proper music; purple, because it is mistaken for vermilion; and village conformists, because they confuse virtue.’ The noble person need only restore the proper norms. When those norms are correct, the people will be stirred to action, and there will be no crookedness or deceit.”

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