Zizhang asked the way of good people. Zi said, Do not walk in the traces, and do not enter the room

Meaning: Zizhang.

Ask how to be a good person. Confucius.

said: "If you don't follow the footsteps of your predecessors, your knowledge and cultivation will not be at home." ”

Notes: 1. Good people: Refers to people who are good in nature but have not been studied.

2. Footprints: traces, footprints. Walk in the footsteps of those who came before you.

3. Entering the room: metaphorical learning and cultivation have reached a profound level.

From Confucius's "Analects: Advanced Chapters". Original:

Zi said: "It's also very common, and it's empty." The gift is not ordered, and the goods are colonized, and hundreds of millions are repeatedly hit. ”

Zizhang asked the way of good people. Zi said, "Do not walk in the traces, and do not enter the room. ”

Zi said: "On the relationship with the gentleman, who is a gentleman? Who is the color of the village? ”

Translation: Confucius said, "Yan Hui."

's learning and morality are close to perfection, but he is often poor. Duan Benci did not listen to the arrangement of fate, went to do business, guessed **, and often guessed correctly. ”

Zizhang asked the way to be a good person. Confucius said: "If you don't follow the footsteps of your predecessors, your learning and cultivation will not reach your home."

Confucius said: "When you hear someone talk about honesty and sincerity, you praise him, but what about whether he is a true gentleman?" Or is it a person who pretends to be dignified? ”

Here, there are two explanations:

1. Zizhang asked Confucius how to be a good man. Confucius said: Do things without leaving traces, and don't deliberately do good deeds in order to show others.

2. Zizhang asked Confucius the way to be a good man. Confucius said: If you don't follow the methods of your predecessors, you can't get the essentials and spirit of doing good deeds.

The key to understanding this sentence is "not entering the room". It's a matter of opinion.

Zizhang asked, how can it be better to help others? Confucius said that there is no rule to follow, and it must be based on the specific situation, but remember to stop in moderation and not excessively.

Good boys can't be like that.