Confucius divided the gentlemen into three categories according to the top, middle and bottom

Original text] Zi said: "If you are more than (1), you can speak (2) and (3) also; Below the middle people, you can't speak also. "The Analects of Yongye Sixth") Translation] (1) Zhongren:

A person with an average level of qualifications or morals, similar to a "sergeant". "Lao Tzu, Chapter 41": "When the sergeant hears the Tao, he acts diligently; When the sergeant heard this, if he survived, he died; When the corporal heard this, he laughed; It's not enough not to laugh.

2) Language: The pronunciation is "education", telling. (3) On:

Higher learning or reasoning. Confucius.

Say: "A person with intermediate qualifications or above the moral level can tell him a higher knowledge or truth; A person with intermediate qualifications or a moral level or below is not allowed to tell him higher knowledge or truths. People with different levels of heart have different criteria for judging good and evil, good and bad, wisdom and foolishness, right and wrong, beauty and ugliness, etc., which often lead to unnecessary comparisons, arguments, misunderstandings, etc.

Taking "Chinese people" as an example, what criteria should be used to define them? There are hundreds of schools of thought, each with its own strengths and weaknesses, but don't forget that throughout the ages, all the actions of people in the world have been measured by an immutable moral standard, and if everything is measured by this moral standard, then everything will be simple, and there will be less comparison, argument and misunderstanding. Therefore, it is more appropriate to judge a person's cultivation by the level of his or her mental or moral level.

However, in today's society, people do not necessarily attach importance to moral cultivation, and even think that the more "slick" the better, the less likely it is to suffer, the less likely it is to be bullied, and the smarter it is, because the measurement standards are reversed. The level of people's mental nature and moral cultivation not only includes understanding, but also practices in life after understanding the truth, and the results of words and deeds confirm the truth they understand. In this process, you may endure a lot of suffering, keep your heart, give up some attachments and desires, and have some aspects of virtue.

From the teaching principles of step-by-step, teaching without hesitation, etc., teaching according to aptitude.

From the point of view, his mind and measurement standards above the middle person will not deviate too far from the right path, and it is not difficult for him to accept higher knowledge and truth; When he hears higher knowledge and truth, he is prone to disgust, argument and misunderstanding, and even understands the opposite, which is also not in line with the teaching principles of gradual progress, teaching without hesitation, and teaching according to aptitude. Think about it: Isn't it too difficult for a person with a low heart to understand a high reason at once, to improve his mind, to endure great suffering, and to give up a lot of attachments and desires?

It was the so-called "corporal who heard the word and laughed; It's not enough not to laugh. "A wise man will not be ignorant of this.

For people in the middle and lower levels, they can't talk about this topic, and even if they do, they can't understand it. People communicate with each other depending on the object, and what Confucius said about "people in the middle and upper" and "people in the middle and bottom" does not mean adults and villains, but.

(1) The gentleman mentioned by Confucius has three fears and nine thoughts, and he is very specific, meticulous and comprehensive in terms of people's words and deeds and other aspects of people's moral cultivation. That is, a person's cultivation standards from the senses to the mind, from self-cultivation to everything, from the right things to the people, to the benefit, etc.

2) It can be seen from the three fears to the nine thoughts that a gentleman should be strict with himself everywhere.

3) "Literary quality and courtesy" accurately illustrates the personality model of a gentleman, which is the highest state of Confucian moral cultivation, that is, "literature" and "quality" are properly coordinated. Simplicity is better than literary style, and it looks vulgar; Literary brilliance is better than simplicity, and it seems hypocritical and exaggerated.

4) To do this, you also need to be strict with yourself everywhere. (Meaning is right).