Speak the truth, do not yield to anger; give, if thou art asked for little; by these three steps thou wilt go near the gods.
ConfuciusRead
The Master said of Gong Yechang, “He is marriageable. Although he was once imprisoned and branded as a criminal, he was in fact innocent of any crime.” The Master gave him his daughter in marriage. (Analects 5.1)
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the importance of character over past mistakes, showing that true worth can be recognized despite previous wrongdoings.
In this quote from Confucius, the Master speaks about Gong Yechang, a man who despite being imprisoned and branded as a criminal, is deemed 'marriageable' because he is innocent of the crimes he was accused of. This reflects the philosophy that a person's true character and worth should be evaluated on their intrinsic qualities, rather than their past mistakes or societal judgments.
Themes
CharacterInnocenceMarriageMistakesWorth
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a wedding speech to emphasize the acceptance of a partner's past.
More from Confucius
All quotes →Earnest in practicing the ordinary virtues, and careful in speaking about them, if, in his practice, he has anything defective, the superior man dares not but exert himself; and if, in his words, he has any excess, he dares not allow himself such license.
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Never give a sword to a man who can't dance.
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The superior man is distressed by the limitations of his ability; he is not distressed by the fact that men do not recognize the ability that he has.
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Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure.
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