This morning I woke up thinking about the Analects of Confucius. So I decided to revisit what I wrote about it over 10 years ago. Confucius advised us to emulate the good qualities you see in others, and check yourself for the bad ones. I reflected on this for a moment, thinking about it in the context of learning and development.
With this in mind, I'm emulating the way that Elon Musk reads and learns. How is he able to successfully apply what he learns to monetize his knowledge? What can I learn from him that I can immediately apply? A good place to start is to read up on the luminary. I've started to do that, reading articles and mini biographies of him. But I need to read the biography of him that Ashlee Vance wrote
. Thankfully, I already own the book.
Who is one person you can emulate to leapfrog your career? I think this is something worth thinking about.
Have you read?
20 Leadership Lessons from Confucius
What is the Analects of Confucius About?
The Analects of Confucius is a collection of the teachings of Confucius, the Chinese philosopher and great thinker who lived 551 BC – 479 BC.
The book is presented as a series of discourses and dialogues that Confucius had with his disciples, The Analects of Confucius was written by his disciples several years after he died. The Analects consists of 20 Books (Chapters) and is essentially a rule book of life.
Analects of Confucius and the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
While reading this rule book, it reminded me of Benjamin Franklin’s 13 Virtues: temperance, silence, order, resolution, frugality, industry, sincerity, justice, moderation, cleanliness, tranquility, chastity and humility.
Just as it is in the case of Franklin’s virtues, some of the rules in Confucius’ rule book are no longer relevant today, but I also appreciated reading The Analects of Confucius the same way that I appreciated reading The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin because some gems of wisdom are scattered throughout both texts.
Below are some of the things which stood out for me. Though I was not always comfortable with the language, I am very mindful of when The Analects of Confucius was written. I am sure that your list would be different.
Lessons from the Analects of Confucius
- Confucius said, “Those who are born with the possession of knowledge are the highest class of men. Those who learn, and so readily get possession of knowledge, are the next. Those who are dull and stupid, and yet compass the learning, are another class next to these. As to those who are dull and stupid and yet do not learn; they are the lowest of the people.”
- The philosopher Tsang said, “I daily examine myself on three points: whether, in transacting business for others, I may have been not faithful; whether, in intercourse with friends, I may have been not sincere; whether I may have not mastered and practiced the instructions of my teacher.”
- The philosopher Yu said, “When agreements are made according to what is right, what is spoken can be made good. When respect is shown according to what is proper, one keeps far from shame and disgrace. When the parties upon whom a man leans are proper persons to be intimate with, he can make them his guides and masters.”
- “To see what is right and not to do it is want of courage.”
- The Master said, “Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles. Have no friends not equal to yourself. When you have faults, do not fear to abandon them.”
- Tsze-chang asked what were the characteristics of the good man. The Master said, “He does not tread in the footsteps of others, but moreover, he does not enter the chamber of the sage.”
- “When internal examination discovers nothing wrong, what is there to be anxious about, what is there to fear? said the Master.”
- The Master said, “Do not be desirous to have things done quickly; do not look at small advantages. Desire to have things done quickly prevents their being done thoroughly. Looking at small advantages prevents great affairs from being accomplished.”
Final Thoughts about the Analects of Confucius
The Analects of Confucius is easy to read because it’s not very long. Click here to download an online version of the book. I am sure after reading it you will find your own gems of wisdom. So what did I get from reading The Analects of Confucius? Act with courage and integrity, be thorough, chart your own path and learn continuously, are a few of the gems I identified.
The Analects of Confucius
and The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
provide rule for you to live by and the The 3 Gaps give you the information to create your personal values to live by.
How Avil Can Help You!
I invite you to Join the Performance Accelerator Plan that walks you through the process of learning key skills and more. You’ll be reading books to build skills and develop intercultural awareness. Get more reading and learning tips here.
In December 2020, I published two books on Amazon. I would greatly appreciate your support if you bought my two short e-books Read 30 Books in 30 Days Like Francis Bacon and Performance Accelerator Plan: Guide to Learning and Mastering Key Skills for the Future.
Read 30 Books in 30 Days Like Francis Bacon is not about speed reading. It’s about approaching every book differently and reading only the sections that align with your purpose.
The Performance Accelerator Plan book is a stripped-down version of the paid reading challenge of the same name. Obviously, you won’t get all the resources that come with the program that I sell on my website. But if you are a self-directed learner, it will help you tremendously.
The Analects of Confucius
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin (Dover Thrift Editions)The 3 Gaps: Are You Making a Difference?
Update: First published in May 2009. If you click on a link and buy something from Amazon, the company will pay me a small commission.
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