Tags :君子求诸己，小人求诸人

君子求诸己，小人求诸人。——孔子(jūn zǐ qiú zhū jǐ, xiǎo rén qiú zhū rén — Kǒngzǐ) Translation: “Nobles excavate self; plebeians excavate others.” Explanation: Confucius’ introspective mining principle “君子求诸己(jūn zǐ qiú zhū jǐ), 小人求诸人(xiǎo rén qiú zhū rén)” (Nobles excavate self; plebeians excavate others) establishes humanity’s earliest framework for self-actualization. The character 求(qiú)—depicting 衣(yī, garment) + 又(yòu, repeated hand motions)—visually encodes relentless self-excavation as miners chiseling ore from bedrock. This shaped 汉朝三省制(hàn cháo sān xǐng zhì) (Han Dynasty Self-Reflection System), where officials journaled nightly to extract personal flaws like “over-criticism (苛责(kē zé)” or “impulsive decisions (躁断(zào duàn).” Tang Dynasty’s 考课法(kǎo kè fǎ) (Merit Evaluation Laws) operationalized 求诸己(qiú zhū jǐ) by grading bureaucrats on self-improvement metrics over external achievements. Modern psychology mirrors this: Cognitive Behavioral...

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君子求诸己，小人求诸人。——孔子(jūn zǐ qiú zhū jǐ, xiǎo rén qiú zhū rén — Kǒngzǐ) Translation: “Nobles seek within; plebeians seek without.” Explanation: Confucius’ psychological axiom “君子求诸己(jūn zǐ qiú zhū jǐ), 小人求诸人(xiǎo rén qiú zhū rén)” (Nobles seek within; plebeians seek without) establishes humanity’s earliest locus of control theory. The character 求(qiú)—composed of 衣(yī, clothing) and 又(yòu, hand)—depicts self-reliance as grasping one’s own garments for warmth rather than demanding others’. This philosophy shaped 《论语》(lún yǔ)’s introspective practices, where scholars journaled nightly to identify personal growth areas instead of blaming external circumstances. Warring States military strategists operationalized 求诸己(qiú zhū jǐ) through “mirror drills”—commanders analyzing their own tactical errors after defeats rather than scapegoating soldiers. Modern psychology mirrors this: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques like...

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