Confucius' Quote 'Excavate Self, Not Others' Powers AI Self-Reflection Tech & Neuroscience of Introspection
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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