On Learning
见贤思齐焉,见不贤而内自 省也。
"When you see a worthy person, think of becoming equal to him; when you see an unworthy person, examine yourself within."
Chinese Original
见贤思齐焉,见不贤而内自 省也。
English Rendering
When you see a worthy person, think of becoming equal to him; when you see an unworthy person, examine yourself within.
Chinese Translation
孔子说:"遇见才德好的人,就应该向他看齐,遇到无德才的人,就应反省自己有没有和他同样的毛病。"
Modern Meaning
In "见贤思齐焉,见不贤而内自 省也," Confucius focuses on when you see a worthy person, think of becoming equal to him. The exact principle is that learning needs the discipline of judgment, and judgment needs the discipline of study. The tension is not generic learning with reflection; it is the specific problem that people either collect information without examining it or trust their own opinions without testing them, which still appears in reading an article, taking a class, or leaving a meeting with new information.
How to Apply Today
Use this teaching today in reading an article, taking a class, or leaving a meeting with new information. Because this line says "When you see a worthy person, think of becoming equal to him," write one sentence that summarizes the lesson and one sentence that questions or tests it, so the lesson becomes visible in one behavior.
Reflection Question
For "见贤思齐焉,见不贤而内自 省也" (row 30, 为学篇 / On Learning), Where am I gathering information without thinking, or thinking without enough evidence?
Action Step
Write a two-sentence study note: one summary sentence and one question sentence, specifically in response to this demand: "When you see a worthy person, think of becoming equal to him."
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