“That,” said the Master, “is reputation, not influence.  The influential man, then, if he be one who is genuinely straightforward and loves what is just and right, a discriminator of men’s words, and an observer of their looks, and in honor careful to prefer others to himself—­will certainly have influence, both throughout the country and at home.  The man of mere reputation, on the other hand, who speciously affects philanthropy, though in his way of procedure he acts contrary to it, while yet quite evidently engrossed with that virtue—­will certainly have reputation, both in the country and at home.”

Fan Ch’i, strolling with him over the ground below the place of the rain-dance, said to him, “I venture to ask how to raise the standard of virtue, how to reform dissolute habits, and how to discern what is illusory?”

“Ah! a good question indeed!” he exclaimed.  “Well, is not putting duty first, and success second, a way of raising the standard of virtue?  And is not attacking the evil in one’s self, and not the evil which is in others, a way of reforming dissolute habits?  And as to illusions, is not one morning’s fit of anger, causing a man to forget himself, and even involving in the consequences those who are near and dear to him—­is not that an illusion?”

The same disciple asked him what was meant by “a right regard for one’s fellow-creatures.”  He replied, “It is love to man.”

Asked by him again what was meant by wisdom, he replied, “It is knowledge of man.”

Fan Ch’i did not quite grasp his meaning.

The Master went on to say, “Lift up the straight, set aside the crooked, so can you make the crooked straight.”

Fan Ch’i left him, and meeting with Tsz-hia he said, “I had an interview just now with the Master, and I asked him what wisdom was.  In his answer he said, ’Lift up the straight, set aside the crooked, and so can you make the crooked straight.’  What was his meaning?”

“Ah! words rich in meaning, those,” said the other.  “When Shun was emperor, and was selecting his men from among the multitude, he ’lifted up’ Kau-yau; and men devoid of right feelings towards their kind went far away.  And when T’ang was emperor, and chose out his men from the crowd, he ‘lifted up’ I-yin—­with the same result.”

Tsz-kung was consulting him about a friend.  “Speak to him frankly, and respectfully,” said the Master, “and gently lead him on.  If you do not succeed, then stop; do not submit yourself to indignity.”

The learned Tsang observed, “In the society of books the ‘superior man’ collects his friends; in the society of his friends he is furthering good-will among men.”

[Footnote 29:  From Confucius, it is generally thought.]

BOOK XIII

Answers on the Art of Governing—­Consistency

Tsz-lu was asking about government.  “Lead the way in it,” said the
Master, “and work hard at it.”