Books 4-6

I noticed that book one mostly talks about goodness and how to use without having to make an effort. It tells us stuff like to be good, you must be around good people and that you can learn something from anyone wheather he is a better or worse human than you. The lesson though, that I would most apply to my own life would probably be: ¨People in ancient times were not eager to speak, because they would be ashamed if their actions did not measure up to their words.¨ (4.22). The message is pretty clear, it´s easier to say you can than actually doing it.

In most of the fifth book, the master evaluates his students by making them realize for themselves what they have learned. There was one part in which they begun discussing their aspirations, each one shared his own, and the master´s was the following: ¨To bring comfort to the aged, to inspire trust in my friends, and be cherished by the youth.¨ (5.26). According to the book, a perfect Confucian should choose this as a way of life.

Lastly, I would like to share a quotation from book five which I had to ponder on for a long time. ¨The wise take joy in rivers, while the good take joy in mountains. The wise are active while the good are still. The wise are joyful while the good are long lived.¨ (6.23). In this passage, Confucius divides good and wise into two different ways to live. It made me wonder which one was more rewarding. I decided that being wise would be better in a way, because even though your life is shorter, you enjoy it more that a good person, who´s life is longer but a less exciting.