Ji Shi XVI

The Guard of Youth: Confucius on Why the Young Must Beware of Lust

The Three Life-Long Guards: Confucius’s Premise for the Gentleman’s Vigilance

The Error of Blindness: Confucius on Speaking Without Observation

The Error of Concealment: Confucius on the Sin of Silence

The Error of Rashness: Confucius on Speaking Out of Turn

The Three Pitfalls of Conversation: Confucius’s Premise for Speaking with the Superior

The Three Harmful Pleasures: Confucius’s Warning Against Joy That Corrodes

The Three Beneficial Pleasures: Confucius’s Formula for Joy That Elevates

The Triad of the Harmful Friend: Confucius on the Flatterer, the Hypocrite, and the Silver-Tongued

The Triad of the Beneficial Friend: Confucius on the Upright, the Sincere, and the Well-Informed

The First Law of Friendship: Confucius on the Two Kinds of People You Call “Friend”

The Erosion of Power: Confucius on How Losing Revenue and Authority Guarantees Decline

The Ultimate Test of Governance: Confucius on the Silence of the People

The Sign of Good Governance: Confucius on Why Power Must Not Reside with the Ministers

The Law of Political Decay: Confucius on the Shrinking Lifespan of Illegitimate Power