The Portrait of a Wasted Circle: Confucius on the Emptiness of ‘Clever’ Talk

Confucius lamented: “A whole day in company, with no talk of what is right, and fondness for petty cunning—a hopeless case!”

When a number of people are together, for a whole day, without their conversation turning on righteousness, and when they are fond of carrying out the suggestions of a small shrewdness; theirs is indeed a hard case.

群居终日,言不及义,好行小慧,难矣哉!

Source: The Analects, Wei Ling Gong XV, Chapter 17

Author: Confucius

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