Throughout The Analects, he addresses many different types of relationships and how to manage all of them. Most importantly, he shows how to improve one’s own personality through the negative nature of others, “In the presence of a good man, think all the time / how you may learn to equal him. In the presence of a bad man, turn / your gaze within” (The Analects 33-35). In this quote, Confucius compares the presence of two men, the good man symbolizing a friend or ideal, and the bad man representing an enemy. The portion pertaining to the bad man states that when one is with an undesirable person, they should focus not on the negatives of the person they are with, but the unfavorable aspects of themselves. By doing this, Confucius is hoping that the reader will fix their own flaw, instead of picking apart their enemy for their indecencies. This shows that Confucius believes that one should reflect upon oneself, when approached with the negative aspects exemplified by an enemy. Similarly to how Confucius addresses the relationship with an enemy, in Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu discusses the responsibilities of those in power to control the subjects’ knowledge and wisdom. The Tao Te Ching spread the belief that the people in charge should do very little to inspire creative or individual thoughts
Throughout The Analects, he addresses many different types of relationships and how to manage all of them. Most importantly, he shows how to improve one’s own personality through the negative nature of others, “In the presence of a good man, think all the time / how you may learn to equal him. In the presence of a bad man, turn / your gaze within” (The Analects 33-35). In this quote, Confucius compares the presence of two men, the good man symbolizing a friend or ideal, and the bad man representing an enemy. The portion pertaining to the bad man states that when one is with an undesirable person, they should focus not on the negatives of the person they are with, but the unfavorable aspects of themselves. By doing this, Confucius is hoping that the reader will fix their own flaw, instead of picking apart their enemy for their indecencies. This shows that Confucius believes that one should reflect upon oneself, when approached with the negative aspects exemplified by an enemy. Similarly to how Confucius addresses the relationship with an enemy, in Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu discusses the responsibilities of those in power to control the subjects’ knowledge and wisdom. The Tao Te Ching spread the belief that the people in charge should do very little to inspire creative or individual thoughts