Once, when Confucius was travelling in the state of Chen, he said, “Let’s go home! Let’s go home! Our young students back in Lu are wild and ambitious. They’re made of the right stuff, but they don’t know how to shape it.”
Ambition
6.30
Zigong asked, “If someone were able to benefit everyone and help those in need, what would you say about that? Would you call that person humane?”
Confucius replied, “Why just humane? They’d be a sage! Even Yao and Shun would find this tough!
“A humane person who wants to get established helps establish others. Wanting to be successful, they help others become successful. To make an analogy of what’s close at hand—that’s the way to humaneness.”