Confucius said, “A leader who is not serious will not be taken seriously. Still, don’t be inflexible. Take loyalty and sincerity as first principles and don’t make friends with someone who isn’t your moral equal. When you make a mistake, don’t hesitate to fix it.”
Sincerity
4.15
Confucius said, “Zeng Can, my Way has a single thread running through it.”
Zeng Can replied, “Yes.”
After Confucius left, the other students asked, “What did he mean by that?”
Zeng Can replied, “Our teacher’s way is just to be sincere and fair.”
11.21
Confucius said, “A person’s words may seem sincere, but are they really noble people, or are they just dignified in their appearance?”