Balancing It All Out

If our community understands that we all have common interests, why do we keep self-imposing ideas that poor people are wrong and that they haven’t worked enough to be rich and why do we say that rich people are good and that they have accomplished everything they desired for their lives in order to reach happiness? Maybe it is because we all desire similar material well-being, to be economically solvent and prosperous and independent but some think that they should do whatever it takes to reach that goal and others prefer to be people who live their life ethically and who understand that to reach that goal of self-sufficiency and wealth they will only be willing to do what is morally right. “ The Master said, “Wealth and social eminence are things that all people desire, and yet unless they are acquired in the proper way I will not abide them. Poverty and disgrace are things that all people hate, and yet unless they are avoided in the proper way I will not despise them.”” (Pg. 10 4.5) I think that not only each of us want similar well-being in all areas of life but that we should also cultivate through education a wanting similar basic well-being for every living person which will mean that we have to watch out for each other and limit some of our own personal hungers. Something interesting about how Confucius explains this idea is that he accepts the concept that we all have personal yearnings and that we all are willing to sacrifice in order to satisfy these wants for ourselves but what he really stresses is the moral guidance to what would be right and wrong in the methods used to satisfy these personal desires instead he insists he would not even reject poverty and disgrace if they were not avoided in the correct way. We can also see that he tries to give us guidance in what and how to wish for and the results don’t matter as much as what we did or didn’t do to get there.

He tries to make us understand that profoundly a person cannot be judged only by his accomplishments but by what he did to get them, what motivated him and what was his purpose when he reached his goals. “Do not be concerned that no one has heard of you, but rather become a person worthy of being known.” (Pg. 12 4.14) One shouldn’t look for being accomplished or famous but to accomplish things that make us feel proud of the process by which we accomplished. The Master clearly shows us that we should wish and look for things that make us valuable as people of a community and not for things that make us powerful. “To bring comfort to the aged, to inspire trust in my friends, and to be cherished by the youth.” (Pg. 15 5.26) By sharing what he wants to accomplish in his life, what he truly values and what he wants to really be remembered for, makes one take a deep reflection about what is truly lasting and valuable for any human life. Great deep thinking in every phrase.