Analects 17.16

The Analects (論語), BOOK XVII. YANG HO 陽貨第十七

子曰、古者、民有三疾、今也或是之亡也。古之狂也肆、今之狂也蕩、古之矜也廉、今之矜也忿戾、古之愚也直、今之愚也詐而已矣。

1. The Master said, "Anciently, men had three failings, which now perhaps are not to be found.

2. "The high-mindedness of antiquity showed itself in a disregard of small things; the high-mindedness of the present day shows itself in wild license. The stern dignity of antiquity showed itself in grave reserve; the stern dignity of the present day shows itself in quarrelsome perverseness. The stupidity of antiquity showed itself in straightforwardness; the stupidity of the present day shows itself in sheer deceit."

James Legge (1861), Confucian Analects, The Chinese Classics vol. 1 (1861; 2nd ed. 1893) — public domain.

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Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.