Analects 4.14
The Analects (論語), BOOK IV. LE JIN 里仁第四
子曰、不患無位、患所以立、不患莫己知、求爲可知也。
The Master said, "A man should say, I am not concerned that I have no place, I am concerned how I may fit myself for one. I am not concerned that I am not known, I seek to be worthy to be known."
James Legge (1861), Confucian Analects, The Chinese Classics vol. 1 (1861; 2nd ed. 1893) — public domain.
Character glossary
- 子zison, child; seed, egg; fruit; small thin
- 曰yuēto speak; to say
- 不bùno, not, un-; negative prefix
- 患huànsuffering; misfortune; trouble; to suffe
- 無wúno, not; lacking, -less
- 位wèiseat, throne; rank, status; position, lo
- 所suǒplace, location; "that which", a particl
- 以yǐaccording to; so as to; because of; then
- 立lìto stand; to establish, to set up
- 莫mòcannot; do not; is not; negative
- 己jǐself, oneself; personal, private; 6th he
- 知zhīto know, to perceive, to comprehend
- 求qiúto seek; to request, to demand; to besee
- 爲wèido, handle, govern, act; be
- 可kěmay, can, -able; possibly
- 也yěalso, too
Passages with shared wording
Data: English Wikisource (Public domain texts; transcription CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.