Tzŭ Kung asked, saying: What may be said of a man who is beloved by all his fellow-townsmen?--The Master replied: That is not enough to go upon.--What of one who is hated by all his fellow-townsmen?--The Master replied: Neither is that enough to go upon. It would be otherwise if, among his fellow-townsmen, the good loved him and the wicked hated him. The Master said: A good man must have trained the people for seven years before they are fit to go to war. To take an untrained multitude into battle is equivalent to throwing them away. In a well-governed country, speak boldly and act boldly. In a country where lawlessness prevails, let your actions be bold but your speech tactful. It is harder to be poor without murmuring, than to be rich without arrogance. The men of olden times who studied virtue had only their own improvement in view; those who study it now have an eye to the applause of others. Refusal to instruct one who is competent to learn entails the waste of a man. Instruction of one who is incompetent to learn entails waste of words. The wise man is he who wastes neither men nor words. Those whose care extends not far ahead will find their troubles near at hand. He who requires much from himself and little from others will be secure from hatred. If a man is not in the habit of asking, "What do you make of this? what do you make of that?" I can make nothing of him. Hopeless indeed is the case of those who can herd together all day long without once letting their conversation reach a higher plane,[18] but are content to bandy smart and shallow wit. When a man is generally detested, or when he is generally beloved, closer examination is necessary.[19] It is the man that is able to develop his virtue, not virtue that develops the man.[20] The real fault is to have faults and not try to amend them. Where there is education, there is no distinction of class. Men who differ in their principles cannot help each other in their plans. If language is lucid, that is enough. There are three errors to be avoided in the presence of a great man. The first is precipitancy--speaking before it is your turn to speak; the second is bashfulness--not speaking when your turn comes; and the third is heedlessness--speaking without observing the countenance of the listener. There are three impulses against which the nobler sort of man is on his guard. In the period of youth, when the heyday in the blood has not yet subsided, he guards against lustfulness; in the prime of life, when the physical frame is vigorous and strong, he guards against pugnacity; in old age, when the vital forces are in their decline, he guards against the greed of gain.[21] The highest class of men are they whose knowledge is innate; next to these are they whose knowledge is acquired by study[22]; after them come those who are dull-witted, yet strive to learn; while those who are dull-witted and will make no effort to learn are the lowest of the people.