Doing Nothing Improper

A gentleman is advised to follow rite and morality and accumulate his merits if he wants to pursue self-cultivation. While he cannot follow mundane trends, he should not engage in deliberately different practices either if they are against the moral principles. Different from the previous essay which provides encouragement, this chapter offers exhortations, pointing out behaviors that are improper – tackling problems by violent means, offering sophisticated arguments, and winning antisocial fame – and showing behaviors that are proper – doing good for profit in conducting oneself in society, being good with or without talent in performance, and being morally different from the ordinary people but tolerant of them – so that a gentleman is able to adapt himself to circumstances and make progress all the while.