superiority vs. inferiority

Faye Hazel R. Douglass
Chinese Philosophy A

“Confucius and the superior man”
During the time of Confucius, men and women were driven in fear of foreign invasion, poverty and confusion. Confucius and other Chinese philosophers sphere headed the philosophy of the Chinese. They initiated education instead of war.

For Confucius, as well as the Chinese, the superior man was not a question whether he was physically well and popular. For them, the superior man is a gentleman. His outlook on life is not a matter of whether people see how great he is, but that he acts and responds without fear of being left invisible.

“wealth and honor are what every man desires. But if they have been obtained in violation of moral principles, they must not be kept”1 Says Confucius in his analects. The goal of the Chinese was not that they had to get insanely popular. Their goal was to create harmony with nature, with superiors and with themselves. For them, money should never come first. It did not matter for them what man’s work was for as long as he did it with honor, dignity and passion. That would make the superior man.

“the superior man wants to be slow in words but diligent in action”2 says Confucius. In modern English terms, “words without actions are nothing”. Actions are more important especially if they lead to the betterment of others. The superior man is not like a peacock. The peacock has so many beautiful colors on its tail, but barely does anything. Man should not talk more about things; he should work or as Americans say, “walk the walk”.

“the superior man is dignified but not proud; the inferior man is proud but not dignified”3 . Dignified is different from proud. Dignified is an honor given by the people around him while pride is something self-given. Dignity for Confucius meant that the superior man did not need any self-recognition to accomplish anything. But the inferior man is proud because he constantly needs appreciation even if he’s the only one giving it to himself. For Confucius, being proud is not what a great man should do simply because it is only, “all in a day’s work”. A supplementary to this quote is when he said, “the superior man seeks (room for improvement or occasion to blame) in himself; the inferior man seeks it in others.”4

The superior man however is not just himself against the world. He is a respectful man thus gaining respect. In modern European language, there is a saying that says, “respect can never be demanded. It is given only if man deserves it”. The superior man concentrates on not gaining respect for himself only, but he concentrates on respecting others. He diligently examines himself on how to continually help others progress and incessantly tries to make harmony. If the superior man does not have harmony within his situation, he simply bends with it.

The Chinese have the principle also and they call it “the wise bamboo.” One of the reasons is that the bamboo bends whenever there is a great wind or storm but remains intact. It is constantly used for houses and irrigation systems, but it remains strong and elegant. For the Chinese, the superior man must be like the bamboo. It bends so that it won’t break.

In comparison to this, other trees fall down whenever there is a great storm. It tries to remain proud in its roots but becomes ultimately nothing whenever there is pressure or whenever nobody tends it while the bamboo lives on without man cultivating it or planting it. And the superior man is always like a bamboo. He does not need other people constantly reminding him of his greatness, but that he remains humble. In his fortune of earning wisdom, he becomes more and more humble. The inferior man however is like what Americans say, “Empty cans make a lot of noise”. They make all the fuss in the world because there is actually nothing to show.

I have read a few years ago in psychology that the inferior man likes to brag so much because there is something he wants to hide. It is often compared to making a pot. The potter would make the pot so magnificent but often times ignore the holes underneath it. The holes let the water leak through it and eventually become worthless. But the superior man is not like that. Although the superior man has imperfections, he maintains to not let it weaken his purpose for living or he makes it so that his imperfections are to his advantage.

The superior man for many Chinese philosophers is not materialistic or apathetic. He is a gentle man; a man worthy of respect. He goes on living his life and is remembered when he dies. But the superior man is even greater than that. He does his acts not because he wants to be remembered. He is not concerned about being known to many, but he is concerned about knowing a lot of people so he could help them and provide wisdom.