Confucius And The Children
I have commented before how interesting the references to Confucius in Daoist writings are. The relationship is complex and I freely admit to being fascinated without understanding what it is all about. Confusion points to something interesting and begs for contemplation. The questions of culture, and who knows, maybe answers, lay in these directions.
This story comes from the Book of Liezi, fourth century BCE, found in a collection of such stories LinYutang put together. I don’t know why LinYutang chose this one, but he had his own sense of humour, and this is objectively funny:
Confucius was travelling east and met two children arguing with one another. He asked them what they were arguing about, and one child said, “I say the sun is nearer to us in the morning and farther away from us at noon, and he says the sun is farther away from us in the morning and nearer to us at noon.” One child said, “When the sun begins to come up, it is big like a carriage cover, and at noon it is like a dinner plate. So it must be farther away when it looks smaller, and nearer us when it looks bigger.” The other child said, “When the sun comes up, the air is very cool, and at noon it burns like hot soup. So it must be nearer when it is hot and farther away when it is cool.” Confucius could not decide who was right, and the children laughed at him and said, “Whoever said that you were a wise guy?”
We are left to wonder what happens next. Confucius walks away, chagrined? Confucius smiles enigmatically, pats the children on the head, and thanks them for the lesson. Maybe? These stories often take on the character of a joke at his expense. His fans, both real and begrudging alike, were good at crafting these stories, and we could safely presume some have a basis in truth. That is a nice trick, isn’t it? To be a lightning rod for arguing parties and defusing volatile situations. Confucius let these boys find the common ground they both could stand on. Reputations pale in reality.
I think Confucius quietly smiled to himself as he walked away. I think the children quickly forgot both the argument and Confucius, because the conversation was pointless. It doesn’t even matter that both kids were wrong. How does one choose between two irrelevant, probably incorrect positions? By adding our own third incorrect theory? Often yes, that is what we opt for.
Maybe we spend too much time trying to convince others of our way of thinking, when it is entirely possible, even likely, that all of us are more or less wrong. Or possibly we are equally correct, looking at it another way. When we are tempted to go all-in on a proposition, I should be reminded that more than what we believe, what we do matters, and good doing often starts with listening. Listening without judgment, and accepting that there is more than one way to exist.
Thank you for the story . It leave open so everyone can continue the story . I think Kongzi smiled walk away is high percentages. So the story remind me that we should be open minded to accept everyone around . But focus on what important to your life . Don’t have to care everyone’s opinion .
Too much of our lives are spent trying to convince other people that we are right. This is a futile endeavor. At the end, no one is keeping score and most of it doesn't matter.