Analects · Chapter
XXII explained
Confucius emphasizes the indispensability of truthfulness (sincerity) in human conduct, comparing a person without it to a carriage lacking the essential crossbar for yoking animals, rendering it unable to move.
What happens
Confucius emphasizes the indispensability of truthfulness (sincerity) in human conduct, comparing a person without it to a carriage lacking the essential crossbar for yoking animals, rendering it unable to move.
Themes in this chapter
Sincerity and Faithfulness
Truthfulness is presented as the fundamental quality that enables a person to function, akin to the essential mechanical parts of a carriage.
Characters to notice
- Confucius
The Master speaks on the necessity of truthfulness for functioning in society.
Key passages
“I do not know how a man without truthfulness is to get on.”
Confucius expresses that he cannot imagine how a person lacking sincerity can manage in life.
This highlights the central role of truthfulness in personal conduct.
“How can a large carriage be made to go without the crossbar for yoking the oxen to, or a small carriage without the arrangement for yoking the horses?”
Just as a large or small carriage cannot move without its essential yoking mechanism, a person cannot function without truthfulness.
The analogy underscores the essential nature of sincerity for effective action.