12) Tzu Kung asked, “What constitutes the Superior Man?” The Master said, “He acts before he speaks, and afterward speaks according to his actions.”
I have always liked this particular passage, and I believe that this one is pretty much universally translatable – Don’t just talk, but do. Walk the walk; talk the talk and all of that. That was essentially the limit to my understanding of this particular passage when I was younger, and it has become a little more in-depth with age and review.
In the interest of completeness, I’m sure some are asking, “Who was Tzu Kung?”
Tzu Kung was a disciple of Confucius, and probably headed up his own school of Confucian thought although there are only references to him in the Analects. Apparently he was a very inquisitive disciple who would ask questions that would allow for Confucius to make some poignant retort and educate the reader.
As I mentioned above, my original interpretation of this particular passage has developed over time. Initially it was, as above, “walk the walk; talk the talk.” Allowing myself to review my original thoughts on this passage, I realize that this may have been a limited view.
An alternate way to see this is rather simple – Don’t speak falsely or talk and bluster when you haven’t actually done the thing you speak of. This may seem like common sense, but there are often times that I have witnessed just the opposite.
When I think of this, sometimes I make the association to a story that I heard – I believe it’s linked to Buddhism, but I cannot be sure right now.
A woman sought out a wise man to ask him to tell her son to stop eating so many figs. The wise man asked her to come back next week, and he would do as she asked. She returned the next week with her son and the wise man looked at the boy and said, “Don’t eat so many figs”.
The woman, a little confused, asked the wise man why she had to wait a week for what just transpired. The wise man replied, “Because I had to cut back on my figs…”
When someone holds another in judgement, too often they hold fast that they have the right to when they have not followed through with the actions… We hear this all the time from parents – “Do as I say, not as I do” or “I’m only saying this in your best interest”, etc. Can we honestly lead or inspire if we have never trod the path?
And does position grant someone the ‘right’? Can you inspire trust if you speak, but have never taken the path you’re preaching?
When someone takes action, they can see the nuances of the situation that influence their decisions – and then can truly speak, from experience, and make appropriate statements… A short statement, yet so many potential interpretations…
