Repay Injury With Uprightness, Kindness With Kindness

answered by Analects of Confucius, Xian Wen

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🎬 TODAY'S FILM — IT ASKS THIS

The Third Man (1949)

dir. Carol Reed · UK

When an old friendship and the harm that friend has done to others sit on opposite pans, what do you choose? Look away out of affection and the harm continues; choose the right and the friendship breaks. Must the measure of the right apply, without exception, even to one we love?

THE QUESTION THE FILM ASKS

Out of affection, do I quietly withdraw the straight measure before the wrongdoing of one I love?

THE CLASSIC'S ANSWER · ORIGINAL

以直報怨

以直報怨以德報德

📜 THE CLASSIC'S ANSWER

Repay injury with uprightness, and kindness with kindness.

💡 TL;DR

Confucius did not say to repay injury with unconditional kindness, but with uprightness — a measure not swayed by private affection.

📝The Classic Answers

Confucius did not say to repay injury with unconditional kindness, but with uprightness — a measure not swayed by private affection. Even an old friendship cannot erase the harm that friend has done to others. Look away out of affection and the measure bends, and a bent measure leaves another's wound untended. Even before one I love, I choose to learn to keep the straight measure without hating him.

— ONGO · Curator

🌱Apply It Today

If affection tempted you to let a close one's fault slide today, find a way to be upright with him without hating him.

📖 Classic Source: Analects of Confucius, Xian Wen. Ancient text in the public domain; rendered and interpreted independently by ONGO.
The film is honored as an equal questioner; its plot is rendered only as a universal dilemma. The classic source is an ancient text (Public Domain), and the reflection is 100% original ONGO content.