What is a gentleman?
A gentleman, a man of noble character, is the ideal personality pursued by China people for more than two thousand years. He has both ability and political integrity, is gentle and accomplished. His generosity can help the world, and he can be immune to it. The life of a gentleman should be like the sky, resolute and determined, eager to be strong and never stop; A gentleman should be like the earth, thick and smooth, benevolent and moral, and inclusive.
A poem describing a gentleman's character
"People do nothing, and then they can do something." -"Mencius Li Louzhang", doing something is the principle of being a man. Doing one thing and then doing another is a person's practice. A gentleman judges the situation, decides to choose, knows what he can do and what he can't do. It is also a strategy of being born to be human.
"I dare not be the first in the world." -Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu thinks that a gentleman can't be ahead of everyone.
"A gentleman must be cautious about being alone." -"University" "Cautious independence" is a very important concept in Confucianism: it is easiest for a person to relax his vigilance when he is alone, thus revealing his true nature.
"Dedicated to the body, a gentleman also." -"Xunzi cultivate one's morality", people who are determined and work hard for their cause are called gentlemen.
"peaches and plums are self-sufficient." -"Historical Records", although peach trees and plum trees can't talk, their fragrant flowers and sweet fruits attract people to pick them so much that they naturally step on a path under the trees. Metaphorically, people with high moral character will naturally win people's admiration.
"Don't do it with a little evil, don't do it with a little good"-The History of the Three Kingdoms, never do a bad thing even if it is small, but do a good thing even if it is small.