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Confucius: 2 ideas worth knowing

2 ideas from Confucius, each explained in a minute and credited to the original work. Free on Savvy.

• Confucius phrased the Golden Rule backwards, and some think that version is safer

  Asked for one word to live by, Confucius reportedly answered 'reciprocity', then defined it in the negative: 'Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire.' Unlike the G…

  — Confucius, The Analects

• Confucius said fixing a broken government starts with fixing its words

  Asked what he'd do first if put in charge of a state, Confucius answered: 'rectify the names.' If words don't correctly match reality, he argued, speech fails, actions misfire, and…

  — Confucius, The Analects

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