Junzi Vs Xiaoren
Confucianism is based off of many diverse concepts, one of which is the junzi and the xiaoren. These terms have been widely interpreted throughout time, and make up most of this concept. In order to understand Confucianism, one must first understand the significance of these two notions. A junzi (gentleman) and xiaoren (small man) are very important aspects of Confucianism and have distinct characteristics same such as meaning, qualities, and modern day society attributes. Instead of working towards righteousness as a junzi (gentleman) would, a xiaoren (small man) works towards profitability. As defined by Confucius, a gentleman is an individual who lives by a moral code, and is not motivated by gain, but by what is right. A small man is the
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It is very rare to find a man who is not motivated by gain, but by righteousness. Many, but not all, men in today’s society feel empowered to others, and take advantage of this sense of power, as portrayed in the media. The provocative comments towards women, and even other humans is horrifying, especially when it is often voiced by someone our peers strive to be. The small man and the modern American man both seek profit and will obtain it by any means necessary. For instance, the famous actor Charlie Sheen has been known to get away with certain actions that any ordinary person could not; he has used derogatory terms towards women, threatened his family, cheated on his wife, and many other destructive deeds. Even after all of this, our society still raves on about him, and he still makes millions of dollars. He is a xiaoren (small man) according to Confucius, but a gentleman in today’s culture. The ideal gentleman in today’s society would be one with a lot of fame and fortune. Corruption is a very prevalent issue among high society; money can buy roughly anything. Confucian’s gentleman qualities would most certainly help one succeed morally these days, but not necessarily on the social level. Current news headlines are rarely stating the positive actions in the community, but rather the negative ones. It cannot be stated whether living through the modern day gentleman or Confucius’s definition of a gentleman brings more happiness and success to men overall; it depends on one’s personal classification of
It is very rare to find a man who is not motivated by gain, but by righteousness. Many, but not all, men in today’s society feel empowered to others, and take advantage of this sense of power, as portrayed in the media. The provocative comments towards women, and even other humans is horrifying, especially when it is often voiced by someone our peers strive to be. The small man and the modern American man both seek profit and will obtain it by any means necessary. For instance, the famous actor Charlie Sheen has been known to get away with certain actions that any ordinary person could not; he has used derogatory terms towards women, threatened his family, cheated on his wife, and many other destructive deeds. Even after all of this, our society still raves on about him, and he still makes millions of dollars. He is a xiaoren (small man) according to Confucius, but a gentleman in today’s culture. The ideal gentleman in today’s society would be one with a lot of fame and fortune. Corruption is a very prevalent issue among high society; money can buy roughly anything. Confucian’s gentleman qualities would most certainly help one succeed morally these days, but not necessarily on the social level. Current news headlines are rarely stating the positive actions in the community, but rather the negative ones. It cannot be stated whether living through the modern day gentleman or Confucius’s definition of a gentleman brings more happiness and success to men overall; it depends on one’s personal classification of