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Most people recognize his name

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and know that he is famous [br]for having said something,

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but considering the long-lasting impact[br]his teachings have had on the world,

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very few people know [br]who Confucius really was,

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what he really said,

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and why.

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Amid the chaos of 6th Century BCE China,

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where warring states fought [br]endlessly among themselves for supremacy,

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and rulers were frequently assassinated,[br]

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sometimes by their own relatives,

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Confucius exemplified benevolence[br]and integrity,

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and through his teaching,

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became one of China's [br]greatest philosophers.

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Born to a nobleman but raised in poverty[br]from a very young age

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following the untimely [br]death of his father,

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Confucius developed what would become

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a lifelong sympathy[br]for the suffering of the common people.

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Barely supporting his mother[br]and disabled brother

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as a herder [br]and account keeper at a granary,

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and with other odd jobs,

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it was only with [br]the help of a wealthy friend

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that Confucius was able [br]to study at the Royal Archives,

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where his world view would be formed.

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Though the ancient texts there[br]were regarded by some

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as irrelevant relics of the past,

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Confucius was inspired by them.

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Through study and reflection,

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Confucius came to believe that [br]human character is formed in the family

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and by education in ritual, [br]literature, and history.

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A person cultivated in this way[br]works to help others,

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guiding them by moral inspiration[br]rather than brute force.

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To put his philosophy into practice,

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Confucius became an advisor to the ruler[br]of his home state of Lu.

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But after another state sent Lu's ruler[br]a troop of dancing girls as a present

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and the ruler ignored his duties[br]while enjoying the girls in private,

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Confucius resigned in disgust.

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He then spent the next few years[br]traveling from state to state,

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trying to find a worthy ruler to serve,[br]while holding fast to his principles.

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It wasn't easy.

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In accordance with his philosophy,[br]and contrary to the practice of the time,

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Confucius dissuaded rulers from relying[br]on harsh punishments and military power

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to govern their lands

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because he believed that a good ruler

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inspires others [br]to spontaneously follow him

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by virtue of his ethical charisma.

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Confucius also believed

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that because the love and respect[br]we learn in the family

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are fundamental to all other virtues,

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personal duties to family sometimes[br]supersede obligations to the state.

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So when one duke bragged [br]that his subjects were so upright

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that a son testified [br]against his own father

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when his father stole a sheep,

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Confucius informed the duke

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that genuinely upright fathers [br]and sons protected one another.

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During his travels, [br]Confucius almost starved,

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he was briefly imprisoned,

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and his life was threatened [br]at several points.

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But he was not bitter.

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Confucius had faith that heaven[br]had a plan for the world,

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and he taught that a virtuous person

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could always find joy [br]in learning and music.

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Failing to find the ruler he sought,

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Confucius returned to Lu

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and became a teacher and philosopher[br]so influential,

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that he helped shaped Chinese culture

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and we recognize his name worldwide, [br]even today.

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For the disciples of Confucius,

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he was the living embodiment of a sage[br]who leads others through his virtue,

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and they recorded his sayings,

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which eventually were edited into a book[br]we know in English as "The Analects."

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Today, millions of people worldwide adhere[br]to the principles of Confucianism,

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and though the precise meaning of [br]his words has been debated for millennia,

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when asked to summarize [br]his teachings in a single phrase,

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Confucius himself said,

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"Do not inflict upon others [br]that which you yourself would not want."

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2,500 years later, it's still sage advice.