n prosperous conditions, the worthy must be promoted.
In un-prosperous conditions, the worthy must be promoted.
Honoring the worthy is the basis of good government.
The virtuous who are prosperous must be exalted, and the virtuous who are not prosperous must be exalted.
Fruit thieves are condemned by the people and punished by the government. Why? Because they act ubnenevolently and harm others for their own benefit.
Pig, chicken, and dog thieves are considered are considered even more unrighteous. Why? Because they act even more unbenevolently and do even more harm to others.
Horse and cow thieves are considered even more unrighteous. Why? Because they act even more unbenevolently and do even more harm to others.
Murderers who rob their victims are considered even jmore unrighteous. Why? Because they act even more unbenevolently and do even more harm to others.
The world’s gentlemen know enough to condemn such acts and label them as unrighteous.
Yet, when it comes to the more serious transgression of offensive warfare against other states, people do not know enough to condemn such an act. In fact, they praise it and call it righteous…
Suppose someone called a little bit of black “black,” and a lot of black “white.” We would conclude that he did not properly differentiate between white and black.
Suppose someone called a little bit of bitter bitter, and a lot of bitter sweet. We would conclude that he did not properly differentiate between sweet and bitter.
Yet when an atrocity is committed and a state is attacked, people do not know enough to condemn it. Instead, they praise it.
…A person will naturally follow the right way when under good influence.
Thus, capable/skillful rulers are meticulous in their selection of people, but might be less careful in attending to/presiding-over the administration.
But those who are incapable/lacking skill may wear out their body and deplete their energy, tax their mind and overextend their thought, yet have their states become more vulnerable and their selves be more humiliates.
Its not like the six princes [who came under bad influences and encountered calamities] did not care about their states or lives. It’s just that they did not properly understand the importance of things. And their notion of the importance of things was distorted by their bad influences.
[One of the cause of distress to a state is] when those who are trusted are not loyal, and those who are loyal are not trusted.