Awe-inspiring Junzi

This Q and A session is a continuation of the previous post on Lunyu. I've decided to use color coding for easier reading.

Why do we need to be awe-inspiring? Isn't that like trying to show off?

Of course we should not on purpose try to impress others. To be awe-inspiring here means to give yourself fully to the task or situation at hand, to sustain your attention and effort till the completion of the task. As to what you'll gain from acting this way. First of all, do you know that it's possible to derive joy and happiness from acting deliberately with your total being? This is applicable to all the things we do: both big and small tasks.

Just do some reflection - while you're doing some routine work, lets say ironing your clothes, do you really put in all your effort? Or are you only half-engaged, physically doing the ironing while the mind is on something else, always wishing to get the boring task done as soon as possible. Half-hearted action makes a task unappealing, resulting work done in a shoddy manner. This habit will extend to other areas of your life, making you a half-hearted spouse, parent, employee etc. Worse thing is you could infect the people around you with your couldn't-care-less attitude.

Conversely, if you could be fully engaged in a task, any tasks, then your actions would be a pleasure to watch. There's a certain correctness in your actions that inspires others to follow your example. This is what Confucius had in mind when he said awe-inspiring.

Wouldn't that make us look grave and solemn all the time?

Not at all. To be serious in your actions includes being fully engaged while having fun too. In fact to experience simple pleasures of life you need to be fully involved.

Why did Confucius mention junzi? Is this for junzi only?

Junzi means people who're aware of their own shortcomings and are in the process of rectifying themselves. In ancient China, people are classified according to their spiritual development. Petty person is one who cares mainly for material things. One becomes a junzi with the realization that there are joy and happiness in acting and living correctly. A sage is an enlightened person. Similar classification can be found in the Indian caste system, though it has been misused and became something hereditary. Junzi would correspond to the warrior class (Kshatriya) of the Indians. A person who's not yet a junzi will be able to do the right thing when told but will miss the underlying spirit.

Why did Confucius discourage having friends not equal to ourselves?

There are two ways to interpret this line. The first is not befriend people who're not our moral equal; if you're weak, you might get pulled down by them. The second interpretation says that if you're are firmly established in morality, you'll be able to inspire all our friends to rise up to your level.

A parallel to this is in Lunyu chapter nine (9:13) where Confucius said he wanted to live among some tribes. Someone warned him that these people are uncivilized and Confucius answered that if there's a Junzi living among them how could they be uncivilized.

Could you explain more on what Zeng Zi said in Lunyu 1:9?

Zeng Zi is trying to show that he understood Confucius - that an individual through right conduct could change a nation for the better. People act and behave in a certain way because of the prevalent thoughts and ideas of the time. Prevalent thoughts of scarcity makes people greedy and materialistic, in places where thoughts of abundance prevailed there is little strive. If the spirit of Junzi became the norm then society as a whole would experience a great upliftment of consciousness. According to Confucius, all that's needed is an individual who could produce the initial spark that lights up the people nearby and this awakening would then expand like a ripple.