Confucius' Quote 'Seek Within, Not Without' Powers Modern CBT, Neuroscience & Silicon Valley's Bootstrapping Culture
君子求诸己，小人求诸人。——孔子(jūn zǐ qiú zhū jǐ, xiǎo rén qiú zhū rén — Kǒngzǐ) Translation: “Nobles seek within; plebeians seek without.” Explanation: Confucius’ psychological axiom “君子求诸己(jūn zǐ qiú zhū jǐ), 小人求诸人(xiǎo rén qiú zhū rén)” (Nobles seek within; plebeians seek without) establishes humanity’s earliest locus of control theory. The character 求(qiú)—composed of 衣(yī, clothing) and 又(yòu, hand)—depicts self-reliance as grasping one’s own garments for warmth rather than demanding others’. This philosophy shaped 《论语》(lún yǔ)’s introspective practices, where scholars journaled nightly to identify personal growth areas instead of blaming external circumstances. Warring States military strategists operationalized 求诸己(qiú zhū jǐ) through “mirror drills”—commanders analyzing their own tactical errors after defeats rather than scapegoating soldiers. Modern psychology mirrors this: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques like...
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