Confucius' Quote 'Ail at Incapacity, Not Ignorance' Fuels Modern Upskilling Algorithms & Neuroscience of Competence
君子病无能焉，不病人之不己知也。——孔子(jūn zǐ bìng wú néng yān, bù bìng rén zhī bù jǐ zhī yě — Kǒngzǐ) Translation: “Nobles ail at personal incapacity, not others’ ignorance of them.” Explanation: Confucius’ competence ethos “君子病无能焉(jūn zǐ bìng wú néng yān), 不病人之不己知也(bù bìng rén zhī bù jǐ zhī yě)” (Nobles ail at personal incapacity, not others’ ignorance of them) redefines self-worth through skill mastery. The character 病(bìng)—combining 疒(nè, sickness) and 丙(bǐng, third celestial stem)—metaphorizes skill deficiency as existential malady, akin to bodily illness disrupting cosmic harmony. This shaped 汉朝考课法(hàn cháo kǎo kè fǎ) (Han Dynasty Competency Audits), where officials underwent biannual 六艺(liù yì) (Six Arts) proficiency tests—failure triggered medicinal metaphors like “prescribed” calligraphy drills or “tonic” arithmetic regimens. Ming Dynasty’s 匠籍考核(jiàng jí kǎo hé)...
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