“When you see a worthy person, think of becoming their equal; when you see someone unworthy, examine yourself within.” The sentence appears in the Li Ren chapter of the Analects. Its movement is double: another person’s strengths become a reason to improve, while another person’s faults become a reason to check whether the same tendency exists in oneself.
The point is not endless comparison. Zhu Xi explains “thinking of equality” as wishing to possess the same good quality, and “examining within” as asking whether the same fault may also exist in oneself. Other people become material for self-correction rather than merely objects of admiration or blame.
The sentence remains useful today because it is restrained. When someone impresses us, admiration need not be passive. When someone irritates us, judgement need not be entirely outward. The more useful question is what each encounter reveals about our own conduct.
Original text:
https://ctext.org/analects/li-ren/zhs
Commentary:
https://ctext.org/si-shu-zhang-ju-ji-zhu/li-ren-di-si/zhs
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