What Would Confucius Do? is a regular feature where we apply age-old Confucian wisdom to modern dilemmas.
Q: I grew up in a quiet Scandinavian city where it is considered very rude to push into queues. Since I moved to Beijing, I find that people often take advantage of this, pushing in front of me when queuing for train tickets, for instance. Sometimes I'm left standing on the subway platform as more assertive people get in front of me. Pushing makes me feel uncomfortable, but it might be the only way to get where I need to be. As it seems to be more acceptable here than in my home city, should I just do the same? Would Confucius have believed in ‘first come, first served’?
A: Hello friend. Your problem is trifling but as it is seriously bothering you, Confucius is here to resolve it. He would have told you: “You should not push in. The ‘first come, first served’ principle is correct and people should comply with this. And while some people may act contrarily by shoving past you, you should refrain from copying their actions. Even if there are a lot of people who push in, it is incorrect reasoning to think that you should do the same. Blindly following the crowd is unwise. For the sake of your own benefit, pushing in is inadvisable.”
Confucius was a person who strictly adhered to established moral standards, and he conducted himself accordingly. If actions fell outside these ethics – regardless of whether the matter was big or small – his conduct remained steadfast. It would actually become more likely he would abstain from going against these rules. Confucius’ idea of complying with the rules reflects basic courtesy. The Etiquette and Ceremonial text (from The Rites of Zhou) is one of the classic texts of Confucianism. Confucius’ ideal virtue is kejifuli, which means ‘to subdue self and observe proprieties’ (Analects, 12:1).
Friend, let the idiom dushuanqishen, ‘be righteous alone in a community where the general moral tone is low,’ motivate you. If you begin to push in, you only add to the number of people doing it, and also turn you into a rule breaker. I hope you can keep calm and refrain from pushing in.
Wang Xuejun is a lecturer at Beijing Language and Culture University, specializing in Chinese culture. His most recent book is entitled Teaching Methods of Chinese Language and Traditional Culture. Send him your ethical dilemma via bjeditor@urbanatomy.com
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