Summer LotusJan 2nd 2021 2 min read
Confucius said, “Have no friend who is not your equal”. He meant that we should make friends who are better than us so that we can learn from them. He believed in the purpose of cultivating ourselves through friends.
While I agree that if one were to move ahead, we need to befriend people who are at least as good as ourselves or better as advocated by my favorite philosopher Confucius, people are not born equal.
In real life, everyone has a different type of talent. If A is not as good in the skill that you are interested in, he certainly would have talents in other aspects and it is up to us to excavate them — -if you are keen to learn that particular skill from them.
I believe in trying to be an all-rounder. If I am not as good at writing compared to a fellow writer but am good in the creative aspects of images, it behooves the other party to learn from me my secret and I from him his strategy. It should be a win-win situation. In fact, I make friends from many trades so that we can learn from each other but in my own vocation, I seek mentors.
Following my esteemed philosopher, Confucius strictly would be a parochial way of living. You may even reduce your circle of friends. That will restrict your growth and the joy of living in an expansive world.
So, while ancient sages had immense wisdom to teach us, we must also exhibit flexibility in our thinking and not take their advice per se.
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