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Confucianism -> Mengzi -> Wan Zhang II -> 16.8

:「Mencius replied, 'With a skin cap.
A common man should be summoned with a plain banner;
a scholar who has taken office, with one having dragons embroidered on it;
and a Great officer, with one having feathers suspended from the top of the staff.
When the forester was summoned with the article appropriate to the summoning of a Great officer,
he would have died rather than presume to go.
If a common man were summoned with the article appropriate to the summoning of a scholar, how could he presume to go?
How much more may we expect this refusal to go, when a man of talents and virtue is summoned in a way which is inappropriate to his character!
When a prince wishes to see a man of talents and virtue, and does not take the proper course to get his wish, it is as if he wished him to enter his palace, and shut the door against him.
Now, righteousness is the way,
and propriety is the door,
君子 but it is only the superior man who can follow this way,
and go out and in by this door.
It is said in the Book of Poetry,
"The way to Zhou is level like a whetstone,
And straight as an arrow.
君子 The officers tread it,
。』」 And the lower people see it."'


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