文質彬彬·每日好詞語｜反求諸己

反求諸己

反省自己的言行與內心。“反求諸己”是孟子提出的一種道德修養方法。孟子秉承了儒家的主張，認為人的德行與功業的確立，從根本上取決于自身的修養。因此，如果自己的言語行事不能獲得認可與贊賞，不應歸咎于他人的誤解，而應反省自己的言行與內心是否符合道德、禮法的要求。

Introspection

This term refers to self-examination of one’s own words, deeds, and inner thoughts. Introspection is a way of moral cultivation put forward by Mencius. Mencius inherited the Confucian belief that one’s moral integrity and meritorious deeds are determined by his own ethical cultivation. If his words or deeds fail to gain endorsement or appreciation from others, one should not blame them. On the contrary, one should examine himself to find out if his words and deeds as well as inner thoughts conform to standards of ethics and propriety.

引例1：仁者如射，射者正己而后發，發而不中，不怨勝己者，反求諸己而已矣。（《孟子·公孫丑上》）（仁者就好比射箭的人一樣，射箭的人要首先端正自己的姿勢然后發箭，發箭沒有射中目標，不埋怨成績超過自己的人，而是反躬自省而已。）

A virtuous man is like an archer. The archer adjusts himself and then shoots. Should he miss, he is not jealous of those who defeat him. He simply examines himself to find out why he has not won. (Mencius)

引例2：愛人不親，反其仁；治人不治，反其智；禮人不答，反其敬。行有不得者，皆反求諸己，其身正而天下歸之。（《孟子·離婁上》）（我愛別人而別人不親近我，則反省自己是否仁愛；我管理別人而沒有管理好，則反省自己是否有能力；我以禮待人卻沒得到回應，則反省自己是否不恭敬。任何行為如果沒有達到預期效果，都要反躬自省，自己立身端正則天下之人都會歸附。）

If others do not reciprocate your kindness towards them, you should think about whether your kindness is true or not. If you govern unsuccessfully, think about whether your governance philosophy is sound or not. If others do not reciprocate your courtesy towards them, think about whether your courtesy is sincere or not. Whenever you fail to achieve the desired result, you need to conduct retrospection to find out the cause. If you conduct yourself honorably, all the people will pledge allegiance to your rule. (Mencius)

來源：中國青年報客戶端