6.21 Zi said: "If you are above the middle, you can speak also;Below the middle people, you can't speak also. ”
Confucius said, "A person above the middle level can tell him to be sophisticated;A person below the intermediate level should not be told that he is advanced and complicated. ”
Analects 621
Interpretation] language - Yinyu, which means "to tell".
Many people interpret this sentence of Confucius as "teaching students according to their aptitude", which makes sense.
Confucius **3,000, of course, it is impossible to do everything himself, and it is reasonable for some basic courses to be taught by the ** who entered the classroom. Confucius told them that the content of the lecture should vary from person to person, and for people below the middle level, they can't blame the students for not understanding it.
"Zhongren" is a word that needs special attention, and it may have two perspectives of judgment: one is that it is something that is constant and unchanging, and is determined by nature;The second is that they think that they can change through their own learning.
Confucius apparently recognized the importance of acquired learning. For example, he praised Yan Hui many times, all based on his studiousness, not his natural intelligence;Another example is that he said that "in the city of ten rooms, there will be those who are as faithful as the hills, and they are not as studious as the hills." (Gongye Long Story, 5.)28) He also said, "No will, no need, no fixation, no self." (Zihan, 9.)4）
Therefore, Confucius's talk about "above the middle people" and "below the middle people" is based on the judgment of the present moment to "speak". If the current situation is "below the middle people", it is indeed not suitable to talk about advanced and complex things. If "Shibei is impressed for three days", it will be after "three days".
Finally, the understanding of Confucius's words should not be completely limited to teaching, and social interaction is also applicable. Below the middle people, you can't speak also. "Isn't it just that "summer insects can't talk ice"!"Don't talk with words, lose words. (Wei Ling Gong Chapter, 15.)8）