Gao Zi I · 孟子 6A.12

Passage 12

孟mèng子zǐ曰yuē：「今jīn有yǒu無wú名míng之zhī指zhǐ，屈qū而ér不bú信xìn，非fēi疾jí痛tòng害hài事shì也yě。如rú有yǒu能néng信xìn之zhī者zhě，則zé不bù遠yuǎn秦qín、楚chǔ之zhī路lù，為wéi指zhǐ之zhī不bú若ruò人rén也yě。指zhǐ不bú若ruò人rén，則zé知zhī惡è之zhī；心xīn不bú若ruò人rén，則zé不bù知zhī惡è。此cǐ之zhī謂wèi不bù知zhī類lèi也yě。」

Mencius said, 'Here is a man whose fourth finger is bent and cannot be stretched out straight. It is not painful, nor does it incommode his business, and yet if there be any one who can make it straight, he will not think the way from Qin to Chu far to go to him; because his finger is not like the finger of other people. When a man's finger is not like those of other people, he knows to feel dissatisfied, but if his mind be not like that of other people, he does not know to feel dissatisfaction. This is called "Ignorance of the relative importance of things."'