---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For Confucians, we are such thoroughly…"
description: "\"For Confucians, we are such thoroughly social beings that individual and social interests are not in the end regarded as fundamentally incompatible. Th..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/251/david-wong-1098_balance_for-confucians-we-are-such-thoroughly-so_2737379.jpg"
---

#  For Confucians, we are such thoroughly social beings that…

![“For Confucians, we are such thoroughly social beings that individual and social interests are not in the end regarded as fundamentally incompatible. Though there will be conflicts, the central mission of moral and political philosophy is to foster approaches that will render them compatible or if…” quote by David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/251/david-wong-1098_balance_for-confucians-we-are-such-thoroughly-so_2737379.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/251/david-wong-1098_balance_for-confucians-we-are-such-thoroughly-so_2737379.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/251/david-wong-1098_balance_for-confucians-we-are-such-thoroughly-so_2737379.jpg)

> “For Confucians, we are such thoroughly social beings that individual and social interests are not in the end regarded as fundamentally incompatible. Though there will be conflicts, the central mission of moral and political philosophy is to foster approaches that will render them compatible or if that is not possible in some cases, to keep a reasonable balance so that neither side is consistently sacrificed for the sake of the other.”

[David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Confucian thought sees individuals as inherently social, seeking harmony between personal and collective interests, aiming for balance when conflict arises.

**In simple terms:** People are socially oriented, seeking harmony.

Key Takeaway

Pursue harmony between self and society.

Themes

ethics confucianism social harmony balance

Mood

reflective analytical

Type

philosophical ethical

When to use this quote

- Workplace
- family
- community projects
- policy debates

Key Concepts

Moral philosophy Political theory Collectivism

Questions to Reflect On

- What compromises maintain social balance?
- When should individual rights prevail?

A Different Perspective

Balancing may require compromise that feels unfair to some.

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[Balance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/balance/) [Conflict](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conflict/) [Confucians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confucians-3001946/) [Confucians Thoroughly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confucians-thoroughly-3001945/) [Consistently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consistently/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Mission Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mission-moral-3001947/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Moral Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-political-835115/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Political philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-philosophy/)

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