Not Boasting of Good Deeds
Yan Hui said, 'I would wish never to boast of my goodness, nor to impose burdens on others.'
In this famous scene where each disciple shares his aspiration, Yan Hui—Confucius' most beloved student—offers the quietest wish: not to boast of his good qualities and not to burden others with his labors. While Zilu's aspiration is generous and outward, Yan Hui's is inward and self-effacing. Confucius' own wish follows: to comfort the old, be trusted by friends, and cherish the young.