To keep someone at arm's length, showing outward respect but avoiding close contact; often used to express a desire to subtly avoid someone or something.
Era:
Ancient
Frequency:
Story:
During the Spring and Autumn period, Confucius believed that 'Ren' (benevolence or humanity) encompassed many virtues, including reverence, generosity, trustworthiness, diligence, kindness, wisdom, courage, loyalty, forgiveness, filial piety, and fraternal respect.
The fundamental principles for practicing 'Ren' were 'Do not do to others what you would not want done to yourself,' and 'Wishing to be established himself, seeks to establish others; wishing to be enlarged himself, seeks to enlarge others.'
Once, his student Fan Chi asked what truly constituted wisdom. Confucius responded, 'To dedicate oneself to what is righteous for the common people, and to respect spiritual beings while keeping them at a distance – this can indeed be called wisdom.'