Cultivated knowledge can be more important than creativity Modern culture places a lot of emphasis on creativity – unique insights that come to us suddenly. But Confucius was adamant about the importance of the universal wisdom that comes from years of hard work and reflection. He listed compassion (ren) and ritual propriety (li) among three other virtues: justice (yi), knowledge (zhi) and integrity (xin). These were known as the ‘Five Constant Virtues’. While Confucius believed that people were inherently good, he also saw that virtues like these must be constantly cultivated like plants in a
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