Smartyfair
Faithfully admonish your friend, and skillfully lead him on. If you find him impracticable, stop. Do not disgrace yourself.

Where these words come from

How sure this is
95% sureThese words were traced back to where they first appeared. That source is listed below.
What turned up
Analects XII.23 — translated by James Legge; Entire answer to Tsze-kung on friendship, retaining the limit on unwanted counsel. Adjacent chapters read; translator confirmed from edition title page. Public-domain English translation.
Work
Analects XII.23 — translated by James Legge
Sources checked
  • gutenberg.orgChecked using manual, 20 October 2026Analects XII.23 — translated by James Legge; Entire answer to Tsze-kung on friendship, retaining the limit on unwanted counsel. Adjacent chapters read; translator confirmed from edition title page. Public-domain English translation.

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