The Master Says

The Analects seems to be a very interesting type of book. It has a different style compared to most of the books that we are used to reading. Instead of a narration of some kind of story, the book is more like a list of mini lessons and teachings. And, all these teachings are taught by "the Master". I'm not sure who exactly who he is, but almost every quote in the book is told by "the Master" and most of the things he says teaches some kind of moral. I, of course, don't agree with all of them but they all seem to be very deep and thoughtful. Here's one that I did agree with:

"Riches and honors are what men desire. If they cannot
be obtained in the proper way, they should not be held. Poverty and
meanness are what men dislike. If they cannot be avoided in the proper
way, they should not be avoided." (Analects Book 4)

Here, I think that "the Master" was trying to point out the unfairness of the existence of bad people with wealth and good people with none. He, just like me, thought that if someone obtained wealth through unjust ways, he/she didn't deserve it. And, if someone escaped poverty through unjust ways, he/she didn't deserve it either. Most people would agree with this quote, but it's a bit unclear. It doesn't tell what exactly it is that we have to do to obtain something in "the proper way". I mean, sometimes we wouldn't know whether something is "proper" or not.

Anyways, whatever. Maybe I will understand more if I keep reading.