How to Select Outstanding Students Like Confucius <Part 1>

Confucius Also Made Mistakes in Judging People

Confucius, a famous teacher from ancient China, had two students: Dantai Ziyu and Zai Yu. When they first came to learn from him, Confucius judged them by their looks and speech. Dantai Ziyu looked poor and unrefined, so Confucius thought he was not talented or virtuous. On the other hand, Zai Yu spoke very well, so Confucius believed he was smart and capable.

Later, Confucius admitted, "I was wrong about Ziyu because I judged him by his appearance, and I was wrong about Zai Yu because I judged him by his words."

From this mistake, Confucius created a better way to judge people. His method can still help us find excellent students today.

---

Sending Someone Far Away to Test Their Loyalty

Confucius believed that sending a person on a long and tiring trip was a good way to test their loyalty. Since such a task is hard and does not give any personal benefit, only a truly dedicated person will complete it without complaints.

The same is true for students. Those who follow rules and good habits, even when they seem unimportant, usually have strong patience. Studying requires endurance and effort. If a student is willing to study even the subjects they do not like, they will likely achieve great success over time.

---

Keeping Someone Close to See Their Respect

People who show respect to others usually have good hearts. If a student respects their teacher, they will also take their studies seriously.

Today, many students do not respect their teachers. Of course, teachers must also act properly to earn respect. However, a student who truly wants to learn should have respect for their teacher. If not, they may not trust the teacher’s lessons or homework and will listen without care. A student with this attitude will have a hard time achieving good grades.

---

Giving Someone a Difficult Task to See Their Ability

A wise leader gives people tasks that match their skills to discover their true abilities.

Teachers often suggest new or difficult study methods to students, but many students complain. However, these methods help students improve. If students only use their favorite study methods, they may never overcome their weaknesses.

Just like taking bitter medicine to recover from sickness, improving in studies also requires going through difficult learning processes.

---

Asking Unexpected Questions to Test Their Wisdom

A good leader cannot solve problems by simply following a book. They need to find people who can think and apply their knowledge in real situations.

Students who only memorize books often struggle when asked unexpected questions. They may feel the teacher’s question is unrelated to the lesson. However, these questions usually have a deep connection to what they are learning.

For example, if a teacher asks a student studying math to analyze a story, the student may feel confused. However, both subjects involve understanding relationships between ideas. The teacher asks these questions not to waste time but to help students think more deeply.

 

Confucius taught rulers how to find talented people. By sending someone far away to test
their loyalty or asking unexpected questions to see their wisdom, he created a way to understand people better. Even today, his ideas can help us recognize excellent students.

 

교육 정보 번역이 궁금하다면!

뛰어난 학생 선별법은 공자처럼<1부>