See someone better, aim to match them. See someone worse, look inward.

What it means

Other people are mirrors in both directions. Admire someone and you have a target; spot a flaw in someone and check whether you carry it too. Either way the work comes back to you.

The source

"See someone better, aim to match them. See someone worse, look inward." Confucius said it in Analects 4.17. Translated from the original Chinese by Spartan Surfers.

"見賢思齊焉，見不賢而內自省也。"

Original Chinese, Analects 4.17. Text read at zh.wikisource.org.

Who said it

Confucius (551-479 BC). Teacher from the state of Lu whose conversations, collected by his students as the Analects, shaped two thousand years of Chinese ethics. He taught that character is built through learning, ritual and honest self-examination.

Questions

What does "See someone better, aim to match them. See someone worse, look inward." mean?

Other people are mirrors in both directions. Admire someone and you have a target; spot a flaw in someone and check whether you carry it too. Either way the work comes back to you.

Who said "See someone better, aim to match them. See someone worse, look inward."?

Confucius (551-479 BC). Source: Analects 4.17.

What is the original Chinese?

見賢思齊焉，見不賢而內自省也。. Translated from the original Chinese by Spartan Surfers.

Is "See someone better, aim to match them. See someone worse, look inward." on a shirt?

Yes. We print it to order on our tees in 7 illustrated looks, from $44, with free US shipping.

"See someone better, aim to match them. See someone worse, look inward." (Confucius, Analects 4.17, translated by Spartan Surfers). https://spartansurfers.com/quotes/see-someone-better-aim-to-match-them-see