The Unwobbling Pivot

Throughout many of our readings this year, I have been amazed at how many similar points come up across different authors, religions, and beliefs. The Confucian work The Unwobbling Pivot is no exception to this and is very relatable to many things. As a Christian, it is hard to not see some similarities to some of Jesus’ teachings, and I find it very interesting how these ideas were being discussed before Jesus was here. In fact, I found that many of Confucius’ ideals did not contradict with those outlined in the Bible.
One point that I found extremely familiar was that of a balanced life and belief system. Immediately, Aristotle’s works come to mind, bringing with them the idea that we are to strive to find the mean of any personal traits or beliefs. On page 103, Confucius describes a similar value, explaining that a superior person “finds the center and does not waver”. Not only does he bring up a point similar to that of Aristotle, but he expands on it, introducing the idea of a steady, unchanging effort to achieve this. I think that this also coincides with where we, as Christians, are meant to find our morals. While we have God and the Bible to base our values and knowledge on, I think that this middle ground is often where these lie. Confucius also mentions faith in a similar way later on, and this is even more similar to the Bible’s teachings, as we are supposed to be built up on an unfaltering foundation in our faith.
Another moral valid point that Confucius makes is that we need to push beyond our comfort zone to achieve what we are capable of. He states that getting caught up in daily life, going through the motions, is not how to become a better person. We are supposed to strive to accomplish more than just the bare minimum. This is also a very Biblical idea, and God also wants us to carry out our full potential in His name. Getting out of our comfort zones is discussed throughout the Bible in many different contexts, and it certainly applies here. Confucius shares the belief in the importance of one’s propensity to push themselves to their capabilities.
One thing that I realized about Confucius’ teachings, at least contained in this text, is that he tends to provide moral guidance, but does not delve into spiritual teachings to a large extent. This does make me feel that his ideology lacks in some ways as there is no real foundation to the ideals. While he does bring up faith occasionally, I would say that the majority of what Confucius brings up is more of a moral issue.