子曰：「攻乎異端，斯害也已！」
Zǐ yuē:`Gōng hū yì duān, sī hài yě yǐ!'
The master said, "Attacking strange sprouts? Truly exhausting and dangerous!"
Key Terms
攻 gōng = attack, take the offensive; criticize or charge; study or specialize
異 yì = different, strange, unusual, surprising
端 duān = sprout, beginning
斯 sī = cut, cleave; exhausting
害 hài = injure, kill, damage; obstruct
已 yǐ = modal particle (indeed, truly).
攻乎異端
"Attacking strange sprouts" could also be translated as "criticizing many different positions."
The idea seems to be "Spending all your time criticizing a variety of unusual positions? This is truly exhausting and dangerous to one's self!" The Confucian sage succeeds by identifying the needs of the moment and providing examplary leadership. The Confucian sage leads by example, providing successful and inspiring examples that address the challenges facing human society. How can the sage lead by example if the sage is consumed with rooting out and attacking the multitude of opinions and positions? This kind of "leadership" fails to lead.
Imagine the consequences of spending all one's effort and energy attacking every controversial statement on Twitter. Truly exhausting and dangerous!
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