33. In daily life, we must make ourselves an example and be gentle with others.

父兄有善行，子弟學之或不肖；父兄有惡行，子弟學之則無不肖。可知父兄教子弟，必正其身以率之，無庸徒事言詞也。

君子有過行，小人嫉之不能容；君子無過行，小人嫉之亦不能容。可知君子處小人，必平其氣以待之，不可稍形激切也。

【今文解譯】

父輩或兄長們有好的行為，子弟後輩們即使學了也不一定像；而父輩或兄長們有壞的行為，子弟後輩們學了就沒有不像的。由此我們可知，父輩兄長們教育子弟後輩們，一定先要端正自己的行為以作表率，不能盡說些無用的空話。

君子如果有過失，小人一定會因為妒忌而趁機進行人身攻擊；君子即使沒有過失，小人也會出於妒忌而橫加毀謗。由此我們得知，君子與小人相處時，一定要心平氣和來對待，切不可在言行上有半點急躁的情緒，以免激怒小人。

【English Translation】

When the elder ones of a family have done something good, the younger ones would follow them though not much alike at length; but when they have done something bad, the younger ones would also imitate them and do it lifelike. It is from this we know that before training the younger ones, the elder ones should first rectify themselves and set a good example for them, rather than do it merely with empty talk.

When the man of virtue has done something wrong, the base man would attack him and never let him go. Even if the man of virtue has done nothing wrong, the base man would also like to defile him and not let him go lightly. It is from this we know that when dealing with base men, the man of virtue should smooth their temperaments and avoid being attacked by them out of his own radical deeds and words.

不貽羞於父母 勿貽害於子孫