子禽问于子贡曰:“夫子至于是邦也,必闻其政,求之与?抑与之与?”子贡曰:“夫子温、良、恭、俭、让以得之。夫子之求之也,其诸异乎人之求之与?”
Ziqin asked Zigong,
“When the Master arrives in a particular state and needs to learn how it is being governed, does he seek out this information or is it offered to him?”Zigong replied, “The Master gets all he needs by being cordial, proper, deferential, frugal, and unassuming. Perhaps this way of seeking information is somewhat different from how others go about it.”