Analect 16:9

I will discuss what I have understood from the analects that I have read and encountered. My interpretation might not be precise but I will interpret and discuss it as much as I have understood.

Analect 16:9

The master said “Those who are born knowing it are the best. Those who study to know it are next; those who are limited and yet study are next; those who are limited and do not even study are considered to be the lowest level of people.

As far as I understood, the first sentence which is “Those who are born knowing it are the best”, it means that those people who are born knowing it are the people who are born rich, they are the sons and daughters of the aristocrats or the elites. This people have the access and resources that will help them in acquiring knowledge. And this made them the best people.

The second sentence which is “Those who study to know are the next”, It means that this people are the people who are not that rich yet not that poor, this people can acquire knowledge because of their enough resources that could fund them in acquiring such knowledge, and that would made them the next to the best people.

The third sentence which is “Those who are limited and yet study are the next”, it means that this are the people who have limited resources or should I say that this are the people who are poor in resources but not contented with their present life, so they strive to study to acquire knowledge even with limited resources to fund their studies. Those are the people who work hard to acquire such knowledge, and that would make them the third to the best people. 

The fourth sentence which is “Those who are limited and do not even study are considered the lowest level of people”, this are the people who do not have enough resources or poor and yet they don’t even strive to study to acquire knowledge, this are the people who are poor and lazy. They are the people who don’t strive to have new knowledge and they are the people who are contented with their dull life and that would make them the lowest level of people.