More than two thousand years ago, Confucius advocated that “a public spirit should rule everything under the sun and a gentleman should put others’ interests above his own.” An ancient Chinese would consider it the primary aim in life “to cultivate his own moral character, put family affairs in order, administer state affairs well, and pacify the whole world.” It is evident that the interests of the small circle (family), the intermediate circle (state), and the large circle (world) come above one’s own, and one has to cultivate one’s own moral character and to exert oneself in order to achieve the goal of serving the community’s interests. A couplet from a Ming dynasty academy of classical learning says, “The sounds of wind, rain, and reading each come into my ears; the affairs of family, state, and world are all kept in my mind.” Fan Zhongyan, a Song dynasty poet, expressed his desire “to show concern over state affairs before others and enjoy comforts after them.”

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