Analects, Books 15,17,18

The following citations, I used them to figure out what exactly made a gentlemen--a gentlemen. What are the characteristics, and what is it that a gentlemen should do and be according to Confucius.

15.18 The Master said, “The gentlemen takes rightness as his substance, puts into practice by means of ritual, gives it expression through modesty, and perfects it by being trustworthy. Now that is a gentlemen!”

He is always willing to do what is right (and so it links to one underlying message within the Analects: Goodness). He does what is right by practicing the rituals, shows rightness when being modest, and develops it a bit more by being someone reliable.

This ‘definition’ of gentlemen, it can be said to be very different from what a gentlemen is—in today’s societies. A gentlemen might be the man “who lets the lady first”, but then again, this gentlemen individual might be arrogant, and take his “gentleness” for granted—therefore not being a true gentlemen, according to the Analects.

What called my attention was that, later on, in the same Book, The Master mentions that “The gentlemen is true, but not rigidly trustworthy.” (15.37). He is contradicting himself, by saying that as a gentlemen is right (again), he is not trustworthy. But it mentions, in 15.18, that the gentlemen perfects rightness by becoming trustworthy. Perhaps most gentlemen have rightness as their “preference”, but yet need to master it.

17.23 Zilu asked, “Does the gentlemen admire courage?
The Master said, “The gentlemen admires righteous above all. A gentlemen who possessed courage but lacked a sense of righteous would create political disorder, while a common person who possessed courage but lacked a sense of righteous would become a bandit.”

So it is certainly crucial for a gentlemen to prefer and admire, “above all”, rightness. The Master believes that this is more important than having courage. A courageous man is capable of doing anything without fear, but without intelligence and witness, he shall be shall do anything—without thinking twice, and therefore doing wrong things as well.
Again, to be a gentlemen is to be willing to do only rightness, and wanting to master it.