无欲则刚

人没有非分的贪欲，就能做到刚正凛然。“欲”指各种私欲、贪欲；“刚”即刚正公道、正直有力。“无欲”并不是绝对禁止人们有“欲”，而是提倡克制自己的私欲、贪欲。“无欲则刚”讲的是立身处事尤其是执政做官的基本道理：一个人面对来自各方的种种诱惑，应该大公无私、端正品行、淡泊守志，不要有非分的贪图，这样就能一身正气，无所畏惧，就像高高的峭壁一样，挺立于天地之间，坚不可摧。

People with No Covetous Desires Stand Upright

People with no covetous desires stand upright and maintain integrity. Yu refers to all sorts of selfish and covetous desires. Gang means fairness, justice, integrity, and forcefulness. Wuyu does not mean that people should not have any desires, but rather, people should not harbor any selfish or covetous desires. The term tells us a basic principle for people to follow in conducting themselves, and especially for officials in handling office affairs, that is, no temptations should ever sway anyone. One must always conduct oneself properly without seeking to gratify personal interests; one must always seek compliance without seeking fame or wealth; and one must never harbor any greed. This is the way for one to stand upright, firm, and fearless. Like towering cliffs, one may stand tall and indestructible.

引例

子曰：“吾未见刚者。”或对曰：“申枨。”子曰：“枨也欲，焉得刚？”（《论语·公冶长》）（孔子说：“我没见过刚正的人。”有人回应说：“申枨就是。”孔子说：“申枨欲望太多，哪里能够刚正呢？”）

Confucius said, "I have never seen any person of rectitude." Someone responded, "Shen Cheng is such a person." Confucius said, "Shen Cheng has too many desires. How can he be of rectitude?" (The Analects)