Confucius Divided People into Four Groups

Confucius divided people into four groups: those born with knowledge; those who have acquired knowledge through learning; those who have developed the desire to learn after encountering difficulties in life; and those who refuse to learn even in the face of difficulties. He never made complimentary remarks, however, about the first group of people, those born with knowledge. Someone once asked whether Confucius was born a sage; otherwise, how could he be accomplished in so many fields? Confucius himself said that he had led a hard life in his boyhood, which obliged him to learn widely. From this, we see that Confucius did not admit that he himself was born erudite, but instead advocated mastering knowledge through learning.