"Being cautious and independent" means that when you live alone without supervision, you need to be cautious and consciously abide by various moral standards.

Source: Book of Rites University-Ceng Zi in Spring and Autumn Period

This is called sincerity in the middle and tangible outside, and a gentleman must be cautious and independent.

This is inner sincerity, which will be revealed in words, so people with high morality will be very cautious when they are alone.

Extended data

1, Confucian view of cautious independence

Cautious independence is an important concept of Confucianism. Cautious and independent attention to the cultivation of personal moral level and the integrity of personal conduct are the highest realm of personal demeanor. Zheng Xuan in the Eastern Han Dynasty noticed the cloud of "cautious independence" in The Doctrine of the Mean: "cautious independence." People generally understand it as "when you are alone and no one is paying attention, you should be careful in your behavior", "farewell to the sea", or "be careful when you are alone" and "etymology".

2. The creative background of The Book of Rites University

"University" is an essay on Confucian thoughts of self-cultivation, governing the country and leveling the world. Originally, it was the 42nd article of The Book of Rites Dai Xiao, which was said to have been written by Ceng Zi. In fact, it is a Confucian work in the Qin and Han Dynasties, and it is an important work for China to discuss educational theory in ancient times. In the Northern Song Dynasty, Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi highly praised it, and in the Southern Song Dynasty, Zhu wrote "University Chapters and Sentences". After the Song and Yuan Dynasties, "Da Xue" became the official textbook of the school and the required reading of the imperial examination, which had a great influence on the ancient education in China.