This passage comes from the first chapter of The Analects, "Xue Er" ("Learning"): "The Master said: 'The Junzi (Exemplary Person) does not seek to eat to the full, nor does he seek comfort in his dwelling; he is swift in action but cautious in speech.'" Confucius contrasts being "swift in action" and "quick in deeds" with being "cautious in speech" and "slow of tongue," demonstrating that he advocates for practice and the unity of words and deeds, while opposing inconsistency and boastful talk.
Confucius was renowned in his time for his extensive learning and diverse abilities. The Analects (Lunyu), Book 9, Zihan, contains an interesting record: "The Grand Steward asked Zi Gong (a wealthy merchant and eloquent disciple), saying, 'Is the Master a sage? How is it that he has so many abilities?' Zi Gong replied, 'Heaven has indeed endowed him abundantly to become a sage, and he also possesses many abilities.' When Confucius heard this, he said, 'Does the Grand Steward know me? When I was young, I was of humble status, so I acquired many practical skills. Does a Junzi (Exemplary Person) need many abilities? No, not at all.'" He explained that because he was poor and lowly in his youth and had performed many menial tasks, he was able to achieve "many abilities"; if he had been a Junzi, he certainly could not have done so. According to the Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji), "The Hereditary House of Confucius" states: "Confucius was poor and lowly. When he grew up, he once served as a clerk for the Ji family, keeping accounts accurately and fairly; he also served as an official in charge of livestock, which multiplied and thrived. Because of this, he became the Minister of Works (Sikong)." Although he looked down on those who engaged in "vulgar occupations," he still performed them well. Of course, the "affairs" in Confucius's mind were not vulgar occupations but major matters concerning politics, thought, ethics, and morality. After his status changed, he was restless and rushed about tirelessly, always placing "devotion to one's duties" first. He said, "In serving a ruler, one should devote oneself to the duties and then consider one's salary" (The Analects, Book 15, Duke Ling of Wei). He also said, "In governing a state of a thousand chariots, one should be devoted to its affairs and trustworthy, economize in expenditures and love the people, and employ the people only at the proper seasons" (The Analects, Book 1, Xue Er). These "affairs" were certainly major ones. He urged "devotion" to these duties while setting aside "food" (personal gain). Later generations often praised his spirit of "being diligent in affairs" and "devoted to duties" with sayings like "Confucius's mat never warmed, Mozi's chimney never blackened" (Ban Gu's "Reply to a Guest's Jest"), or "Confucius had no blackened chimney, Mozi had no warm mat" (Huainanzi, "Cultivation of Affairs"). According to the Records of the Grand Historian, "When the ruler summoned him, he set off without waiting for his carriage to be harnessed"; and "In the tenth year of Duke Ding's reign, at age fifty-six, Confucius acted as chief minister while serving as Minister of Crime (Da Sikou). He participated in state affairs for three months, during which sellers of lamb and pork did not inflate prices; men and women walked on separate sides of the road; no one picked up lost items on the streets; and visitors from all directions arriving in the city did not need to seek help from officials, as everyone was well received and guided home." Truly, he was "diligent in affairs."