This chapter is relative to the previous one. The previous chapter talks about the saints who are born sincere, and this chapter talks about the wise men who are inferior to the saints. In other words, saints are “sincere and wise”, people who are sincere by nature, while wise men are “sincere and wise”, people who are sincere after understanding the truth through acquired education. Although wise men are committed to a certain aspect, through education and self-cultivation, through the stages of “form, expression, clarity, movement, change, and transformation”, they can also reach the realm of saints step by step: nurturing all things and being ranked as the third with heaven and earth. In the final analysis, as long as you work hard, all roads lead to Rome, and you can eventually succeed and achieve the right result. In terms of persuading people to be sincere, “The Doctrine of the Mean” can really be said to be earnest and spare no effort.
这一章相对于上一章而言。上一章说的是天生至诚的圣人，这一章说的是比圣人次一等的贤人。换句话说，圣人是“自诚明”，天生就真诚的人，贤人则是“自明诚”，通过后天教育明白道理后才真诚的人。贤人虽然致力于某一方面，但通过教育和修养，通过：“形、著、明、动、变、化”的阶段，同样可以一步一步地达到圣人的境界：化育万物，与天地并列为三。说到底，只要你努力奋斗，曲径通幽，条条道路通罗马，最终都可以大功告成，修成正果。在劝人真诚的问题上，《中庸》真可以说是苦口婆心，不遗余力的了。
中庸·二十三
其次致曲。曲能有诚，诚则形，形则著，著则明，明则动，动则变，变则化。唯天下至诚为能化。
XXIII
The next order of the process of man’s mind is to attain to the apprehension of a particular branch of knowledge. In every particular branch of knowledge there is truth. Where there is truth, there is substance. Where there is substance, there is reality. Where there is reality, there is intelligence. Where there is intelligence, there is power. Where there is power, there is influence. Where there is influence, there is creative power. It is only he who possesses absolute truth in the world who can create.
