Confidence in Ruler: Words of Wisdom from Confucius

"Tsekung asked about government, and Confucius replied: 'People must have sufficient to eat; there must be a sufficient army; and there must be sufficient confidence of the people in the ruler.' 'If you are forced to give up one of these three objectives, what would you go without first?' asked Tsekung. Confucius said, 'I would go without the army first.' 'And if you were forced to go without one of the two remaining factors, what would you rather go without?' asked Tsekung again. 'I would rather go without sufficient food for the people. There have always been deaths in every generation since men lived, but a nation cannot exist without confidence in its ruler.'"
— From The Wisdom of China and India by Lin Yutang.*

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