Zhì

Zhi is one of the Five Constants and translates as 'wisdom' or 'understanding'. To have zhi is to be able to distinguish what's 'right' and what's 'wrong'. Someone with zhi doesn't necessarily need to be book smart, you just need to have enough emotional intelligence to see what's morally correct and what's not.

Meaning

Confucius says that zhi can help you understand the true personality of a person, "To know is to know others". Zhi is also more than just recognizing, but it's also acting based on moral principles. For example, a teacher seeing a struggling student and offering help is inherently zhi (and rén) because they recognize the struggle of another and offer to help.

Self-awareness

No one is perfect, and zhi can help with recognizing your (moral) faults and how you can improve them. Someone who lacks zhi would blame others when things go wrong, but wisdom would help them with seeing their own faults. Confucius also talks about comparative learning, "When you see a worthy person, emulate them; when you see an unworthy person, reflect on yourself." Observing others can therefore help you with becoming a better person.

Blame

Never, ever guilt yourself when it's unnecessary. Confucianism rejects useless guilt, and instead encourages people to correct themselves, not to feel bad for themselves. Shame is the pathway to virtue (if change is enacted), as Mencius said. Also, don't blame yourself for human limitations or dishonesty, as both can be helped with either correction or note-taking.

Shí

Shi, or understanding context of the situation, is key in Zhi. Because there aren't any set, rigid rules you have to make a decision on what to do depending on what's happening around you and the relationships you have with the people involved in the situation. For example, dishonesty in Confucianism is wrong. But, if you're lying to save the life of someone, it's generally considered better to do than to cause the loss of a life.

Furthermore, you shouldn't stick to one of the Five Constants and base your understanding around that Constant. These Constants compliment eachother, where Zhi gives you a moral compass, basically. Yi without zhi can cause one to become overly self-righteous, where one for example punishes a starving thief harshly without thinking about their well-being.