Why do people often say that 40 is not confused, 50 knows destiny, 60 is obedient and 70 is free? What do these mean?

Forty is not confused: it does not mean that a person will not be confused at forty. The true meaning of not being confused should be: when a person reaches the age of 40, he has experienced a lot and has already made his own judgment;

Know the destiny: "Know the destiny" is not resigned to fate, but doing something without seeking results. Therefore, "knowing the destiny at fifty" means knowing the difficulty of realizing the ideal after fifty, so doing things without pursuing results;

A 60-year-old man can listen to others and judge right and wrong at the age of 60;

70 follow one's inclinations: 70 follow one's inclinations, which is natural and legal, that is, the mind cannot deviate from the Tao.

Extended data:

Canon source:

In The Analects of Confucius, Confucius said: "Be determined to learn five out of ten, stand at thirty, be puzzled at forty, know your destiny at fifty, be obedient at sixty, and be upright at seventy."

The process of "don't be confused at 40, know your destiny at 50, obey at 60, and do whatever you want at 70" is a process of gradually improving your ideological level with your age. There are reasonable factors in Confucius' moral cultivation. First, he saw that people's moral cultivation can not be completed overnight, nor can it be completed overnight. It takes a long time to study and exercise, and there should be a gradual process. Second, the highest state of morality is the unity of thought, words and deeds, and consciously abide by moral norms, not reluctantly. These two points apply to anyone.

References:

Baidu Encyclopedia, Analects of Confucius and Governing the Country