The real sting here lies in Confucius's refusal to celebrate consistency as a virtue—he's saying that rigidity itself betrays a kind of intellectual poverty, whether born from arrogance or simple incapacity. Most people mistake stubborness for principle, but Confucius suggests that wisdom isn't about *what* you believe so much as your willingness to examine and revise those beliefs when reality demands it. Consider the engineer who redesigns a bridge after discovering a flaw in her calculations; she hasn't failed—she's demonstrated the very flexibility that separates competence from mere obstinacy. The quote reminds us that growth requires a certain humility, the ability to say "I was wrong" without it costing you your sense of self.