《论衡·卷二十六·知实篇》
为孔子辩护的人说： 孔子自己知道是不会被任用的，圣人忧虑的是 道 行不通，老百姓生活在水深火热之中，他多半是想要辅佐诸侯，推行他的道而拯救老百姓，所以才答应诸侯的聘请周游列国，不躲避灾祸和耻辱。
论者曰： 孔子自知不用，圣思闵道不行，民在涂炭之中，庶几欲佐诸侯，行道济民，故应聘周流，不避患耻。
Those who defend Confucius say: Confucius himself knew that he wouldn't be hired. What the sage worried about was that the Way would not work, and the people were living in dire straits. He mostly wanted to assist the feudal lords, promote his Way, and save the people. That's why he agreed to the feudal lords' invitations to travel around the world, not avoiding disasters and shame.