Jen in various translations refer to humanity, virtue, benevolence, human heartedness and many others (J. Koller & P. Koller, 1998). All of which leads to an implication that Jen is being good which makes us truly human.
How does one become humane? It is in the way one expresses being human towards others and the self. Confucius speaks about this expression as Chung and Shu wherein Chung or conscientiousness is being humane to oneself and Shu or altruism is being humane towards others.
The emphasis of this paper is the Conscientiousness (Chung). Conscientiousness is being able to relate humanity in one self. In the doctrine of the Mean 15 it says that a one must start from the nearest point. To be able to be humane towards others and the world, one must start manifesting the virtues of humanity towards the self. There is a saying that ‘one cannot give what one does not have.’ In this sense Conscientiousness as Confucius tells it is an obligation to treat oneself as a model of virtue in order to be a model of virtue to the rest of humanity. In analects 14:45 Confucius says that ‘the superior man is one who cultivates himself with seriousness.’ To be humane to oneself, man should be convicted in making himself better by placing his heart at the center of what he is doing.
In practice of Jen, Conscientiousness is when one cares and relates to oneself. Confucius regards this as important because one must understand his own humanity in order to genuinely relate to others. In analects 1:4, it speaks of examining oneself at all times. It's keeping in check of the conduct and behavior that one does and whether it is maintained throughout ones life. Has he been true and trustworthy?
With this, there is a difference between being conscientious and being self-centered. Self-centerdness implies that the care that one places to oneself stays within oneself. That is to say that one places himself above all others which is not what conscientiousness is about. Conscientiousness is the care to oneself which weighs equal to that of the care that he places to all others. This care is a genuine care that is laid out whole-heartedly and with an open mind.
