In the Confucian view, a true human being and worthy member of society is one who has undergone a long and demanding course of education. Now education, though it calls for writing skills and learning the classics, is fundamentally the acquisition of li. What is li? Its root meaning is something like "holy ritual" or "sacred ceremony." Confucius's originality lies in extending this specialized meaning and high function to cover just about every aspect of human behavior -- and behavior, whether it is a smile, a nod, or a word, inevitably engages and affects another person. Human behavior is human relationships, and human relationships can be endlessly refined so that jen, that natural impulse to good, can find full and appropriate expression wherever people meet. Every right gesture is li manifest and partakes of the holy.