以方问曰：「先生之说『格物』：凡《中庸》之『慎独』及『集义』、『博约』等说，皆为『格物』之事。」
先生曰：「非也。格物即慎擉、即戒惧。至于『集义』、『博约』，工夫只一般。不是以那数件都做『格物』底事。」
黄以方问：「按先生的『格物』之说，凡《中庸》的『慎独』以及『集义』『博约』等说，都是格物范围内的事了。」
先生说：「不是。格物就是慎独，就是戒惧。至于『集义』『博约』，功夫只一般，并不是把那几件都算作格物之下的事。」
Huang Yifang asked: 'On your doctrine, are the Mean's watching-over-oneself-alone, accumulating rightness, breadth and restraint all affairs under investigating things?'
The Master said: 'Not so. Investigating things is watching alone, is vigilance. As for accumulating rightness, breadth and restraint — the work is one and the same; those several are not all filed under investigating things.'