Love of others must follow the rules of moral conduct, and not be unprincipled, selfish or indulgent. De(德) here refers to moral behavior and consciousness, and is the foundation for upholding proper social order. Loving the people is on a personal emotional level, while morality is a set of commonly accepted rules of social conduct. If not grounded in morality, loving the people will go against the common social norms, and harm the integrity of both giver and receiver. The term expresses a spirit of respect for morality, social order, and common good.

Zengzi said, “…The man of virtue follows the codes of moral conduct when loving others, while the petty person is indulgent for the sake of peace. What do I wish for? I shall be more than satisfied that even by the time I die I will have followed all the codes of conduct.” (The Book of Rites)

The man of virtue follows the rules of moral conduct when loving others, and does not break them for purely personal reasons. (Chu Renhuo: Romance of the Sui and Tang Dynasties)