Confucius said, “A man of virtue acts with decorum and does not compete; he joins groups but does not form factions.” The Analects

Fire and water have energy (qi) but no life. Grass and trees have life but are not sentient. Birds and beasts are sentient but do not understand what is right. Humans have energy, they have life, they are sentient and they also understand what is right, hence they are supreme. They are not as strong as oxen, nor as swift as horses, yet they can use oxen and horses – why is that? Because humans can form groups with a division of labor whereas oxen and horses cannot. Why can humans form such groups? Because they can differentiate their roles based on titles and ranks. Why can they differentiate their roles and ranks? Because they understand what is right. Xunzi